Waxing Side Effect #1 - Skin Bruising

SKIN BRUISING is one of the most common side effects when waxing the Bikini area.  It occurs most often on the Femoral ridge.  The femoral ridge is the large tendon in the bikini area that starts in the upper inner thigh.

99.9% of all bruising that occurs in this area is due to poor technique.  Please don't take offense at this statement. I have bruised people myself, which proves that even I am not perfect. The tips you'll learn as you read will help you improve your technique.

Bruising occurs because the skin in not held taut. When wax is removed, and the skin is loose it will cause a "bounce back" which damages the underlying tissue and creates bruising. When working in this area, it's so important to keep our focus and keep the skin taut.

When doing the bikini line, most people have been taught to apply a long strip of wax from the hip bone to the bottom of the labia and remove in one long pull.  This method increases the risk of bruising as it is more difficult to keep the skin taut all the way along the removal path.  

Instead I suggest removing this section in two pulls. 

The first pull will be from the bottom of the labia to the femoral ridge, keeping the skin taut. The second pull readjust your hand to pull the skin taut just below the femoral ridge and pull back to remove the remaining strip. Taking the removal in two pulls minimizes the risk of bruising. 

If you see bruising tell the client, don't try to hide it. They will find out soon enough. Being upfront will build their trust in you.  If you do see bruising, you can minimize it by placing an ice pack on the area. I keep mini ice packs in the freezer for just such an emergency. The sooner you get the ice pack on the better. 

Don't miss next week's blog, where I'll be talking about another juicy topic, Skin Lifting.