You can have the best wax in the world but if you do don’t know how to perform a proper waxing treatment; you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. From my experience, Brazilians are the treatment that therapists struggle with the most. There is a lot of hype about ‘7 Minute Brazilians’ at the moment and let me tell you, it is a joke! Can you rip all the hairs from someone’s private parts in less than seven minutes? Yes, absolutely! But there is a reason we all have jobs, and it’s because people expect as professionals we know how to do it, and we know how to do it well.
We take our time, and make sure the treatment is done properly, resulting in no irritation/pain or redness – this is why they pay us! The fact of the matter is this is that rushing a treatment like this is not a safe, professional or even a humane way of preforming a Brazilian! I have seen a demonstration of this treatment in real life and let me tell you, it wasn’t even done in seven minutes! If you’re looking for a quick way to lose over $1000 and be absolutely horrified then sign right up to the class! What you really need is a Waxing Mentor, and a demonstration that shows you step by step, where you can actually see the results up close and personal.
Put yourself in the client’s shoes for a moment and let me paint a picture for you. You’re lying on the waxing bed, a little sweaty from that usual anticipation that’s common before a wax. Your therapist walks in and bam! Bottom’s up and you’re on all fours before you know it! There’s hot strip wax everywhere. It’s all over your private bits, and wax strips are being ripped off left right and centre (literally)! There is no chit-chat, not even a “Hi, how are you?” because as a therapist, she has a seven minute deadline to work with and she only has two minutes left. No time for proper post waxing care, you’re in, you’re out; you’re back in the car quicker than you can say “I’m here for my Brazilian wax thanks.” You’re covered in sticky wax residue and when you get home, see a number of hairs that haven’t even been removed! How do you feel?
Now picture this instead. Your therapist walks in, she greets you by name and asks what you’ve been up to since your last appointment. You lay there comfortably on your back with your head supported by a pillow. She uses a combination of hard and strip wax as she understands the sensitivity of the different areas of the skin and which areas require a more gentle touch. She removes the wax in the opposite direction to the hair, as this will prevent bruising and ingrowns. She is gentle, yet firm. To set the hard wax instantly, rather than pushing on the wax with her hands, she uses a refreshing spray that instantly touch dries the wax. It feels lovely and cooling on your skin. She then uses a wax strip to apply oil, removing any leftover wax residue and rubs mango scented after waxing lotion to sooth the skin. She walks you to the counter and books in your next appointment. Now how do you feel?
Pushing people in and out your door is not the way to create ongoing, loyal customers. Not to mention, anyone would prefer to relax on their back for majority of the treatment rather than be put in awkward and compromising positions. This first scenario mentioned uses a rough and quick technique; this can cause the hairs to snap at the surface which can result in severe ingrown hairs, bruising and very tender and sore skin for your client.
While you get quicker with experience, a good Brazilian wax generally takes on average 20 minutes to complete. It’s not uncommon however for it to take up to an hour when just starting out as you need guidance and can sometimes be a little timid! With a new client, I would always make a longer appointment as you never know what you are going to be dealing with. If you are shown a good technique from an experienced waxing mentor to start with, after a few goes you will feel much more confident and be able to perform each treatment in a reasonable amount of time with flawless results!
There are always hair removal fads coming and going within the beauty industry (see my previous article ‘Waxing is here to stay’). In this article I discuss why many other hair removal techniques are fads. The 7 Minute Brazilian and new waxes claiming they are not waxes are no different! Do not be fooled by marketing tactics, they are designed to trick and confuse you.
After traveling in the USA and UK, it is common feedback that Estheticians or Beauty Therapists are only using one type of wax; either strip or hard. It is absolutely necessary to have both! Strip Wax and Hard Wax are used on completely different areas, not just for Brazilians but with the whole body. You need to be mindful of different types of skin you deal with. Mature skin, dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin. Older clients for example have very delicate skin and we need to be especially gentle as it can tear and bruise easily. I would always use hard wax on older clients as it is much easier on their skin, this also goes for women who are going through menopause. Caring for your client is part of being a good therapist and ultimately, it comes down to you being passionate and confident about what you do.
Waxxxpress offers one-on-one training, group sessions and in-salon workshops where you learn proper techniques and are educated about superior waxing products. You have to like what you do, in any career and continually update your skills. Treat your clients the way you would like to be treated and make their appointment more than just a maintenance routine but an experience that they look forward to each month.
Always keep in mind that it will take more than seven minutes to perform a treatment AND win over your new clients. With the time it takes arranging advertisements and marketing to draw in new customers (not to mention the costs involved) spending that extra time ensuring you keep a client is only common sense.
Lilliane Caron is Owner & Director of Waxxxpress. If you’d like to ask Lilliane Caron for some advice on your own salon, email [email protected]
