Hair Growth Cycles: 5 Reasons To Keep Up With Your Waxing Schedule
To say that life is busy and messy is an understatement. There are times that no matter how much we want to keep up with our routine, we just can’t. One of them is our hair waxing schedule. The next thing you know is you have those unwanted hair arise–a prickly reminder that you have been missing your schedule. The once smooth self that you admire has turned into a thorny stage that needs to be seriously tamed. Yikes!
If you are someone who has been setting their waxing appointment aside–now is the time to rethink it! Below are the top five benefits of waxing and keeping up with your schedule and everything you need to know about hair growth cycles. Stay smooth and silky sis!
- It slows down hair growth
Ideally, you should get waxed every 4-6 weeks. Maintaining this schedule is crucial if you want a long-lasting waxing benefit. This method works best for those who are tired of shaving and waking up the next day to see a tiny hair popping up. The more you wax, the less hair grows back. By keeping up with this routine, your hair growth cycle is most likely to sync and you will always see results that last long.
- Smoother skin that lasts longer
Regular waxing does not just slow down the growth, since it removes hair from its root causing the hair follicle to get damaged and become thinner each time. By keeping up with your waxing appointment, you will realise that your hair is becoming finer and sparser over time leaving you with smoother skin that lasts longer.
- Fast and Efficient
Maybe shaving is a lot faster than waxing but trust me it is not as efficient as the latter. Most estheticians will recommend getting waxed every 4-6 weeks. This will allow enough time for your hair to rest and reach the length needed before removal. Ideally, to perform a waxing service your hair must be at least ¼ inch or longer to achieve the best results and for your hair to sync up in the same stage of the growth cycle over time. Make your appointment to the salon regularly and over time the hair follicle will have less and less of a grip on the hair to be pulled and will come out more easily.
- Say Goodbye To Shaving Rash
Shaving may be your fastest solution to your hair growing tirelessly but it causes more damage than it does you good. This can irritate your skin, cause itching, leaving you with a rash and those are not cute things! So throw the razor away and remember that less shaving means more time for yourself. Showing up for your waxing appointment is a quick and ideal method of getting rid of that unwanted hair all at once.
- Less Ingrown Hair and Exfoliate Your Skin
Waxing does not just keep your hair from growing, when the wax is applied it strips off the outer layer of the skin making the flaky, dead skin cells go along the way! Who would not want that? To achieve the best results, your esthetician will recommend a habit of a good exfoliating routine 2-3 times a week in between appointments to keep skin soft and prevent ingrown hairs. However, do not exfoliate within 48 hours of your waxing appointment.
4 Stages of Hair Growth Explained
So now that you already know the essential benefits of regular waxing, it is time to move on to another topic. If you were reading intently we have been mentioning the importance of having your hair grow in sync. But what do you mean by hair growth cycles in sync? And how does it affect your waxing appointment?
There are four phases of the growth cycle that a hair goes into and getting the majority of them in the same cycle is how you can achieve the longest-lasting results from waxing.
- Anagen
This period is called the “growing stage”, it can last as short as 4 weeks on eyebrows and up to 4 months on Brazilian and legs. This is when the hair shaft is at its strongest and is by far the best time to get a wax. Why? This is because removing the hair from the root at this period will damage the “dermal papilla” and the source of nutrients for the hair. By cutting off the food source, the follicle will shrink, the papilla will be injured and thus you get less hair regrowth. This means refinement or a reduction in the amount of hair that returns.
- Catagen
This is the period where the hair shaft from the “papilla” stops growing and is free to move upward. This may last for 1-2 weeks. After your initial waxing, you may notice hairs that “come back early”. This may appear as “broken hairs” but in reality, these hairs are too short to be removed with wax, which is why we recommend making a follow-up session!
- Telogen
You are now at the “resting stage”. This is where the hair growth ends. Depending on the body part it can last anywhere from six weeks to six months. You will notice that the hair is ready to fall out and will be pushed out by the new hair which is already developing in its Anagen Stage (Stage 1). If you were waxed when you are still in the Telogen stage, you can expect rapid regrowth since the new hair below it is already growing and pushing out the next hair.
- Exogen
This phase is the extension of the Telogen stage when the old hair sheds and the new hair continues to grow. Your hair will be growing in a variety of stages if you have been shaving in between. That is why your initial two to four waxing sessions won’t give you that perfectly smooth skin you want. The hairs that are just beneath the skin are what you are experiencing since they came to the surface later because they were in stages 2, 3, or 4.
If you do not keep up with your waxing schedule and wait 5.5 weeks, or longer before you do your body wax or facial wax, your hairs are no longer in stage 1 (Anagen stage) and are not linked to the papilla. Therefore, we do not get the chance to damage the papilla and permanently reduce hair growth. It defeats the purpose of waxing after all!
Shaving is the greatest error that even the most seasoned client makes in between waxes. It seems like an easy fix for stubble, but shaving only removes hair at the surface’s level, so do not be surprised when you see them reappearing after one to four days. Sticking to a regular waxing routine will eventually make your hair become thinner and grow more slowly, extending the time between waxing sessions and minimising the amount of hair that is noticeable.
If you shave between sessions, you are just encouraging your hair to grow faster, coarser, and fuller! And ultimately exposing yourself to razor burns, cuts, and even infection.
Wrapping It Up
We hope this article helps you understand the importance of keeping up a waxing routine and sticking to it. Now that you know the different hair growth cycles and how it impacts your waxing results— it is about time to schedule that appointment! And please, no razors this time!
Bliss Skin Care offers you our best waxing service, from body wax, facial wax, and microdermabrasion—we got you covered. Pamper yourself and book an appointment with Bliss Skin Care.
