Ladies' Facial Waxing

Facial waxing is one of my most popular treatments, and I understand it can feel a little daunting if you haven't had it done before. I take a gentle approach and always make sure you feel comfortable and at ease throughout. Whether it's a quick upper lip tidy or a full face treatment, you're in good hands at my salon in Whitefield, Manchester.

Waxing is kinder to your face than plucking

Most people arrive having managed facial hair with tweezers, a razor or a hair removal cream. Plucking one hair at a time is slow and, on the upper lip especially, it is easy to be inconsistent and end up with patchiness. Creams dissolve the hair with chemicals that a lot of faces simply do not tolerate.

Waxing takes the whole area in a few seconds, evenly, and removes hair from the root rather than the surface. You get three to four weeks of clear skin instead of a few days, and because the hair regrows with its natural tapered tip rather than a blunt cut end, it comes back softer rather than prickly.

The myth about hair growing back thicker

This one refuses to die, so let me deal with it. Waxing does not make hair grow back thicker or darker. It cannot: the hair's colour and coarseness are decided at the follicle, and pulling a hair out does not change the follicle's instructions.

What people are actually noticing is the difference between waxed and shaved regrowth. Shaving cuts through the thickest part of the shaft and leaves a blunt tip, which looks darker and feels coarser as it emerges. Waxed hair comes back with its fine natural point. If anything, clients who wax consistently for a year or two tend to find the regrowth gets sparser rather than heavier.

Before you book, and afterwards

There is one thing I do need you to tell me. If you are using Retinol, tretinoin, Accutane, glycolic or salicylic acid anywhere on your face, please say so when you book. These thin the top layer of skin, and waxing over them can lift skin as well as hair. It is not a reason not to wax, it just means we plan around it, and the usual advice is to stop retinoids around five to seven days beforehand.

Afterwards, expect a little pinkness for an hour or two, which is completely normal and settles quickly. Leave makeup off the area for the rest of the day if you can, and avoid sunbeds, hot showers and heavy exercise for 24 hours. If you are heading somewhere that matters, book a day or two ahead rather than the same afternoon, so you arrive with skin that has fully calmed down.