Eyebrow Waxing; How to prevent client skin lifting.

As many beauty professionals and salon owners know, the brow industry is booming right now! So being at the top of your game when it comes to all thing’s eyebrows is going to make you stand out against your competition, including eyebrow waxing.

But did you know that one of the main areas of the body which plays victim to ‘skin lifting’ is the eyebrow area? Something which can be very easily prevented from happening, but equally could put a therapist off waxing brows for life.

In this article, we are going to discuss how to prevent skin lifting on your client and how making the switch from strip to peelable waxes will instantly up your brow game.

What is a skin lift?

Skin lifting, or ‘wax burn’ as it’s sometimes referred to, is where the skin has been pulled away during the removal of wax. Skin lifts can take a few days to appear, meaning that a therapist may not realise during the treatment that they have created a skin lift, and continue to overlay and wax the skin. When established, a skin lift will feel like a burn and will scab over after a few days.

Example of a skin lift on the eyebrow area.

There are several factors that can cause skin lifting to occur, including medication that your client may be taking, or your client being waxed whilst pregnant or during their menstrual cycle. However, the main causes of skin lifting (especially on an area a delicate as the eyebrow), is down to the initial skin prep, the type of wax being used, the temperature of the wax, and a lack of stretch when applying and removing the wax.

Strip vs Peelable.

Traditionally, most therapists whilst training at college will be taught to wax eyebrows using Strip Wax. However, using Strip Wax to carry out an eyebrow wax is actually one of the biggest factors when it comes to the skin lifting away.

Peelable Wax is a much safer, more effective, and comfortable way to wax the eyebrow area and prevent skin lifting from occurring. Peelable Wax (hot/hard wax) adheres to the hair rather than the skin. Outback’s Peelable Waxes in particular utilize advanced polymer technology which creates a shrink-wrapped action around the hair leading to more effective hair removal. But of course, with any type of wax, the preparation and protection of the skin before apply any wax is an important factor.

Tips for avoiding Skin Lifting.

1. Prep & Protect the skin: Always ensure your client’s skin has been thoroughly prepped and protected before applying any wax. We recommend using our Gel Cleanser, followed by our Botanical Oil for your wax prep. Both of these products contain nourishing and moisturising ingredients which help to sanitise and prep the skin ready for waxing. Apply using a cotton pad.
2. Switch to Peelable Wax: The switch might seem daunting at first, but trust us! It will seriously up your waxing game. We recommend our Opal Peelable Wax due to its hypoallergenic formula, making it perfect for waxing sensitive areas of the body.
3. Check your wax temperature: Even if you have taken the correct steps on prepping your client’s skin, and selected the correct wax for the job, if your wax is too hot then it will cause skin lifting. Our Peelable Waxes should be heated to 52-56 degrees C and will have the consistency of thick honey. Always double-check your ‘working wax temperature with a digital thermometer. Still not sure? Check out our Opal Peelable Temperature video here.
4. Apply a stretch: Ensure you are applying a substantial enough stretch to the skin when applying and removing your wax. Not applying enough of a stretch during the removal process will cause the skin to ‘ping’, leaving it feeling/looking red and inflamed, as well as potentially lifting the skin.