A must-read for anyone who struggles with ingrown hairs. In a recent independent report, Tracey Park compared a number of leading waxing aftercare routines, including the (nkd) range, to see what actually made a visible difference to the condition of skin after hair removal. Here, we pull out the key findings - and link to the full report so you can read it for yourself.
If you struggle with ingrown hairs, folliculitis, or other annoying and lumps and bumps after hair removal, you're certainly not alone. But according to Tracey Park - an Advanced Intimate Hair Removal & Ingrown Hair Specialist with more than 24 years of waxing experience - there's “no reason for clients to suffer with ingrown hairs.”
Park’s independent report, Waxing Aftercare:
A Professional Study, begins with a simple question: “does aftercare actually work?” Rather than relying on theory or brand claims, Park tested various different hair removal aftercare routines on real clients with real ingrown-hair problems, photographed their progress over time, and compared what happened in real life.
Her conclusion is clear. After 10 weeks, 7 clients, 6 product ranges and more than 60 photographs, Park found that aftercare does work when clients use it consistently. As she puts it: “Every single product range tested in this study produced visible, photographic improvement in ingrown hairs when the client used it consistently. Not one failed.”
“There’s no reason for clients to suffer with ingrown hairs.”
Key findings relevant to all methods of hair removal
Although Park’s case studies are all waxing clients, many of the mechanisms she describes are not unique to waxing. Ingrown hairs are typically tied to friction, heat, bacteria, dead-skin build-up and hairs failing to grow through cleanly - problems that also affect people after shaving, epilating, sugaring, laser and IPL. So, while the evidence in this report is waxing-specific, the practical lessons apply just as much to other forms of hair removal.
That’s why anyone who suffers from ingrown hairs should read this report.
The 48 Hours After Hair Removal are Key
Park begins by explaining what actually happens when an ingrown hair forms, and why the days immediately after hair removal are so important.
“This is why aftercare isn't optional.
When wax grips and removes hair, it doesn't just pull from the surface. It extracts the entire hair shaft from the follicle, the small pocket deep in the skin where the root sits.
That extraction creates micro-tears around the follicle wall. These are tiny, invisible wounds, but they're wounds all the same.
The wax also opens the pores, and the whole process triggers an inflammatory response: redness, warmth and slight swelling. The skin's protective barrier (the outermost layer that keeps moisture in and bacteria out) is temporarily compromised.
In practical terms, the skin after a wax is like an open door. Bacteria, dirt, sweat, friction and heat can all get in more easily than usual.
That's why what happens in the hours and days after waxing matters just as much as the wax itself.”
“The rule is simple: for two days after a wax, keep the area cool, clean, dry and free from rubbing.
If every client followed just this one instruction, the majority of post-wax complaints would disappear.”
But Long-Term Ingrown-Hair Prevention Matters Too
Critically though, immediate aftercare is only half the story.
As Park points out, although the 48-hour window gets most of the attention, what clients do between appointments is where the real difference shows. Two things matter most, she says: exfoliation and moisturization. Park explains:
“The skin naturally sheds dead cells, but they don't always fall away cleanly. They can build up over follicle openings and form a barrier.
When new hairs start to grow back after a wax, they hit that barrier and curl back under the skin instead of pushing through. That's an ingrown hair.
Regular gentle exfoliation, two to three times a week starting 48 hours after your wax, clears away dead skin cells and keeps the path open.
Chemical exfoliants, such as Salicylic Acid, work particularly well because they dissolve build-up inside the pore itself—something a surface scrub alone can't reach.
Moisturizing is just as important because waxing temporarily disrupts the skin's natural barrier. If the skin becomes dry between appointments, it can become tighter, flakier and make it more difficult for new hairs to grow through, increasing the likelihood of ingrown hairs.
A daily moisturizer containing ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin or Aloe Vera helps keep the skin soft, healthy and hydrated without clogging pores.”
“Exfoliate two to three times a week. Moisturize every day. It really is that simple.”
How (nkd) Performed in the Study
The report tested a number of professional waxing aftercare brands on the basis that different products suit different clients.
Client “S”, whose ingrown hairs around the bikini line were described as “severe”, was prescribed the full, 3-step (nkd) routine of exfoliator, wash and balm, alongside the use of a serum from the Ashmira Botanica brand, over 10 weeks. The stated outcome is “Dramatic improvement”, and the report’s key takeaway for this case is: “Multi-product system + consistency = best results.”
Under Park’s supervision, Client S’s protocol was as follows:
- (nkd) All-Over Body Cleanser daily
- (nkd) All-Over Body Scrub every 2–3 days
- (nkd) All-Over Body Balm daily
- Ashmira Botanica Multi Active Serum 2–4x daily
Three weeks in, Client S’s active bumps were already reducing. By 5–7 weeks, the skin between follicles was calmer and the upper bikini area was much clearer. By week 10, Park describes “the strongest improvement to date”, with active ingrown hairs “largely resolved.” The case-study summary is equally clear: “Active folliculitis: widespread -> minimal. Ingrown hairs decreased each visit.”
In the report, (nkd)'s products are described as follows:
- (nkd) All-Over Body Cleanser: “Antibacterial cleansing. pH-balanced for intimate areas.”
- (nkd) All-Over Body Scrub: “BHA pore-penetrating exfoliation with deep hydration.”
- (nkd) All-Over Body Balm: “A hydrating moisturizer with antibacterial protection.”
These descriptions closely align with the report's key recommendations for healthier skin after hair removal:
- Keep the area clean to help minimize bacteria.
- Reduce the conditions in which bumps, irritation and breakouts can thrive.
- Exfoliate effectively to clear pore build-up and help prevent ingrown hairs.
- Keep the skin moisturized so new hairs can grow through more naturally.
In Conclusion
If you're dealing with ingrown hairs after hair removal, the report highlights a few practical conclusions.
Firstly, aftercare clearly matters. Park’s overall conclusion is very simple: consistent routines produce visible improvement.
Second, the first 48 hours matter more than many people realize. Heat, heavy sweating, tight clothing, friction, pools, hot tubs and dirty hands all raise risk in the period when skin is most vulnerable. That is critical after waxing and other methods of hair removal which remove hair from the route (e.g. sugaring, epilating, laser and IPL) but it is also helpful thinking for anyone who gets ingrown hairs after shaving, especially when the skin feels irritated and reactive afterwards.
Thirdly, long-term prevention is not about one miracle product. It's about a basic and easy-to-follow routine:
- gentle exfoliation starting around 48 hours after hair removal
- moisturizing the area daily
- keeping the area clean and dry
- not shaving between waxing appointments
- and using salicylic-acid products where ingrown are a recurring problem.
The bottom line here is quite straightforward. If you suffer from ingrown hairs, there are products on the market that will help. These do not have to be (nkd), but as the report highlights, they’re a strong starting point.
Read the report for yourself
This article is based on Tracey Park’s independent report, Waxing Aftercare: A Professional Study. If you want the full methodology, case studies and photographic evidence, read the full report here:
Read the full report here
Whether your ingrown hairs tend to follow waxing, shaving, epilating, sugaring, laser or IPL, it is well worth a read.
The bottom line
There's “no reason for clients to suffer with ingrown hairs.” That is the core message of Tracey Park’s report - and the evidence in it makes that message hard to dismiss.
This was an independent study, based on real clients, real routines and visible results. If you deal with ingrown hairs after waxing, shaving, sugaring, epilating, laser or IPL, the strongest takeaway is simple: aftercare matters, consistency matters, and the right routine can make a visible difference.
