Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/884148
58 november/december 2017 CAUSES OF INGROWN HAIR The three most common causes of ingrown hair in the Brazilian area are dry and dehydrated skin, friction, and improper waxing techniques. Dry/dehydrated skin It's safe to say that most everyone has dry or dehydrated skin in the Brazilian area. It's not an area that typically gets a lot of TLC when it comes to skin care. When skin is dry or dehydrated, it is the perfect atmosphere for ingrown hairs to flourish because: 1. Dry skin creates a barrier, making it difficult for the hair underneath to exit. 2. When skin is dry, tight, and dehydrated, it holds onto the hair, preventing the wax from extracting it from the follicle without breaking it. Once a hair is broken, it is more likely to become ingrown. Friction Who doesn't love their favorite pair of skinny jeans that hug every curve, or those tight spandex yoga pants that hold everything in? But when it comes to having a drama-free Brazilian, tight clothing of any kind (and the friction it creates) can cause problems. The friction that tight clothing creates can cause hair to break and turn back into the follicle, then become ingrown. In addition, friction causes heat. The heat created by the friction can cause the skin to become dehydrated, and as mentioned earlier, the skin will then hold on to the hair instead of letting it exit cleanly from the follicle during waxing. Improper waxing technique When removing the wax—either strip or hard—the skin should be pulled as taut as possible to protect both the skin and the hair. To keep skin taut, enlist the help of your client. Four hands are better than two when it comes to keeping the skin nice and tight. The removal hand should firmly grasp the wax strip, while the free hand pulls the skin taut in the opposite direction. This is to keep the skin from "bouncing back" and causing lifting, tearing, or bruising. The removal hand will quickly pull the strip of wax off while