With an increase in the easy availability of skincare products containing ever higher amounts of active ingredients such as Vitamin A and Vitamin A derivatives (including retinol) also comes an increased risk to any beauty salon or beauty therapist carrying out brow and facial waxing.

Burnt Brows or Skinned Brows? An Overview

As waxing and beauty therapists, we all want to give our clients the best results possible from their treatments, make them happy, and do what we can to ensure they walk out of our salons feeling a million times better than when they walked in. So there’s nothing worse than the feeling – or receiving the accusation – that you’ve damaged or burnt your clients eyebrows from the brow wax they’ve just had.

Obviously any skin damage or perceived burns in the eyebrow area are right there on the clients’ face, and so are highly visible for everyone to see. This means there’s no getting away from them. Lifted skin in this area will also feel extremely sore, stingy and tender for up to several days after the treatment. Clients should NOT wear make up until the skin barrier is intact, and the area must be kept clean and other measures followed to optimise healing without complication as detailed later.

So all things considered, this is usually a traumatic and stressful experience for clients, and 9 times out of 10, the client’s immediate reaction - and thought logic - is to accuse you, as their eyebrow waxer, of having burnt their delicate eye area because the temperature of your wax was too hot.

Although it may be of little consolation to you in the heat of the moment [pun intended] this scenario can happen to the most experienced of waxing and beauty therapists. And guess what – unless it really is a burn (which we’ll come onto) - then what has happened may not be your fault.

This article looks at why some clients’ skin lifts after brow waxing, steps you can take to avoid this happening in the first place, and measures to take if the worst does happen and your clients’ brows do get skinned during an eyebrow wax with you.

Most importantly, the article will help you understand the best way to deal with angry and upset clients in these unfortunate and delicate circumstances.

What are Skinned Brows?

The problem we’re looking at in this article is when you carry out an eyebrow wax which “lifts” the top layer of the client’s skin, making it red, raw, and giving it a burn-like appearance. This is known as “skinning” and is a temporary reaction, which disappears completely after a few days and is very different to an actual burn from heat.

In most cases, skinning occurs around the delicate eye area (where the skin is particularly thin), but it can sometimes happen on other areas of the face too even where skin is naturally thicker, in the event of wider facial waxing.

Some examples of skinned brows, and a skinned lip are here.

 

How Do I Know the Difference Between Skinned Brows and Burnt Brows?

Skinning, given that it’s red raw, can look like a burn and will usually be perceived by clients to be a burn.

So it’s vital that you are clear, if any damage to the eye area does ever occur after an eyebrow wax, whether this is actually a burn or whether it’s skinning.

You have probably burnt your clients’ brows IF:

• Your client flinches when the wax is applied and/or tells you immediately that the wax feels too hot and is burning them.
• The whole area that the wax was applied to immediately takes on a red and burnt appearance

This article does NOT deal with burnt brows. If you have genuinely burnt your clients’ brows during an eyebrow wax because your wax was too hot, then this article will not help you.

Whereas your client has probably been skinned IF:

• You know the wax not to be too hot - because you tested it before applying it - and critically if the client shows no sign of flinching or discomfort when the wax is applied and does not make any comment about feeling any excessive heat or being burnt while the wax is still on their skin.
• There are no immediate visible signs of a burn to the whole area where the wax was applied immediately after the removal of the wax.

To summarise, a client would feel a burn immediately and you as their therapist would be able to see their immediate discomfort and the burnt skin as soon as the wax is removed. But in the event of skinning, clients will not experience a burning sensation during their wax, and the rawness can take a few minutes – or longer  - to appear.

What Does it Feel like to have your Brows Skinned through Eyebrow Waxing?

Although the skinned brow images above may not look too dramatic, as the person in these photos with the damaged brows, I can tell you that the pictures don’t do the problem justice.

When my own brows have been skinned, I don’t feel any discomfort or pain during the actual brow wax. But very quickly after the treatment (usually within 5 minutes) the area inbetween my brows and my eyes starts to sting and go very red and sore looking where the top layer of skin (epidermis) has been lifted and is raw beneath. The appearance and soreness will worsen over the next few hours while the wound is still raw. My own [repeated] experience is it can remain like that for up to 24 hours until the area dries up and small scab start to form.

