You Aren't Using the Right Type of Wax
You might be using the wrong kind of wax.Hard wax works well on coarse, thick hair. Soft wax can feasibly remove this type of hair as well, but needs to be strong enough. Check the label of your wax to see what type of hair it's recommended for.Don't put soft (a.k.a strip) wax on too thick. The strip will work to remove all the wax instead of the hair. It should just cover the hair instead of coating it thickly. Along with leading to missed hair, putting on too much product can lead to bruising.
Hard wax, in turn, needs to be applied much thicker, because it acts as its own strip,and "shrink wraps" the hair. While the instructions tend to vary with the manufacturer, a rule of thumb is that it should be roughly the thickness of a nickel. Hard wax that's applied too thin won't pull off in one piece, instead flaking off when you remove it, which renders it ineffective. Hard wax also needs to cool to fully harden. It will look kind of dull as it hardens and will sound like plastic when you tap it. If it's not fully cool, it hasn't completed "shrink wrapping." And if you remove it when that's the case, the hair will still be there.
Pre-made strips are a whole other beast anddon't have many fans in the professional waxing space.
Mikelle Brown, an esthetician at FACE FOUNDRIÉ says, "Pre-made wax strips can cause bruising or lifting if not done correctly." But, some people sweat by them–it all comes down to personal preference. In general, they work best on sparse areas of hair, which on most people means the toes and the belly. Typically, when they're used for the legs, bikini line, or back, the results tend to be less than optimal. Regardless, be sure to heat them a bit before you pull them apart, rubbing them between your hands so they're at least room temperature. This is important as cold wax won't stick well to hair.
With any wax that uses a strip, pre-made or not, firmly smooth hands or fingers over the strip in the direction of hair growth a couple of times after applying. This allowsheated wax to slightly cool, and heated or non-heated wax (like pre-made strips) to attach to hair.
Another type of wax that exists, but we don't recommend, is cold wax.It has its fans, but soft wax that's heated up in a wax pot (not a microwave—seriously) spreads much easier and attaches to hair better, generally giving you a better result.
While it does take some time to get the technique down, you could also be using a poor-quality wax that just isn't doing the job correctly. Get a wax pot, and make sure you're buying the best possible qualityproducts. If you're looking for a soft wax then we recommend the Satin Smooth Honey Wax With Vitamin E ($18). As for a good hard wax, we recommend the Gigi Brazilian Waxing Kit ($44).
Uzzardi says if you're serious about at-homewaxing,she recommends investing in an affordable smallwaxwarmer. Skibba seconds this sentiment and recommends using Starpil's Starter Wax Warmer ($60).
