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Writer's pictureDeborah Olde

Best Hygeine Practices for Waxing

SAFE WAXING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO AVOID INFECTION One of the most common beauty services in Australia is hair removal by waxing. Removing body hair with wax has been around for a very long time. Waxing was originally invented by the ancient Egyptians. They were obsessed with removing all body hair and used early forms of wax made out of beeswax and sugar. In ancient times removing body hair was important for hygiene and to reduce the incidence of parasites and infections. In modern times waxing hair removal is mostly for aesthetic purposes. Men and women love the look and feel of smooth hair free skin. In recent times, other hair removal techniques have become popular such as IPL Hair removal and laser, however not everyone is a good candidate for IPL or laser, so waxing still remains one of the most popular beauty treatments. Because waxing is so popular there are literally thousands of beauty salon across Australia performing this service. However, the quality of services you will receive varies greatly. Because of the fierce competition, some beauty salons compete for clients by offering cheap waxing by reducing the cost and the quality of the treatment, potentially putting the public at risk. How is it possible that they can offer cheap waxing? They reduce costs by employing untrained and unqualified staff who don’t know how to perform waxing safely, by using cheaper and inferior products that can cause reactions, and by cutting down the time it takes to perform the service such as essential hygiene steps, putting you at risk of contracting an infection. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PROFESSIONAL WAXING SERVICE So what do you need to know when you are looking for a safe and professional waxing service? Beauty salons in Australia need to make sure they meet the requirements of the Public Health Regulation 2012 and conduct waxing with good infection control practices. Look for beauty salons that employ fully qualified beauty therapist who were professionally trained to conduct waxing with good hygiene practices. You can easily find out by asking what qualifications your beauty therapist has and where they were trained. The qualifications need to be accredited by the government. Professional beauty salons should look clean, tidy and hygienic. When you're having a waxing service done, the therapist should pay good attention to hygiene by making sure your skin is prepared well before waxing, the bed your lying on has been cleaned between clients, they are wearing fresh gloves, and are using single-dose wax containers and disposable spatulas for each individual client. They will also pay very good attention to caring of your skin after waxing to prevent infection. More information: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/waxing.aspx WHAT TO AVOID Avoid beauty salons that employ staff who do not have professional qualifications. These people are often trained on the job with poor hygiene practices. It is easy to spot a beauty salon that is cutting corners when it comes to hygiene. You will notice that the surfaces in the rooms may be dirty and there will be wax splashed on the ground or on the walls or around the bench tops and wax containers. If the bed you're lying on is sticky or has remnants of hair on it, it means that it has not been cleaned between clients. During waxing, tiny scabs on the skin could be removed causing bleeding and also as the hair is being removed from the skin can cause to some slight bleeding particularly in the intimate areas and underarms. This can potentially cause a spread of infection through body fluids. If you see your therapist not wearing gloves or reusing wax or spatulas between clients you could be potentially putting yourself at risk of Hepatitis B and other serious blood infections. So you can see that a simple beauty service such as waxing needs to be taken seriously to prevent potential health complications. Like with many other things, you get what you pay for. But is unhygienic waxing worth the risk? Next time you have a waxing service done, talk to your beauty therapist and ask them about their qualification and about their hygiene practices when it comes to waxing and keeping you safe.







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