While never immediately aware of having been skinned, I am usually still in salon when I start to feel and realise what has happened (either my brow therapist will still be finishing off my treatment or I’ll be in the process of leaving). It’s at this point that you can start to visually see the skinning as well.

So if you are a brow or beauty therapist reading this and you can see this happening to one of your clients then the worst possible thing you can do is ignore the problem and hope that the client won’t notice. As soon as you start to notice any indication of lifted and raw skin after a brow wax, you need to quickly and proactively address this – even if the client hasn’t yet mentioned anything. I can promise you that if your clients’ brows have been skinned, they WILL notice and they WILL soon start to experience pain and discomfort in the area.

Why does Skinning Happen to Brows After an Eyebrow Wax?

In a nutshell, your clients’ skin will be more susceptible to the temporary skinning effect from waxing if they use facial moisturisers and/or other skincare products containing certain ingredients.

 The main “culprits” in terms of ingredients, are AHAs (including lactic acid and glycolic acid), Vitamin A and Vitamin A derivatives (including Retinol, Retinoid and Retinaldehyde) and BHA (salicylic acid).

Multi-award-winning facialist Louise Sumner explains:

“While fantastic because of its ability to plump skin up and reverse skin damage, at the same time Vitamin A and its derivatives compact the top layer of the epidermis which protects the skin and provides a healthy barrier. Meanwhile, the deeper layers of your skin are thickened, which is good.  As your skin becomes more healthy, however, it anchors the hairs into a firmer base. Although this is an indication of healthy skin, the downside is that the act of removing deep-set hair, especially from the sensitive eye skin, can cause skinning.”

“Meanwhile, AHAs reduce the layer of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. When used correctly, they increase collagen production and plump up the skin over time. But because they are exfoliating the top layers of the skin, it means the skin may not cope with waxing so well.”

There once was a time when as waxing therapists, we only really needed to be concerned if a client’s skincare routine used products from certain professional brands, whose active ingredient level was higher than the amount of active ingredients available within “high street” products. So salon brands such as Obagi, Dermaquest, Dermalogica and Environ were traditionally those associated with higher levels of AHAs and various forms of Retinol. And more often than not with such ranges, clients would have been advised about the risks of facial waxing by the skin therapist doing the prescribing, as part of their consultation.

Butas we all know, times have changed and due to the incredible benefits they have and their proven results in terms of improving the appearance and quality of skin cells, such ingredients are being more and more widely used these days outside of selected brands. It has been the case for some time now that any of us can walk into Boots, Superdrug or any other high street chemist and immediately be faced with dozens of facial moisturisers and other skincare products which use these different vitamins and AHAs. But whereas the level of active ingredients in these products and ranges [generally-speaking] used to be sufficiently low to not cause any issues with brow waxing, nowadays we need to be far more careful, because of the higher levels routinely used.

It's also fair to say that many consumers may not even actually know what ingredients are in their skincare routines and so would NOT know to declare them at the point of Consultation. And this is where the problems start.

What Beauty Salons and Beauty Therapists Can Do to Avoid Skinning Clients’ Brows

It would be impossible for us as beauty therapists or beauty salon businesses to ever be able to keep up to date with every single skincare product and range and how much of and which active ingredients they all include (bearing in mind also how much overseas skincare is now so easily available to buy online).

In my personal opinion, the client simply has to take responsibility for knowing what ingredients are contained in the products they use.

If the client does not know this (and many wont) I believe that as long as we take certain other steps and precautions (covered in detail below), we can’t and shouldn’t be held responsible for any reactions that our clients suffer as a result of their own at-home product usage. And of course, if you offer skincare as well as waxing within your beauty salon then this a great opportunity to educate your client about why they should be buying their skincare from a skincare professional just as they get their waxing carried out by a waxing professional…

Consultation is KEY

What we can take responsibility for, on the other hand, is ensuring that we ALWAYS carry out a thorough consultation before every brow wax (and before any other type of treatment) we carry out, no matter how many times that client has previously visited. And that we have robust systems in place within our businesses to ensure that no information shared with us by the client ever falls between any gaps.

