Sauna Before/After Waxing or Eyebrow Wax?

Waxing leaves your skin very vulnerable. Your skin can be easily damaged if you engage in certain activities.

You should not use the sauna or steam rooms immediately before or after waxing. Sauna causes the skin to become moist and hydrated which can make it difficult for the wax to stick. Heat can cause skin pores to open and moisture accumulating on your skin mixing with the waxing cream can cause infection.

In the rest of the article, we have further discussed why activities like sauna and waxing are not complimentary. We have also covered a short guide on the things you should do to recover from waxing along with the things to avoid at all costs.

Table of Contents

Is It Ok to Sweat After Waxing?

It is best to avoid activities that encourage sweating after waxing. Sweat increases the moisture in your body and can also create an environment that invites bacteria. Since the skin of the area of your wax will be more sensitive after waxing, you want to avoid inviting unnecessary moisture and bacteria to help prevent infection.

This means saunas and steam rooms, heavy workouts, and rigorous work should be avoided for at least a few days after your waxing appointments.

In addition to sweat inviting more moisture and bacteria, many activities connected with sweat, like exercise and rigorous work can create friction. Since your skin layer may be weakened after waxing, friction can create irritation, which could make the healing process after waxing longer and more painful.

man sweating after training
Avoid engaging in activities that make you sweat (Image source)

It is best to avoid clothes that may make you sweat or cause more friction after your waxing appointment. Pull out your favorite flowy dresses, skirts, and blouses to give your skin room to breathe and recover after waxing.

All that being said, do not be alarmed if you do sweat a little throughout the day. A small amount of sweat will likely not cause any damage. You will simply want to prevent any unnecessary or extra sweating while your skin is still recovering from a waxing appointment.

Should You Sauna Before or After Waxing?

Unnecessary sweating before or after your waxing appointment should be avoided to help make the waxing and recovery process as easy and painless as possible. Because of this, you should probably avoid using the sauna before or after your waxing appointment.

If you show up to your waxing appointment after using the sauna, chances are you will have more moisture on your skin and hair. This extra moisture can make it more difficult for the wax to stick to your hair. If the wax struggles to stick, your wax will be less efficient, and it may even be more painful.

With that in mind, if you do want to use the sauna near your waxing appointment, opting to use it before is far preferred to after. If you use the sauna before your waxing appointment, be sure to take a shower.

Make sure your skin is clean and dry before your appointment. This is a courtesy to your waxer and it will make the waxing process more efficient.

You should avoid using the sauna for several days after waxing. The extra sweat could invite irritation or bacteria, which could lead to infection. It is best to stay dry and keep the area clean from sweat as much as possible while the skin heals from waxing. This goes for all kinds of waxing, including bikini waxes, armpit waxes, and eyebrow waxes. 

Should You Use Steam Rooms Before or After Waxing?

Steam rooms should also be avoided before or after your waxing appointments because they increase the amount you are sweating. The sweat can affect the quality of your wax or negatively impact your healing after waxing.

Similarly to saunas, steam rooms encourage you to sweat which can make moisture accumulate in your hair. You will likely end up with a bad wax job, or it could be more painful to remove the hair.

Keep your appointment as painless as possible by waiting until a few days after your waxing appointment to visit a steam room.

Using a steam room after waxing is especially inadvisable. Steam rooms increase sweat, which can lead to an infection on the skin after waxing. This happens because your skin is particularly fragile and prone to infection after waxing removes some of the top layers of the skin.

Even if you avoided infection from the sweat caused by a steam room, you may leave the steam room unhappy with your wax job. The warmth and moisture caused by the steam can open the pores from the area you had waxed.

With the pores open, hair may be pushed out sooner than if the area stayed dry. So, you may leave the steam room and see stubble and new hairs appearing more quickly than you had anticipated. This stubble could make you feel that you did not get a good waxing job done.

After healing for a few days, though, you should be safe to visit a steam room without inviting infection or opening the pores too much while the skin is still a bit tender.

Dos & Don’ts After Waxing (A Guide)

woman using wax strip on her leg
It’s best to avoid using the sauna immediately before or after waxing (Image source)

Following these tips can help make your recovery after waxing quick and easy so you can get back to enjoying life!

Do’s

  • Apply cold compresses – Cold compresses can help reduce any swelling or irritation on the skin. This can help ease the pain as you recover from your waxing.
  • Use aloe vera or other cool gels – Cool gels can also help reduce the irritation from waxing. They can soothe red, inflamed skin.
  • Utilize a post-depilatory lotion – Post-depilatory lotions will help remove any residue from the wax on your skin. They can also help prevent ingrown hairs and soothe the skin after waxing.
  • Wear loose-fitting clothing – Tight-fitting clothing encourages friction and sweat, which can make your recovery painful or even lead to infection. Wearing flowing skirts and dresses while recovering can let your skin recover without extra friction. If you had your eyebrows waxed, this will not apply! 

Don’ts

  • Don’t exfoliate for a few days – After waxing, your skin will be somewhat exfoliated. It will also be particularly sensitive. Exfoliating for the first couple of days after waxing will just irritate your skin and remove the protective layer.
  • Don’t go tanning – With the top layer of your skin weakened from waxing, you will be particularly prone to damage from UV rays. So no sun tanning, no tanning beds no spray tanning booths.
  • Don’t engage in rigorous activity – An activity that would create a lot of friction in your recently waxed area can damage your skin and create a painful rash.
  • Don’t go swimming – The salt of the ocean or chlorine of the pool can irritate your sensitive skin after waxing.

Conclusion

After waxing, your skin will be particularly sensitive to infections, rashes, and irritation. You will want to make sure to take care of your skin as best as you can to help you recover as quickly and painlessly as possible. Avoiding sweating, like in steam rooms or saunas, will help you avoid infection after waxing. Stick to low-sweat activities after waxing to speed up your recovery.

(Featured image by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

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