5 questions about cold wax and necessary care with its use

Cold wax is practical for those who want to remove hair at home. However, as with any other method of hair removal, it is necessary to pay attention to certain precautions so as not to hurt the skin. Dermatologist Renata Marques (CRM 814717 | RJ RQE No. 20486) clarified the main doubts on the subject. She check it out:

What is cold wax used for?

The dermatologist comments that “cold wax is used to remove the finest hairs and has a great advantage in terms of being able to be used at room temperature, being a faster and more practical method.” She also explains the difference with hot wax, which is in not relaxing the hair or dilating the pores, being therefore more aggressive for the skin.

How to use cold wax: questions and care you need to have

For Renata, cold waxing is not always the easiest or best method. It is a very painful form of hair removal. The dermatologist also brought more details about care when using wax and clarified the most common doubts. See below:

1. What precautions are important when using cold wax? Renata explains that, in this method, the hairs need to be long, about 0.5 cm, and they should be finer. In addition, she points out: “the remains of hair removal need to be removed with a specific product, the remover oil.” She states that one should not use oils or moisturizing creams immediately after shaving, to avoid skin irritation. She also cites exfoliation, which should be done “as soon as the hair grows to prevent ingrown hairs.”

2. Can you use cold wax on face and groin? The dermatologist clarifies that cold wax can be used on the face and groin, despite being a painful method for both regions. It also reinforces the issue of hair thickness. If they are too thick, they may end up not coming off easily or causing a lot of pain during epilation.

3. Who is it recommended to use cold wax for? For the dermatologist, anyone can use this hair removal method. Renata mentions one more detail: “cold wax is indicated for those who have varicose veins or poor circulation.”

4. Are there any contraindications? Yup. Renata comments: “People who use acids to treat acne or other problems should not use this depilatory method because their skin is sensitive.”

5. Is it normal to feel itchy skin after using cold wax? Yup. The dermatologist explains why this happens: new hairs need to go through the skin to be born. If it’s right after epilation, the itching appears because the skin is a little more sensitive and slightly irritated.

Renata reinforces the issue of the method being more painful. People who are more sensitive to pain may not feel comfortable with this type of waxing. So it’s worth testing on a less sensitive part of the body, like the legs, to see what you feel.

5 harms of cold wax

Although practical, as it does not need to heat up, cold wax has harmful effects. Renata cited the main ones. Follow:

1. Ingrown hairs: the dermatologist explains that “cold wax can cause more ingrown hairs because it doesn’t use heat. The heat dilates the follicles and decreases the chance of ingrown.”
2. Most painful method: Renata mentions that, as it is not heated, this type of hair removal usually hurts more, as it does not dilate the pores and prepare the skin.
3. Difficulty in using on curved areas: the dermatologist also explains why this happens. Disposable tissue or paper used to remove wax may tear more easily and not pull out all the hairs. Thus, it is necessary to pass the wax more often, which can result in reddened and irritated skin.
4. Spots after folliculitis: “they can occur due to the inflammatory process of folliculitis, causing post-inflammatory hyperchromia”, explains Renata. Also, infection can be a consequence of ingrown hairs.
5. It dries out the skin: according to the dermatologist, the problem is easily explained, as “hot wax usually has emollient agents that moisturize the skin. Not cold wax.”

Did you know all these details about cold wax? Now you know which parts of the body you can use it without fear. Enjoy and check out other homemade waxing methods to remove your hair yourself!