What Is A Skin Lift?

If you're a waxing therapist or customer (and if you're reading this, there's a good chance you are!) you've probably come across skin lifts before. But what are they, how do they occur and how do we prevent them?

A skin lift is also known as a wax burn. It can be caused by heat, but is more commonly caused by friction/pulling on the skin or a combination of both heat and friction.  Essentially, it is the separation of the uppermost layers of the skin from the lower ones. As such, it is most common on areas of the body where the skin is thinner and more delicate such as the face, underarms and bikini area but it can happen anwhere. There are many factors that contribute to causing a wax burn and the more of these we control the more we reduce the risk of burning our clients during waxes. 

To reduce your chances of a skin lift, the first thing to do is ensure that you use the correct wax for the treatment. Most areas should be waxed with peelable wax, as this doesn't stick to the skin, but 'shrink-wraps' around each individual hair to remove it like a tiny pair of tweezers. All facial, underarm, intimate/bikini and some back waxing should be done with peelable, leaving strip wax to the legs and the rest of the back and chest.  

Once you know which wax you're using, check the temperature of your wax. For Outback Organics waxes, we recommend a working temperature of around 55*C for peelable (hot/hard) waxes, and around 69*C for strip (soft/warm) wax. This is for the temperature of the wax itself, which is not necessarily the temperature that your wax heater would be set at. This temperature does vary according to the circumstances that you're working in, and a few degrees either side is absolutely fine. Most of the time we recommend judging your wax temperature by the consistency of your wax rather than the numbers, but a thermometer is a great idea to have for safety. Peelable wax should be the approximate consistency of a thick honey, and sit on the end of your spatula as a 'ball' that doesn't need much twisting to keep it on the spatula. Strip wax is much runnier, and should have the consistency of single cream. 

The next thing to check when it comes to avoiding skin lifts is your pre wax preparation. This is one of the most important things when undertaking a waxing treatment, and the way the skin is treated makes a huge difference to the outcome of your wax. When using Outback Organics waxes it is essential to use a pre wax prep routine that doesn't contain alcohol or mineral oil. The mineral oil creates too much of a barrier between the hair and the wax, preventing the hair being removed cleanly. Rather, a product like Outback Organics Botanical Oil is based on argan oil, which is known to have a small molecular size, helping it to penetrate and absorb in to the skin and hair much more easily.