Your First Body Waxing Treatment

How should I prepare myself BEFORE getting waxed?

The best way to prepare yourself is to first relax and know you're in good hands. We are very well trained and experienced. Our goal is to make this treatment as pleasant as possible and to help you be as comfortable with the procedure as possible. Trust us, we've seen it all before.

You can be confident in our hygiene practices and in our skill. We have done thousands of body waxes. Everything is going to be just fine and we promise you will survive.

You may want to avoid using harsh soaps or astringents for 2 hours before and after waxing. If you can begin exfoliating your skin a few days prior to waxing that is very helpful.

Please avoid any tanning for 24 hours before waxing. You’ll also want to avoid long soaks in hot water (LONG hot showers, steam rooms, hot soaking baths, hot tubs etc.) for 8 hours before or after treatment.

Do not apply lotions, oils, body sprays, or other scented or moisturizing products on the day of your wax. Please skip perfumes and other scented products (antiperspirant/deodorant use however is a nice touch) prior to your treatment.

A quick shower to clean up especially before genital waxing is appreciated. We do have a fully appointed restroom available before and after your treatment to freshen up if needed.

Some clients choose to take an OTC pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol 60 minutes before their appointment. We have also found that clients that take an antacid or two 30 minutes before their appointment experience less redness post treatment.

If you are taking prescription medications for acne or anti-aging purposes or using Retinol type products we will be unable to provide you with waxing services due to the potential for skin damage (as in your skin will be removed along with perhaps some of the hair) please understand that isn't a risk either of us want to take so don't withhold information from us as it will be fairly obvious when your skin peels off we have an issue.

Please plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. Have a seat in the waiting area we will be out for you shortly. We have video surveillance so we know you are here. If you need to use the restroom head on back if you know where it is, you don’t need to wait for permission.

We like to start appointments on time not late. On time for us means you are ready to start your appointment at the designated time. If your appointment is at 5 we like to get started at 5 not have you pull in the lot at 5, streak in the door and then be in the rest room for 10 minutes so we actually start at 5:10 or 5:15. We will not inconvenience the next client by running over into their time so if you are late we may need you to reschedule your appointment or limit what we can accomplish in your designated time block.

We do not allow photographs or videos to be taken onsite.

Your technician will go over any other policy or procedural things that may apply to you at your first visit.

How can I make my treatment more comfortable?

You can try the following suggestions to make your waxing experience more comfortable:

• First, relax. Try not to psych yourself out with worry and stress; thousands of people wax safely and tolerably every day.
• Consider having the 24 hour patch test procedure as your fist exposure to waxing to build comfort and familiarity with the process if you are really nervous about getting waxed.
• Avoid caffeine or other stimulants 6 - 10 hours before treatment.
• Don't drink alcohol prior to your treatment; don't come in terribly hung over, both make your wax so much more uncomfortable. Seriusly, it will.
• Don't smoke 4 hours prior to treatment.
• You may want to try taking your favorite OTC analgesic, such as Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, or aspirin, 60 minutes before your treatment.
• Practice using deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. Remember although the sensation may be intense at times, it will be over very quickly.
• Consider using an over-the-counter topical anesthetics (numbing agents) before you arrive for your treatment.
• Try taking an antacid (Tums, Rolaids etc.) 30-45 minutes before your treatment, it helps reduce redness double quick.
• If you are having seasonal allergy symptoms you may want to consider taking your favorite allergy relief product 60 minutes prior to your treatment as active seasonal allergies can make the normal redness and swelling that results from waxing last longer and be more dramatic.

Will waxing hurt? I've seen waxing in movies...I'm no baby but will I cry and/or die?

It will be uncomfortable but tolerable.

Your first waxing can be a bit of a religious experience but subsequent waxes are a walk in the park if scheduled in a timely manner. The first time you wax is always more uncomfortable than later waxes. After all, you have allowed those hairs to grow for years in some cases and they can be extremely thick, densely packed, and deeply rooted.

As you continue with waxing the treatments will be more and more comfortable as we are dealing with new, smaller hairs and you will be able to space waxing out a bit more. Removing hair directly from the follicle is never super comfortable, but we are professional, and highly experienced. If you can stand to remove a Band-Aid really fast you can wax just fine.

Really in the movies, they do just about everything wrong or shall we say on purpose for dramatic effect? Professional waxing is so fast you'll be done before you know it and really, you'll be okay, the sensation stops immediately after.

How long does my hair have to be to wax it?

If you have been shaving the area, we need you to let it grow for NOT LESS than three full weeks from the last shave. Yes you read that correctly, three WEEKS.

If you were a waxer 3-4 weeks is a good time frame.