In my business, nkd, the consultation card system we have in place is as follows:

• Clients are automatically emailed a consultation form a day or so ahead of their appointment and are encouraged to fill this out before their visit.
• Each therapist has their own device/tablet and checks each client’s updated digital consultation card with them, ahead of every treatment, on the device. If the client has not already filled out their consultation card, they do so there and then.
• Repeat clients see their previous consultation card, and previous answers. They have to check and either digitally sign (with their finger so it is a version of their real signature) to say that nothing has changed, or they change the form there and then and sign it.

We therefore have a timestamped, digitally signed and updated consultation card for every single visit which is checked by the therapist and the client before the treatment begins. This means that if the client originally told us that they do not use any skincare products which contain certain ingredients, and then they check and update this on every visit and state that nothing has changed, we have this in writing.

If you do not use a digital system which forces clients to check and update their consultation card ahead of every single visit with you, as well as a system that requires you as a therapist to check this over with every client, I would urge you to update your processes or think carefully about how an equivalent system can be put in place using paper consultation forms.

And I should add, because of the amount of brow waxes we carry out at nkd, the wording around the use of skincare ingredients is now significantly enhanced and more detailed compared to previous iterations of our older [and less detailed] consultation cards.

What if the Client Tells us they Use AHAs/BHAs/Vitamin A or Vitamin A Derivatives?

If clients tick yes to this part of your consultation card, then our advice would be as follows:

• Explain to the client that you would not advise that they proceed with brow waxing today due to the ingredients declared. Explain how the use of these ingredients can make the skin more susceptible to skinning from waxing.
• Consider offering eyebrow threading or plucking as an alternative treatment.
• Explain that if the client is prepared to stop topically applying the products in question for a week or so before AND after their next brow wax, you could carry out a brow wax after that time (but would not be in a position to guarantee that they would still not react).
• You could also offer to patch test the client with what you believe to be a suitable facial wax. However, just because the client does not react to a patch test of the wax (and in any case you’re highly unlikely to want to patch test their delicate eye area which is where any issues are most likely to occur), this still doesn’t mean that you can guarantee against skinning.

If the client is sure that they want to proceed with a brow wax today, we would advise putting your advice to not have the treatment and their desire to proceed in writing (even a handwritten note that both parties date and sign) before you start the treatment.

Of course, in many cases, no skinning will occur, even if the client does use products containing the afore-mentioned ingredients. nkd’s Head of Training, Louise Wendt de Oliveira, remarks: “A huge part of the problem for beauty therapists and salons here is the level of the ingredients contained in the different range of skincare products and moisturisers these days. In instances where the usage or proportion of active ingredient is very low, then the corresponding risk of skinning and skin lifting is also very low, but that’s extremely tricky for a therapist or a salon to call.”

How Big is the Risk of Skinning with Other Types of Facial Waxing?

As mentioned, the skin on my own brows has now been lifted more times than I care to remember due to the fact that I use facial skincare products containing high levels of Vitamin A, which are a known contraindication to facial waxing. However, in all the years that this has been happening to me, I’ve only ever experienced skinning elsewhere on my face, once, and this was near to my lip, during an upper lip wax.

As we know, the skin around eyes is far thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of the face, which in turn means that the area around the brows is far more susceptible to skinning than the rest of your face. But it’s not to say that some clients won’t also experience skinning elsewhere on their faces.

This will also vary hugely be individual. Louise Wendt de Oliveira, reflects on her own experience: “Personally, I use skincare ingredients with low levels of retinol. I am happy to  take the risk with facial waxing and to date have never experienced skinning or any type of skin lifting, either on my brows or anywhere else on my face, whereas many of our clients will have no idea how strong the levels of certain ingredients are.”

Will the use of Certain Wax Brands or Types Prevent Skinning?

There are many, many waxes available for beauty therapists and waxing specialists to buy now, including many that declare themselves as suitable for sensitive skin, designed especially for facial waxing, hypo-allergenic etc. However, it would be hard to guarantee with certainty that none of these will trigger a temporary reaction to waxing like skinning for every “at risk” client.

For this reason, we would generally recommend that you follow the steps we’ve outlined previously, rather than try and get round the problem by using a suitable wax. Of course every skin type is different and while one “at risk” person’s skin may not react to a certain wax, that doesn’t mean that someone else who also uses similar products would be OK.

