Sadly, we are waving bye to the bikini weather and saying hello to cozy, hot cocoa weather. The sun-soaking beach days are behind us, and the desire for smooth skin seems to be a distant memory. As we bundle up for the cooler months, we take a deep breath and think “Finally! I can let my hair grow out and not have to worry about it!”
WRONG!
- That extra layer of hair will NOT keep you warm
- This is the best time to START waxing
- Waxing all-year long makes it so much easier when it comes time for the summer months
- You never know when you are going to need to whip out that little black dress for the Holiday party
Fall and Winter seems like the perfect time to take a break because it's not like you're showing off your legs, right? While that may be true (especially for our Nova babes in the snow), waxing during the cooler months is probably more important than waxing in the spring and summer! While most of your waxed body parts stay covered during the cooler months, winter waxing is truly a game-changer and will ensure that your waxes during the more crucial months are MUCH smoother.
We’re going to talk about why winter waxing is important, tips for waxing dry skin, and business inspiration to keep your wax salon thriving during a seemingly less-popular waxing time!
WINTER SKIN
First, let’s talk about the effects of seasonal changes on your skin. Temperature and humidity levels change from season to season, and these factors are just a few of the many that have an impact on your skin. As we move from warmer to cooler temperatures, the skin is trying to adjust to the loss of hydration from the lack of moisture in the air. This usually means dryness, cracking, and enhanced inflammation. While you cannot control the temperature outside, there are steps you can take to ensure your skin doesn’t suffer this season.
Exfoliation is an incredibly important part of any waxing regimen, but even more so if you suffer from dry skin! Not taking care of your dry skin can lead to difficulties when it comes to waxing. Dry skin can soak up all the moisture of a wax strip almost instantly, leading to a strip that dries way too fast and cracks on the surface. These strips usually do not remove in one, clean motion and often break hairs instead of removing them from the root.
In the cooler months, moisturizing and staying hydrated are key ways to replenish the body from the lack of moisture. Unfortunately, simply putting moisturizer on top of your unexfoliated skin prevents your skin from actually absorbing the key ingredients in the products you are using. The dry skin sitting at the surface blocks your pores and prevents your skin from actually receiving the nutrients it needs to stay hydrated. This is why waxing in the winter is important and almost necessary to combat dry skin.
BENEFITS OF WAXING IN THE WINTER
Although fall and winter are the peak of hibernation mode, it does not give you an excuse to let your hair grow out until you are ready to hit the beach again. By breaking the cycle you’ve been maintaining through the spring and summer to keep yourself looking smooth, you are disrupting the process of your hair growth. We have talked about hair cycles before, and that once you get settled into a consistent waxing routine your hair will grow back evenly and much thinner. By stopping that process altogether, your hair will grow out much longer than it is used to which can lead to a lot of discomfort AND you will be back at square one of your hair growth process.
Those dropping temperatures will have us bundling up in our layers, which is exactly why many believe they can take a break from waxing in the winter. Why keep up with a routine when basically nobody can see how smooth your legs are? We totally get it! However, while you may be the only person who will be able to appreciate your super-smooth and hairless skin, the benefits of continuing your wax regimen all year long are truly worth it in the long run. The leggings you will be rocking all season long will most definitely create uncomfortable friction if your hair is too long - which will not only damage your hair, but also lead to uneven growth. Patchy hair? No thank you!
Leaving your hair to grow out means that once the temperatures start to rise, your first wax will be BRUTAL. You have essentially eliminated all the progress you made with your consistent waxing routine during the summer, and will have to start all over again. If you keep up with your waxing regimen during the fall and winter, your waxes will continue to be a breeze and your skin will be even smoother when it matters the most! We say waxing is a routine because the consistent removal of hair from the follicle causes damage (in a GOOD way) to the follicle itself - which is what causes your hair to eventually grow back thinner and more sparse. If you keep up with your routine all year long, those follicles will be incredibly weak by the time summer rolls around again and your hair will be pretty much non-existent. Also, in the season of holiday parties, you will never have to worry about what your hair looks like and you can rock that little black dress with confidence!
Fall and winter are also great times to experiment with waxing if you are new to it, or have a new area you would like to wax! One of the stipulations of waxing is the patience with the growth process, since your hair needs to be at least a quarter inch for it to be waxable. In the summer months, many of us would definitely not feel comfortable letting our underarm or leg hair grow out when all we want to do is rock tank tops and bikinis. Winter is your MOMENT! The cooler temperatures will have you covered up a majority of the time, so you can let your hair grow freely without the insecurity or fear of it showing. By starting your process in the fall or winter, your skin will be oh-so-smooth and ready to make its debut in the summer!
