We often end up doing a little bit of damage to ourselves in the name of fashion. For example, rough hair after dying, nail-bed inflammation after getting acrylic nails removed and irritated skin after waxing. Hair removal by using wax is the most common way of getting rid of unwanted hair. It’s not an entirely safe procedure. Since the wax comes in direct contact with your skin, it adversely affects it.
Some of the most common harmful effects of waxing are listed below:
Redness and Irritation
During waxing, the hair is pulled out of the roots. It is a painful process and the skin is exposed to a lot of pulling that cause redness, which usually indicates trauma. The pores of the skin are also left raw after the hair is forcefully pulled of the roots.
Burns
The wax used for the procedure is melted at high temperatures. It has to be applied to skin the while it’s freshly melted, and therefore quite hot. Many people have experienced severe burns due to hot wax. These burns leave marks on the skin and are quite painful. Sometimes the burn marks are permanent and only fade with time.
In grown hair
During the procedure, wax is applied on a body part and pulled off with a piece of cloth or paper. If this is not done properly, it may break the hair instead of pulling it out of the roots. This causes inflammation of the pores and gives you ‘strawberry’ skin or ingrown hairs. It is called ‘strawberry’ because the inflamed pores are red and look like the seeds that cover a strawberry.
Saggy skin
Too much waxing and pulling of the skin may eventually lead to it losing its elasticity and will start to sag. That is why facial waxing is not recommended to be repeated often. The fine tissues of the skin can be damaged over the period of time with constant pulling.
Chemical exposure
Most waxes used in the salons are not natural and contain harsh chemicals that are not very good for the skin. The wax companies try to add certain moisturizing agents to mask the effects of these chemicals, but they do take their toll eventually. Some people may be allergic to some of the chemicals present in the wax and it may cause them to break out in a rash.
Folliculitis
This is a skin condition that is caused by a bacterial or fungal infection of the hair follicles. When hair is pulled out of its roots during waxing, bacteria may enter the newly empty space and cause an infection. This condition causes a lot of discomfort, especially if it is in a sensitive area like the bikini line or under arms.
Bleeding or bruising
If the hair growth is relatively thick, pulling that hair out during waxing may cause bleeding from the hair follicles or bruising of the skin due to trauma. The thicker the growth, the more painful the procedure of pulling out the hair. The bruises caused due to skin trauma may last up to a week.