From my eyelashes getting stuck in the wax and being ripped out, to my face breaking out and swelling to new dimensions because of the strips, to getting kicked by the wax specialist’s unborn child, I’ve experienced all things awkward when it comes to waxing appointments. Instead of having the traditional eyebrow wax done (with strips), I decided to try a strip-less eyebrow wax. I went to the European Wax Center, where they use the strip-less process, certain I couldn’t suffer anything worse than my past experiences.

The Strip-Less Wax Process (makes ALL the difference)

The strip-less waxing process (the same process can be used on ANY area) is a four-step process. First, a calming lavender cleanser (it smells like heaven) is used to remove any perspiration, oil, or make up. Pre-depilatory oil is then applied to the skin to protect it, preventing it from adhering to the skin. The strip-less wax is then applied to the area (their wax is made out of bees wax!). After the wax is applied, the wax is allowed to dry, and then peeled off quickly.

No strips of any kind are used at any point in the process. The final step is to soothe the skin, using either an ingrown hair serum (which is aloe- based and contains no alcohol, and promises to help the hair grow back finer and less noticeable), or a hydrocortisone cream (which helps reduce redness and irritation while putting moisture back into the
skin).

The Benefits

The four-step strip-less wax process allows for the best care for your skin. The process helps the strip-less wax to adhere to the hair and not the skin. This has a few benefits over the traditional waxing method:

•  Won’t break the hair
• Less skin redness
• Assures the hair comes out by the root
• Less skin irritation
• Reduces ingrown hairs and red bumps
• Less pain and pulling

The Ideal Esthetician

My esthetician, Melinda, was amazing! These were the tips she gave me for what to look for. Your ideal esthetician should be…

• Confident and able to educate you during your waxing experience.
• Organized and keep their work area clean.
• Sure that you’re pleased with the results before leaving.
• Able to explain what they are doing, why, and what you should expect afterward.
• Listening to you to know what you want and explain realistic expectations. Asking questions and getting to know you is part of the experience.
• An example of this would be finding out that a guy coming in to get his back waxed is going to the lake right after the waxing. It would be best to advise him of rescheduling to another day because he would be introducing bacteria into open pores, causing breakouts or irritation, and the skin may be too sensitive to sun exposure for the next couple days.

The Maintenance

Maintaining and grooming eyebrows to get the desired look has always been something I’ve struggled with. But the esthetician gave me some great tips for what to do (and not do) immediately following the session, and for maintenance between waxing sessions.

• Keep the waxed area clean. Do not apply makeup or lotions to waxed area for 24-48 hours, if possible.
• Exfoliate, exfoliate, and exfoliate! You can use an everyday exfoliating face or body wash (washes with beads are the best and most gentle), exfoliating bath/shower gloves, or loofah. Sugar scrubs are good for the legs and arms as long as they are not oil based.
• Do not shave between waxing! Doing this will make the hair harder to remove, cause ingrown hairs, red bumps, and will cause your waxing experience to be more painful the next time around.
• Body waxing is recommended every four weeks, just once a month.
• Facial waxing can be done more often or as needed.

Overall, my experience at the European Wax Center was nothing short of amazing. My eyelashes didn’t stick in the wax. My face didn’t break out or swell. And most notably, no unborn child kicked me. I will NEVER go to a salon that uses waxing strips again; strip-less waxing is definitely the way to go, ladies!

Catherine Saunders is a staff writer and researcher at EndlessBeauty.com.