Contrary to popular belief, starting waxing in winter is a fantastic time to get into a regular routine. This is not about aesthetics. It’s completely up to you what lies beneath your thermals and at nkd we would never comment or pass judgment on that. But from an effectiveness point of view, you will reap the rewards from your waxes in the summer and will get far better, longer-lasting results from your treatments then if you start to put the work in now.
To understand why this is, you need to understand the basics of the hair regrowth cycle, which is made up of three main phases.
1st Stage – Anagen.
This is the active, growing phase of hair and is by far the best time to get a wax. When anagen hair is removed, the waxed area remains hair-free for longer because the hair was removed at its earliest, or youngest stage of development. Waxing anagen hair should also eventually lead to a reduction in regrowth. If the hair is repeatedly removed from the full depth of the follicle, the structures that surround the hair follicle which are responsible for hair growth will eventually weaken.
2nd stage – Catagen.
The catagen phase signifies the end of the active growth of a hair. During this short, transitional phase, the lower part of the hair is cut off from its blood supply and from the cells that produce new hair, and what is called a club hair starts to be formed.
3rd stage – Telogen:
The hair follicle enters its third and final phase, called telogen as the club hair is completely formed. This is the resting phase, during which the old hair falls out in preparation for the development of a new anagen hair. This is the worst time to get a wax because during this stage, brand new anagen hair may already be developing below the existing visible surface hair, which won’t be picked up by your wax. The results of your treatment therefore won’t last as long, because even though all of the old hair was removed, new hair could start to break through your skin soon after your treatment. (You can tell when you have pulled out hair during the telogen stage, because you can see the white bulb at the hair’s root).
So in order to get the best results, it is vital that you establish a regular routine for your waxing to ensure that you try and catch the hair in the anagen growth phase every time you come and get nkd. The best and easiest way to train the hair on any given body part into a growth cycle is to do what we recommend new clients do, and come every 3 – 4 weeks for a few waxes. During this time, you may notice that the waxed area actually starts to look even hairier than it did before, which is another reason why winter really is the best time to get into this cycle! But this is good, because it means that all of your hair is coming through at once, instead of at different times. Once you get to that stage and if you keep the routine up (by coming every 4 – 6 weeks for a wax), only then will you start to notice longer-lasting and better results from every treatment.
