No one really likes to wax, but it’s a fact of life for many people. While many have come up with their own waxing methods, some of those methods might actually cause more harm than good. If you never received your waxing information from an expert, you’ll probably want to keep in mind these nine mistakes that you very well might be making.

1. Washing your skin when you shouldn’t, or vice versa

Different waxes require your skin to be prepared in different ways. When you get your wax, it should have instructions that tell you how to prepare your skin. A good rule of thumb is to avoid washing after a shower, but clean your skin gently to remove dirt, dust, and debris.

2. Warming the wax incorrectly

If you’re using a hot wax applicator, you need to make sure the wax is warm enough to be heated and liquid all the way through, but not so hot that you’ll burn yourself. Finding that middle ground is incredibly important, but it can also be incredibly difficult.

3. Waxing before your hair has grown out enough

Of course, you want to have silky-smooth skin at all times, but if you wax only a few days after last shaving or waxing, the wax won’t be able to hold onto the hair, and it’ll be all for nothing. Wait at least two weeks since your last shave to wax.

4. Pulling the wax in the wrong direction

This step is fairly simple, but it’s also very easy to skip over. The wax should be applied moving in the direction that the hair grows, and then removed the opposite way. This makes sure that the hair actually is pulled out, rather than just breaking at the skin.

5. Using the wrong waxes for specialized areas

Although you might not know the difference at first glance, different waxes are actually created for different specialties. Choosing between hot wax, warm wax, wax strips, and sugar wax may seem like a simple decision of preference, but it’s actually very important to pay attention to the best option for you.

6. Pulling off the wax slowly

There’s no denying it; pulling off the wax hurts! However, if you do it all in one go, you’ll actually end up with a much better wax. Doing it all at once makes it easier for you to get it over with, and it actually picks up more hair that way.

7. Not having all your supplies ready

When you wax, you’re going to need a lot of supplies. If you don’t have all those supplies laid out in front of you before you get started, you’re going to have to keep getting up with wax spread across your skin, and that’s a recipe for disaster. Keep things simple and gather all your supplies first.

8. Forgetting about aftercare

After you’ve waxed, the skin is ripe for infection, and that’s why you need to take care of it well. You don’t want to wax again anytime soon, exfoliate, take extremely hot showers, get a tan, or go swimming. Instead, you want to make sure you’re letting the area breathe and taking good care of it, so your skin has a chance to heal.

9. Trying to breeze through the process

Waxing is hard, and if you don’t pay enough attention to what you’re doing, you’re likely going to end up with problems. You may end up with ingrown hairs, pimples, burns, or even a skin infection if things really take a turn for the worst. When waxing, it’s important that you read up on how to do it and give yourself time to get it done properly.

If you’ve never waxed, or you’re going to start waxing a sensitive area for the first time, it’s usually a good idea to turn to a salon for at least your first wax. Not only will an expert do everything properly, it’ll also likely hurt less, and they can give you some DIY tips. Get in touch with an Ogle School salon near you to book a salon appointment today!