If you have untouched hair, as in you have never shaved, trimmed, waxed, or plucked then we are probably good to go now.

Yes, we totally understand you feel like you may die from all that hair and that three weeks is forever for underarms or bikini zone growth if you are a daily shaver. Trust us, while we completely understand that the initial grow out is pretty not fun, it is worth it.

Some new clients really want a wax done so they fib on how long it has been since they shaved. Not a hot idea. Yes, we can tell if you are not being truthful but more importantly you are really cheating yourself out of the good waxing results you are investing in.

While we can do what we would call a quick and dirty wax to get the bulk of the hair out for you, understand it will be more uncomfortable as we will be doing multiple passes and tweezing a lot. You will also have a bunch of short hairs left over and your hair will seem to be filling in right away. These are not the smooth long lasting results we want you to have.

You are investing a lot of money in a wax so we want you to get the best results possible.

We know that some places may direct you to cut or trim the hair to a certain length. Pleaaaseee do NOT do any trimming at all; it can never be too long for us to wax successfully but it can definitely be too short.

Think leverage. We need to have a lever long enough to allow us to pry out hair that's been there a long, long, long time with a very well developed root. That's why first time waxers have better results with longer hair growth than with shorter hair growth. The older the hair you have the larger the root will be, and the larger the root the more leverage it takes to pry it out of the follicle.

This is like pulling weeds in your garden. Imagine a huge well developed weed and someone cuts the top of the plant off leaving only a tiny bit showing--it is almost impossible to pull the whole root out and you'll probably break off that little handle you did have without getting the plant out. But if you have a nice long handle to use with good technique and strength you can pop that giant plant right out. Same idea here.

Longer hair growth does not make waxing hurt more than having cut the hair short. Your hair is dead at the skin surface and more leverage for us means a faster more comforatble wax for you. However, removal of older well developed hair does have more sensation than removing tiny moist new hair would as the target zone is bigger. It is all about root size not length of hair you can see. This is why regular waxes are more comfortable for the client than sporadic waxes it is more comfortable because the hairs are less developed.

Many wax companies advise trimming bikini zones prior to waxing because they use strip wax not European style hard wax like we do so trimming is really to reduce the amount of product technicians use and to make sure the product can stick to the skin easily; trimming is not really about getting better results for the clients it is about compensating for a type of product, economizing product application to save cash, and about a technique issue.

Once you are a routine waxer you could have successful removal with slightly shorter hair but we also don't recommend an every two week wax. One of the goals of waxing is to force your hair to fill in at the same time in waves. Your natural body hair pattern developed over time with one hair showing up, then two, then five and so on over the course of a couple years or more.

Instead of letting your hair go through its life-cycle and fill in naturally and sporadically, we want to force it to grow-in in large waves of growth. We'll remove what you have and each of those follicles will then go through its own healing process and all of them will produce a new hair at the same time. This forces a wave of hair growth.

Over time with routine waxing you will find less and less fill in between your waxes with a bunch of hair showing up right before you are due for your next wax and very little visible on the weeks leading up to it. If you don't wait 3-4 weeks in between waxes or if you pin point tweeze between waxes to "make it last longer" then you are training your hair to fill in sporadically and not all at once so you loose one of the best benefits of routine waxes. Your waxes will not "last" as long if you don't let the pattern grow in so we can train it to fill in waves.

Remember we need ALL the hair to reach a given length, not just some of it, so check the underbrush. If you are a trimmer and use a guide, stop. Too short means you will have a lot of tweezing to suffer through and that's not fun for either of us.

If you like to measure these sorts of things we need 1/3 inch for really clean removal on a virgin wax area. Not one hair at 1/3 inch, all of the hair. For repeat waxing (so after your second or third full wax) 1/4 inch is usually sufficient if you want to go that route. It will take you at least four weeks (or longer in some cases) after your last wax to be ready to wax again.

How do I get an appointment do I walk in or call?

We work by appointment at River Rock so that means if we are in the office, we are working on someone. We respect your treatment time and don't interrupt your appointment to take calls, book other people’s appointments and so forth like some places do.

To ensure we deliver our signature attentive service to clients, we do not take walk-ins. You'll need to set up an appointment with us ahead of time by phone.

We rarely have same day appointments. As soon as you know you want to wax you want to call the office at 715-831-0200. We have a large cadre of loyal River Rock waxing clients so we typically book 4-6 weeks out for exact times in our busy seasons. If your schedule is really flexible we may be able to work you in sooner.

You need your personal schedule handy when you call so we can set a time that works for you. We generally book up quickly around spring break, Homecoming season, Prom season, back to school season, and many holidays so you need to plan ahead on this one. Our busiest times are from 4-6PM. If you know you need a specific time then you need to call now.

