A waxing salon is a type of beauty salon that specializes in removing body hair with different types of wax. Both men and women might go to a waxing salon to remove unwanted hair from the legs, underarms, bikini line, and face. Some men might also wish to remove hair from their chests and backs. Waxing is considered the most effective type of temporary hair removal because the hair is pulled out at the roots and doesn’t need to be waxed again for six to eight weeks.
In a waxing salon, the esthetician usually uses hot wax to remove hair. The wax is made of paraffin or beeswax mixed with a resin to make it sticky and a lubricant to make the wax come off the skin more easily. The esthetician spreads the heated wax onto the hair and skin, and then presses a muslin cloth over the wax. The wax cools slightly and sticks to the hair and the cloth. The esthetician rips the cloth off, bringing the wax and hair along with it.
Some waxing salons use sugaring as a method of hair removal. Sugaring is an ancient technique that has been used for hygiene in the Far and Middle East for centuries. Instead of wax, this technique uses a thick sugar-based paste to remove the hair. The waxing salon esthetician applies a thin layer of warm paste to the hair and pulls it off with a muslin or paper cloth. Some people believe sugaring is less painful than waxing because the sugar paste only sticks to the hair and not to the skin.
Removing hair with wax can draw blood, especially if it’s the first time, and it can be a very intimate procedure for people getting waxed on or around their genitals. For these reasons, an esthetician in a waxing salon must comply with standard hygiene procedures, such as wearing protective gloves and clean wax. Usually an antiseptic is applied to the skin prior to waxing, and the applicator sticks and muslin cloths cannot be reused. A clean disposable or washable seat covering should also be used.
Some waxing salon estheticians are also trained in laser epilation, a permanent type of hair removal. In this procedure a small laser is waved over the unwanted hair. When the laser is activated, it burns into the follicle and kills the hair, preventing it from re-growing. Laser hair removal usually must be done several times to remove all the hair, and it is much more expensive than waxing.