After waxing or sugaring, the client may experience various skin reactions. In fact, unpleasant consequences after skin depilation occur very rarely, but the master should know how to react to them and how to help the client in such a situation.
Skin reactions after depilation can be:
- follicular – slight swelling and slight redness at the site of hair removal;
- hyperemia – redness of the skin at the site of depilation due to blood flow after mechanical impact;
- histamine reaction or urticaria – an allergic reaction to mechanical action on the skin.
Urticaria is a vascular skin reaction in which blisters, red spots, swelling appear on the skin of the face, body and hands, sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation and itching. Bumps on the skin, similar to mosquito bites or nettle burns, can be small, 2-5 mm in size, single or merge into one whole.
Many of us have been burned by nettles in childhood and remember these unpleasant sensations. And someone may have already encountered the medical form of these rashes.
Usually, a histamine reaction appears when removing pubic hair (arms, back, face, lower back, stomach). This is a reaction to stress for the skin and the release of histamine. Such a reaction cannot be predicted and is due to the individual characteristics of the body.
A histamine reaction after depilation is sometimes confused with an allergy to the components of sugar paste or wax.
To check whether a client is allergic to the ingredients of sugaring cosmetics, we always recommend doing a test: apply a small amount of the product to the skin, for example, on the inside of the hand. If after 10-15 minutes there is no adverse reaction, then you can use the product.
Is hives an allergy? But not always. This is a condition in which the cells of the immune system (mast cells) release the substance histamine and other biologically active substances, followed by a vascular reaction and the formation of blisters.
Applying sugar paste during depilation does not cause a chemical allergy, since the paste is on the skin for a short time and is not absorbed into the blood.
Factors that can lead to the development of urticaria:
- physical action – overheating, hypothermia, exposure to ultraviolet light, as well as friction or squeezing of the skin with clothing, depilation or hair removal with tweezers;
- contact with an allergen – contact of an irritating substance with food (does not apply to hair removal during depilation).
Sometimes the cause of urticaria is autoantibodies – the body’s own immune cells that mistakenly attack the body.
What to do if the client has urticaria after sugaring?
As a rule, urticaria after depilation occurs immediately, no more than 30-40 minutes after the procedure and passes on its own after a few hours or in some cases in 1-2 days. If the hives did not appear immediately after depilation, then the reason for the redness and irritation is different.
It is necessary to warn the client about the peculiarities of his skin, use additional care after the procedure and provide the following recommendations:
- do not subject the skin to additional stress, do not visit the gym, sauna or swimming pool,
- do not scratch the redness,
- do not rub the hives with a hard washcloth,
- do not apply foundation and aggressive cosmetics,
- do not wear woolen clothes in the depilation area.
If the client is bothered by itching, you can drink an antihistamine. At home, the client can apply a sponge with chamomile solution, chlorhexidine or another water-based antiseptic, products with panthenol or menthol to the hives.
Also, to relieve itching and swelling, you can apply a cold compress to the affected area of the skin.
If the symptoms of hives do not go away for more than 48 hours, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist.
Additional products after depilation for sensitive skin
With hives after sugaring, the skin is red, it may be hot and the client may feel itchy.
In such cases, products with camphor work well, they have a local healing, cooling, analgesic and drying effect. For example, you can use the Biolife SOS mask or Terra depilation lotion.
The Enova SOS mask contains many components that can relieve inflammation and speed up the healing process. Products containing menthol, aloe vera, panthenol come to the rescue.
A good effect is given by applying an alginate mask with a soothing and cooling effect. You can apply a Biolife bikini mask to the bikini area.
For clients prone to allergies, use acid-free sugar pastes Biolife or Terra. Sugar paste with shungite will provide an additional antibacterial effect, for example, acid-free black sugar paste Terra Black.
Stay in touch with the client to monitor how the hives are progressing after depilation and, if necessary,give additional recommendations.