FAST, NOT FURIOUS

I am never going to be the world’s fastest waxer; when it comes to
speed, I have always been of the mind that there is a fine line between
efficiency and haste. In my humble opinion, clients would much rather
pay for a thorough and comfortable service that maybe takes a little
longer, than be rushed out of the door with sore skin and poor results.

However, while we never want our customers to feel like they are on a
production line, neither do we want them lying on the couch gathering
cobwebs. In the absence of an extra set of arms, here are a few
suggestions for introducing a swifter touch to your waxing that won’t
compromise on comfort or results.
 Get clients changed for as much as possible in one go. For example, if a customer has booked in for a back and leg wax, don’t ask him to take his shirt off but leave his trousers on; it wastes time getting him off the couch after his back wax, waiting for him to put his shirt back on, then remove his socks and trousers before clambering back on the couch again. Whip everything off from the outset, and keep him warm with a towel to cover any areas you are not working on.When waxing legs, arms and underarms, cleanse and oil both limbs at the same time before you even think about picking up the spatula. Ditto when applying your after-wax lotions and potions at the end of the service.If you need to trim unruly hair, using scissors on anything larger than an armpit is akin to using a nail file to escape from prison. Cordless electric clippers make light work of hairy Marys and can shave valuable minutes off your service (pun intended).Slap on as much wax as possible before laying your first paper strip. Using a good quality product with a low melting point will ensure the wax stays soft on the skin, without fear of it over-drying or becoming stuck fast.I’m a pot-and-spatula guy at heart, but I also have a healthy relationship with my roller unit. For fast, efficient defuzzing of the legs in particular, a roller wax system can significantly cut down your overall treatment time. Look for units with an insulated cartridge holder, which ensures the wax retains its warmth for longer when removed from the base station.Stuck on sticks? Try a bigger one. Large, non-disposable plastic and metal spatulas allow you to apply more wax per dip. Imagine you are buttering bread: wipe the wax from the spatula onto the skin, then hold your spatula like a knife to spread the wax in thin layers.Rubadubdub… you’re not trying to coax a genie from a lamp; one or two firm rubs with the whole of your hand is sufficient to get a good bond between wax and skin.Don’t let go of your strip. Hold and remove the strip with your dominant hand, and rub, stretch and calm the skin with the other.Never hang around waiting for hot/non-strip wax to set; keep working. Wherever possible, apply a second line of wax while the first is still drying. Modern non-strip waxes contain elastomers and stay pliable on the skin even when fully set, so you never have to worry about it becoming brittle or having to chisel cold chunks of toffee off the poor client’s body.Britain isn’t exactly renowned for its tropical weather, but during the summer months it can seem that hot wax takes forever to set, especially on warmer parts of the body such as the underarms and bikini line. If you find yourself wishing for a freak snowstorm to speed up proceedings, try wiping a cotton pad sprinkled with a few drops of pre-wax cleanser over the gummy wax. You’ll end up with random tufts of cotton stuck to the surface of the wax but that doesn’t matter; the coolness of the cleanser will help the wax to set quicker, meaning you might actually get home in time for EastEnders after all.As tempting as that juicy little ingrown is, do all of your extractions, tweezing and clean-up at the end of the service, not as you go.With the exception of eyebrow waxing, never hand your client a mirror to check results… they will spend the next five minutes examining every inch of their freshly denuded skin for stray hairs. For intimate waxing, a quick check to make sure they are happy with the ‘lines’ is all that is required. For everything else, you decide when the job is done.At the end of the treatment, remain in the room while your client gets dressed. This way you stay in control of your space and you can use this time to empty the bin, change the couch roll and give your heaters a quick clean. If he's still lacing up his boots at this point, may I suggest a firecracker to hurry things along?

© Andy Rouillard, 2011-12. All rights reserved.

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