How to make facial waxing more comfortable and upselling...

By Voula Petrakis, Esthetician @Spa In The Village Aesthetics

There is a common misconception that facial waxing is a painful experience, whether for men or women. To dispel this myth, I have some tips to help estheticians convince clients how quick and easy (and surprisingly, pain-free!) it can be.To recruit new male clients, I will go see the men who are already in the Salon for a different service and offer them a complimentary facial hair waxing.

When I explain to them these simple benefits of waxing vs other hair removal options, they are easily convinced to try it:

• No trimming necessary

• The time between treatments is longer than other methods

• There will be less regrowth of the hair with each treatment

To calm their worries about the pain involved, I reassure them that I only use Hard Wax for the face, such as the Satin Smooth Calendula wax, which is best for nose and ears as it only adheres to hair, and not skin. This is much less painful than other types of wax, especially on the face. By then, they are intrigued enough to try it for free for the first time so they can see the results themselves. I start with one side, and once they see how little pain is involved and how immediate and noticeable the results are, they are convinced!

The majority will be sold on it and return for follow-up treatments.

For women, the best tip I can give is to ensure that they arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment. Why is this important? The skin and body must be at room temperature before any wax is applied, to minimize the risk of injury to the skin.

When the skin is dewy, like in the warm summer months, or when it is cold in the winter, there is more chance of the wax lifting multiple layers of the skin and thus causing rips. The wax will just not adhere properly, causing unnecessary risk of pain and injury.

As with the men, I usually start with a complimentary facial wax to show my female clients the results achieved and also allow them to gauge their pain tolerance.

I will test out both hard and soft wax, to show them the difference and let them see which they prefer, and which ones feels better/more comfortable to them as everyone is different.

Another useful tip: always do a facial waxing before a facial service. If they have a facial booked, I will offer to do a complimentary waxing beforehand to enhance the experience and end result.

Both male and female clients will usually get hooked after seeing one side of their face waxed and comparing to the other! The results speak for themselves!

So go ahead and give it a try - I hope these tips help you to upsell facial waxing to your clientele.