That said, it’s certainly the case that all generalist/non specialist waxes should be avoided in this scenario. We would also advise against the use of most strip waxes in this circumstance, which can be tricky if it gives less precision.

Help! I’ve Skinned a Client’s Brows. What do I do?

Let’s say the worst happens. You’ve carried out a thorough consultation, your client has ticked no to all, but you quickly notice that skin has been lifted after the facial wax you’ve just carried out, or your client tells you that the area is stinging and sore and it becomes clear that they have been skinned.

This is tricky because you cannot immediately know for sure (given what the client put on their consultation card) what products the clients use at home and what ingredients are used in those products. The client may also be panicking and upset/angry at this point if they think that this has been caused by something you have done wrong.

What should you do then?

• Firstly you need to reassure the client that this is a temporary reaction to waxing and is NOT a burn.
• You should also immediately reassure the client that the skin will return to normal within around 5 days, and that no permanent scarring or marking will occur, as long as the client follows your aftercare advice, which must include no picking at the scab that will form.
• Explain to the client what skinning is and that you think it has happened because of ingredients that may be in their skincare routine.

Pointing your client to independent resources online so they can educate themselves on what may have happened here may also help. Some useful online articles which explore this very topic include

https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/a26287552/skin-ripped-off-during-wax-what-to-do/

https://nkdwaxing.com/facing-up-to-burnt-brows/

A Dermatologist’s Advice – How to Care for the Skinned Area Properly

Dr Beth Wright, Consultant Dermatologist in Bath and Wiltshire advises that the following aftercare advice should also be given:

• Wash the skin twice daily with an antibacterial emollient such as Dermol 500 lotion then allow the area to air dry, or gently pat dry with a clean / fresh flannel or towel (single use only) Apply Vaseline or Yellow Soft Paraffin (Petroleum Jelly) after washing using a clean cotton bud / Q-tip to avoid touching the area with your fingers, and potential contamination of the pot or tube
• Avoid make- up until the skin barrier is intact and the area is no longer sore
• Do not pick any scabs or crust. You could risk infection, and scarring of the skin this way
• Protect the skin from UV radiation by wearing SPF 50 + daily once the area has healed and avoiding tanning. This can help to reduce any post inflammatory pigmentary change and should ideally be part of your daily skin care regime to reduce the cumulative effects of UV damage which cause skin cancers and accelerate collagen loss (hence the visible signs of skin ageing).

Final Word from Rebecca

Any incident of skin lifting to clients is upsetting for both clients and therapists/salons. None of us want to do a bad job or to cause our clients stress, but the reality is that occurrences like this do have the potential to cause stress and upset all round.

As we’ve discussed at length though, the reasons why skinning has occurred in the first place may be totally out of your control, if your client failed to declare the detail of their full skincare regime. So all you can do is ensure that you are controlling the controllables, including that the consultation process within your business for new – and repeat clients – is rock solid, and that you are sufficiently educated to know what to do a) if a client does declare use of certain products and ingredients ahead of a brow wax, and b) what to do if a client’s brows do ever get skinned under your watch or within your salon.

As for me, I will continue to test the different waxes available on the market so I can see for myself which ones are kindest to delicate facial skin. Sometimes my brows get skinned in these experiments, and sometimes they don’t, but what I do know is every time it’s happened, my brow area is fully healed within a week with no permanent scarring or marking at all. And only once have I ever experienced skinning anywhere else on my face apart from my brows, which was once near my upper lip.

About Dr Beth Wright

Dr Beth Wright is a Consultant Dermatologist in Bath. She practices all aspects of general adult dermatology and has specialist interests in skin cancer, skin surgery and laser. Her clinical practice is patient centred and evidence based.

https://bethwrightdermatology.co.uk/

About Louise Sumner

Louise Sumner is a Nottingham-based skincare expert. Since qualifying in 1992 and after years of practising a wider range of treatments, in 2008 Louise decided to make skin health and skin care her specialism. In 2012 she attained expert status with the International Dermal Institute which is only offered to the most skilled and knowledgeable therapists.

Louise’s aim is to cut through the smoke and mirrors of the beauty Industry and help her clients find the right solutions for their concerns. Together with you she will create a bespoke regime for you to suit your lifestyle, budget and preferences. Real results for real women.

http://www.louisesumner.co.uk/