Finally, one of the KEY benefits of waxing is the exfoliation. If the hair removal part does not seem beneficial to you in the winter, then at least appreciate the wonders waxing does for exfoliating your skin. That dry, cracked winter skin can be removed with a wax strip, leaving behind smooth skin that will instantly soak up all the yummy nutrients in your moisturizers and other skincare products. Aside from removing the buildup on your skin, the exfoliation process stimulates the skin’s renewal process so it always looks healthy and fresh. Exfoliation is already a vital step in maintaining your waxing routine, but with the drier skin that comes in the winter exfoliation truly takes on a new level of importance. Out with the old skin cells, in with the new!
TIPS FOR WAXING DRY SKIN IN THE WINTER
Whether you are waxing yourself or others, it is important to know the effects dry skin has on the wax performance. These are some of the challenges you may encounter when waxing drier skin:
- The wax strip will dry within seconds of application
- Breaking, cracking wax strip upon removal
- Hair breakage/ unsuccessful hair removal
- Product waste and wasted work time
Luckily, there are tricks and techniques to help you overcome these! One of Liz’s favorite tricks is applying a small amount of lightweight oil to the skin before waxing. This will give the skin some added hydration as well as create a barrier on the skin to protect it from the wax. This way, the wax will not be soaked up by the skin as it settles and instead will focus on adhering to the hair for a strong removal. Be conscious of the amount of oil you use, because too much oil will cause the wax to roll on the skin and not adhere to the hair properly.
Adjusting the amount of wax you use is also another key to waxing dry skin. It is incredibly important to not waste your wax, however, you should not be afraid to use more wax than normal when waxing dry skin. If you are trying to use as little wax as possible to preserve your supply, you probably are doing yourself (and your client) a disservice. Strips that are too thin will dry out even quicker on dry skin and will not be strong enough to remove the hair properly. Your strips will crack and break upon removal, and you will end up needing to lay more strips in order to achieve your desired results. In the end, you may end up using MORE wax than you originally anticipated and your service will take much longer.
Dry and dehydrated hair is more likely to break upon removal which will not only lead to an uneven growth, but also cause the hair to grow back thicker and quicker. Using slightly more wax will help combat this because it will be strong enough to fully envelop the hairs. These thicker strips are also more friendly to dry skin because they do not settle as quickly, so you will never feel rushed to get the strip removed out of fear it will crack on the skin. With a slight adjustment in the amount of wax you use, your results will truly speak for themselves and your cleanup strips will be very minimal.
One thing to also note is that cooler weather tends to cause the pores to constrict. This means that the hair will grow back slower, so your waxing sessions may be more spaced out than normal. Instead of sticking to a strict schedule, monitor the hair growth and ensure that the length is still appropriate to wax! You could very well go an extra week or two before your hair is ready to be removed.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS AND SALON THRIVING DURING THE FALL AND WINTER
It is definitely not as popular to get waxed in the fall and winter months than it is in the summer - but with a great strategy you can easily turn it into one of your busier months!
Offering specials and incentives are definitely a way to keep clients coming back! Introductory specials are an excellent way to capture new customers and you can show them why starting their wax journey now is going to be more beneficial for them. Sharing these tips on social media or in an email newsletter to your clients will open their eyes to the opportunity in front of them! A brow wax client who did not want to grow out their underarm or leg hair in the summer can easily convert into a full-body client when you share with them why it is best to start waxing now.
Special winter treatment add-ons are a great way to get creative and expand your menu! We know exfoliation is a vital step in the wax routine, however, there are clients that are not always the best when it comes to their wax maintenance. You can create a special add-on treatment, such as a 10-15 minute exfoliation, that you do prior to the wax to clear away the dead skin for a flawless wax. You can also create an add-on for after the wax, such as a 10 minute leg or arm massage with a soothing lotion to hydrate the skin post-wax and maximize those results. By making these a special “winter” treatment, you enhance the exclusivity of it and more of your clientele will want to take advantage of it while it is available.
Finally, appearance is everything, and having a warm and cozy salon or suite will instantly make your clients feel comfortable. Decorate, put on festive music to truly get in the spirit, or have a small coffee and tea setup. If your salon looks warm and inviting from the outside, people will be more inclined to pop in to escape the cold and treat themselves to a wax. If you can invest in a small heater to place near your waxing bed, this will add to the comfort your clients feel when they come in for their services. Just be mindful of the effect temperature has on your wax and that if you have heat running, you may need to have your warmer at a slightly cooler temperature to make sure it stays at the proper consistency.
Winter waxing woes can be a thing of the past if you implement these tips and tricks into your life! This truly is the best time of year to maximize your waxing routine so that you are extra smooth and prepared for summer! Check out the video below to see how Liz waxes her dry legs during the winter!
