A tried and true form of pubic hair removal is waxing. Waxing is great because you get a smooth finish that lasts for weeks. Does it hurt? Well, let’s just say it’s the only spa service that you want to move along quickly! However, we have some tips on making your first bikini wax as pleasant as can be.
How do I prepare for my first bikini wax?
Our first tip is to make sure that your pubic hair is a good length for removal.
If the hair is too long it will cause unnecessary discomfort to an already uncomfortable service. If its longer than the first ridge on your pinky, that is where you are starting to get to the uncomfortable range.
On the other hand, if it’s too short it can increase the amount of hair that breaks. This results in more tweezing than necessary. If it’s under a quarter of an inch, then its most likely too short.
Course hair
If you have very course hair, using conditioner on that hair on the day of your waxing service helps to soften the hair. This conditioning makes the hair more flexible and less likely to break.
In addition, exfoliating a couple of days leading up to your spa appointment helps too. If there is hair that is just below the surface of the skin, exfoliation can help pop that up which we can tweeze during your visit.
What do I wear to a bikini wax?
We recommend wearing loose fitted bottoms including pants and underwear. Breathable fabrics, for example, cotton, help sooth after your service. Avoid items like thongs or g-strings, bring on the granny panties.
We hope you feel a little more prepared for your upcoming experience. Your service provider will take steps to ensure your comfort and care.
White spots on nails are often referred to as Leukonychia. This condition appears as small dots or white spots on nails, or lines underneath the fingernail. The causes for this condition are many. One of the causes can be an allergic reaction to something that came in contact with your nails. For example, gel or acrylic polish, or even cleansers or detergents can cause this type of reaction.
Another cause can be an injury to the nail. For instance, after application of artificial nails or a manicure gone wrong. Albeit rare, funguses can sometimes be the cause and should be checked out if the spots start to grow.
Other causes could be hereditary, the use of certain medicines or vitamins, or mineral deficiencies. In addition, certain illnesses can cause this as well. Talk to your doctor if the condition persists long term.
Treatment
There is not much aside from a nice manicure where we apply polish to mask and blend the spots. If the spots are covering 20% of the nail we recommend seeing a physician as it could be caused by something internal.
Bruised nail trauma is also known as a subungual hematoma. Some type of trauma or injury to the natural nail bed results in bleeding and creates a bruise under the nail.
Treatment
Bruised nail trauma may need medical attention. For example, when there is swelling or any type of inflammation, soreness or bruising from the nail. We recommend you see a doctor to have it drained and cleaned out.
From there you are waiting for it to simply grow out. The fingernail takes about 6 months to fully restore itself. At that point you should have a fresh nail with a little bit of scarring, pitting, or grooves on it. A classic manicure can easily treat these imperfections.
This manicure service is ideal for hands in need of professional nail and cuticle grooming, detailing, and paint service. Your Service Provider will buff the tops of the nails to a smooth finish. A polish application (especially gel polish) helps to fill some of the ridges. Polish application is recommended as long as the nail is healthy. Thus no major bruising should be left behind or exposed on the nail bed.
Cuticles peeling can be a sign of overgrown cuticles. They are basically an overgrowth of the surrounding tissue of the nail bed and the cuticle. The overgrowth is typically caused by neglect/unkept nails. If you have overgrown cuticles you could be at risk of developing infections on or around the nails. Infections can occur due to the overgrowth causing hangnails. Hangnails cause the cuticles to split which opens the skin further to bacterial infections that can be painful.
Treatment
The treatment for peeling cuticles is a manicure. During our manicure service, we push the cuticles back and trim away any loose or dead tissue surrounding the nail bringing it back to a healthy length.
If you want to give yourself a manicure at home, be careful to not push the cuticles back too far. Pushing back too far can be painful and puts you at risk of infection.
Post care
Using a nail brush to clean around the cuticle areas will help keep them at a manageable length. Also, try using hand cream and cuticle oil on a daily basis.
Regular manicures will help if you are prone to overgrown cuticles.
A hangnail is a small torn piece of skin surrounding the nail on the hands and feet. It’s typically caused by really dry skin, cuts, or other little injuries around the nail. It can also be caused by nail biting.
Home Tips
Use milder soaps on the hands. Try to avoid antibacterial soaps because they can be really drying. Also, wearing gloves when you’re doing housework or handling chemicals or detergents helps. In addition, use hand cream as often as possible. Cuticle oils also helps.
Other tips you can follow at home to reduce hangnails include wearing cotton gloves at night. Gloves helps if you have excessively dry hands. Apply your lotion and then put your gloves on.
Hangnail Treatment
To treat hangnails, consider regular manicures that include a hand and nail massage followed by paraffin to help increase moisture on the hands.
Post care
Exfoliate suing a nail brush. Apply hand lotion, and cuticle oil to keep things moisturized.
As always with the skin, genetics plays a big role in aging. Other factors that contribute to an aging neck include improper care, sun exposure, and time.
At what age does the neck generally start to show signs of aging?
The neck starts to show signs of aging roughly around the same time as your face. However, since we do not express emotions with our necks (the way we do with our face), the face leads the way when it comes to aging. Although the neck doesn’t age as quickly as the face, it’s not too far behind. In other words, once you see signs of aging on your face, consider caring for your neck in the same fashion.
Aging on the neck appears in different ways. Examples include sunspots and redness caused by sensitivity.
What is a “crepey” neck?
Magnified image of crepey skin.
A crepey neck is characterized by fine lines of a dry and scaly texture. When you squeeze the skin together, the skin looks dehydrated and finely wrinkled. Crepey skin is one of the first signs of aging because they are not depressed wrinkles just yet. They are often caused by major dehydration and are common in the chest area. This may happen because we generally don’t exfoliate as much as we do on our face. We also don’t cleanse and moisturize to the same degree, nor do we protect it as we do our face.
Can a crepey neck be reversed?
Crepey skin on the neck can be reversed to a certain extent with proper treatment, aftercare, and protection. However, early intervention with advanced skin treatments is key.
What treatments are available for an aging neck?
Chemical peels help exfoliate buildup and resurface fresh skin cells.
Photofacials do the same as the peels. In addition, they help boost our collagen content and therefore yield more dramatic and longer-lasting results. Keep in mind that photofacials can tighten the skin on the neck only to a certain extent. Sometimes sagging of the neck is due to muscular issues or an excess of adipose tissue. Those cases require medical or surgical intervention such as liposuction, belkyra, or a lipo face lift.
Other questions?
Call us or submit your questions to our “Ask Dérmica” feature.
