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In brief
- For the first 24 hours after waxing you leave your skin alone. You skip sun and sunbed, sauna, swimming pool and hard exercise, you keep make-up and perfume off the waxed spot and you choose warm instead of hot water in the shower. Don't scratch or squeeze bumps. From day three or four you scrub lightly, twice a week at most.
- A little redness is part of it and usually fades within a few hours. Bumps often come from heat, sweat or friction in the first 24 hours.
- Against ingrown hairs, light scrubbing, supple skin and not shaving in between help. You don't squeeze out an ingrown hair.
- After waxing your face you leave make-up off the waxed zone. After waxing your body you wear loose clothing. We only wax the body for women, the facial zones are for everyone.
- If you want to wax again, come after about four weeks, when your hair is at least five millimetres long. If an ingrown hair turns red, warm and painful, see your GP.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
What do you do when after waxing?
Straight after
A little red
The spot may be a little red and feel warm. That usually fades within a few hours.
First 24 hours
Leave your skin alone
Skip sun and sunbed, sauna, swimming pool and hard exercise. Keep make-up and perfume off the waxed spot and choose warm instead of hot water in the shower. Heat and sweat give a freshly waxed skin bumps more quickly.
Day three or four
Start scrubbing
Scrub lightly, twice a week at most, and keep your skin supple with a body lotion. That's the best step against ingrown hairs.
Weeks two and three
The first hairs
Hairs don't all grow at the same pace, so they come back in phases. It's better not to shave in between, because then the wax grips less well next time.
Week four
The next appointment
For most people the hair is long enough again by now. Three to four weeks smooth is usual, in your face sometimes a little less.
After waxing your face or your body
The basics are the same. A few things differ per zone.
| Topic | Face | Body |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, sauna, swimming pool and exercise | Skip them for the first 24 hours. | Skip them for the first 24 hours. |
| Make-up and perfume | Keep make-up and perfume off the zone for the first 24 hours. | Keep perfume off the waxed spot for the first 24 hours. |
| Clothing | Around your neck and jaw, wear nothing that chafes. | Choose loose clothing: loose trousers or a skirt after your legs, loose sleeves after your armpits or arms, cotton underwear after your bikini line. |
| Scrubbing | Gently, from day three or four, twice a week at most. | Lightly, from day three or four, twice a week, with a body lotion afterwards. |
| How long you stay smooth | Three to four weeks, sometimes a little less than on your body. | Three to four weeks. |
| Who it's for | The facial zones are for everyone. | We only wax the body for women. |
More per zone is at face waxing, leg waxing and bikini line waxing.
What do you leave alone for the first 24 hours?
Sun and sunbed
Your skin is freshly open and warm. After the first day you can go out again, with sun protection on the waxed spot.
Sauna and swimming pool
Heat gives a freshly waxed skin bumps more quickly.
Hard exercise
Sweat gives the same bumps. If you train often, book your appointment on a rest day.
Make-up and perfume
Keep them off the waxed spot. After 24 hours it's fine again.
Hot showers
Choose warm instead of hot water in the shower.
Tight clothing
Tight jeans, leggings or a bra that chafes don't feel good on freshly waxed skin.
What are those red bumps after waxing?
A little redness straight after waxing is part of it and usually fades within a few hours. Red bumps in the first days often come from heat, sweat or friction in the first 24 hours. That's why you skip sauna, exercise and tight clothing that day.
Don't scratch or squeeze the bumps, and leave them alone.
What helps against ingrown hairs?
Ingrown hairs can usually be prevented. From day three or four, start light scrubbing, twice a week at most, and keep your skin supple with a body lotion. That removes the dead skin cells a new hair can get stuck under.
Don't shave in between. Shaving is exactly what causes ingrown hairs, and afterwards your hair has different lengths again.
If a hair is stuck under your skin anyway, don't squeeze it out. An inflammation then goes deeper and a dark spot can be left behind. Keep scrubbing lightly, and the hair often works its way up by itself.
When can you go in the sun again after waxing?
After the first 24 hours you can go out again. We advise sun protection on the waxed spot. More about it is in sun protection.
If you are sunburnt before your appointment or have just been on a sunbed, we wait with waxing. Burnt skin is damaged more easily.
When can you wax again?
About every four weeks. Your hair is then long enough again, and it needs to be at least five millimetres. After shaving that is usually after ten to fourteen days. If you keep up that rhythm, the hair often grows back finer.
If you use retinol or acids on your face, stop a few days before your appointment and let us know. If you have had a peel or microneedling, we wait with waxing until your skin has fully calmed down.
All the questions about waxing itself, from length to pain, are in waxing: everything you want to know. You can read more about your upper lip in hairs on your upper lip.
When do you go to the GP?
If an ingrown hair turns red, warm and painful, has pus in it or the bump gets bigger, see your GP. The same goes for spots or bumps you don't recognise, and for an ingrown hair that doesn't go away by itself after a few days.
Frequently asked questions about waxing aftercare
What shouldn't you do after waxing?
For the first 24 hours you skip sun and sunbed, sauna, swimming pool and hard exercise, and you keep make-up and perfume off the waxed spot. Choose warm instead of hot water in the shower, and don't scratch or squeeze bumps.
Can you go in the sun or on a sunbed after waxing?
Not for the first 24 hours. After that you can go out again, with sun protection on the waxed spot. If you are sunburnt before your appointment or have just been on a sunbed, we wait with waxing.
Can you shower after waxing?
Yes, choose warm instead of hot water. You skip sauna and swimming pool for the first 24 hours.
Can you exercise or go to the sauna and swimming pool after waxing?
Not for the first 24 hours. Heat and sweat give a freshly waxed skin bumps more quickly. If you train often, book your appointment on a rest day.
Can you wear make-up after waxing your face?
On the waxed zone you leave make-up and perfume off for the first 24 hours. After that it's fine again. If you are having your face waxed for a wedding, don't plan it on the day itself. See also your skin before your wedding.
What are those red bumps after waxing?
They often come from heat, sweat or friction in the first 24 hours. A little redness usually fades within a few hours. Don't scratch or squeeze them.
How do you prevent ingrown hairs after waxing?
Scrub lightly from day three or four, twice a week at most, and keep your skin supple with a body lotion. Don't shave in between.
Can you squeeze out an ingrown hair?
No. An inflammation then goes deeper and a dark spot can be left behind. Keep scrubbing lightly, and the hair often works its way up by itself. If it turns red, warm and painful, see your GP.
When can you scrub after waxing?
From day three or four, twice a week at most and lightly. On your face you exfoliate gently. Put a body lotion on afterwards.
How long does your skin stay red after waxing?
A little redness usually fades within a few hours. If your skin stays red or bumps appear, that often comes from heat, sweat or friction. Skip those for the first 24 hours.
When can you wax again?
About every four weeks, when your hair is at least five millimetres long. You stay smooth for three to four weeks, in your face sometimes a little less.
Is waxing at Moons also for men?
The facial zones are for everyone. We only wax the body for women.
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