You will want to schedule your next wax before you leave so we are sure you have the time you want. Since we can be hard to catch on the phone it saves you phone tag time if you book while you are here.

We work by appointment at River Rock. That means if we are in the office we are assisting clients or doing our other duties not waiting right by the phone. We return calls we receive as soon as we can. If you prefer not to receive return calls after a certain time in the evening or if there is a good window of time we can reach you please be sure to leave that information for us.

We don't typically keep a receptionist on staff so anyone who answers the phone can book appointments for you and answer questions you may have. At times you may reach our private voicemail when you call. Don't be shy, please leave us a detailed message.

Be sure and leave your full name, contact number, service you are looking for, and best times for your appointment, and note that you are a new client and we promise will return your call ASAP.

We would love to introduce you to waxing, please don't be shy give us a call 715-831-0200; if you do hit our voicemail, we promise we are worth the wait.

I've heard there are different types of Bikini / Mankini / Genital / Australian waxes or patterns. What patterns will you do?

We offer many types of genital waxing treatments for men and women. Please see our Waxing FAQ page for all the details on these patterns. Men may want to check out our Men’s Waxing page for information especially for them.

From a little bit off the edges outside the standard underwear line to EVERYTHING gone in that neighborhood we can and do wax it all. Your technician will go over all of our options at your consultation and you can pick the pattern that is best for you.

What should I wear?

This depends on the area to be waxed and your personal comfort/modesty level. A few suggestions:

• Avoid wearing clothes that will fit tightly over the area to be waxed. This can cause uncomfortable chafing or rubbing after your waxing.
• For the back or chest plan to wear a soft shirt that isn't your all-time favorite one as wax and after care products can stain and stiff shirts or scratchy fabrics will not feel great. Without hair as a buffer you will find your skin to be MUCH more sensitive.
• For the underarms, you may wear a tank top or remove your shirt.
• For genital waxing you will keep your shirt on (and socks if you like), but we'll be needing access to the goods. We respect your modesty and will provide drape sheets for you. You'll want looser fitting underwear after your treatment. Remember the idea is clean, cool, and dry for whatever area you had waxed post treatment, not compression and sweat.
• Under Armor, man Spanx, and other compression items are a BAD idea to wear on waxing day. These types of items encourage skin issues after waxing and should be avoided for 24 if not 48 hours.
• If you wear tactical clothing for work (police, military, security vests, holsters, and other similar items that trap body heat) a thin layer of an antibacterial cream or spray or perhaps a body powder is a great idea for 2 days after your wax for the first few treatments to act as a prophylactic and prevent a bacterial buildup in the healing follicles and lessen chaffing. If you can schedule so you have a day after waxing without the tactical clothing that would be ideal.

How long will it take?

That depends on the area, how much hair you have, the room temperature/humidity levels, the type of skin you have, the type of wax, what your tolerance level is, and if you are a sweaty person or not. We never upcharge if it takes us longer than average.

At your consultation your technician will explain the amount of time you can expect your treatment to take. The following times are generous averages for areas; we'd rather you over plan for time than try to squeeze a wax in a packed schedule.

For genital waxing please plan up to an hour. For a back & chest wax plan up to 60 minutes. For underarms plan to spend 15 minutes with us. Nose and ear waxing takes up to 15 minutes for each area.Generally, first time waxing takes longer then subsequent waxes as there will only be the active growing hair present so there will be less of it and it is easier to remove and we’ll be taking a bit of time to get to know you better.

How do I care for the area after I get waxed?

Your technician will give you a personalized after care plan at your consultation.

In general the idea is to keep the area clean, cool, and dry for at least 8 hours if not 24 hours after waxing. Although the particulars may change based on what area and what type of service you had done, you cannot go wrong with the following:

• After your body waxing service go home and take a quick shower to remove any residue.
• Avoid sweaty activities for 8 to 24 hours so no working out, long runs and so forth. If you must do so then apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or spray such as Neosporin prior to the sweat fest so it can act as a prophylactic and prevent bacteria from getting into the healing follicles.
• Be sure and shower immediately after the activity and not sit around in sweaty clothes. Perspiration wicks in bacteria and that increases the potential for an acne fest.
• If you are prone to body acne and you had back or chest waxing, sleep in a clean t-shirt the first day or two.
• Apply an antiseptic such as alcohol, witch hazel, or similar products for 2 days to a week after waxing.
• You may apply a keratolytic lotion (available for purchase) daily after your wax to prevent ingrown hairs, redness, and irritation.
• No tanning beds for 48 hours or you risk serious burns. Use caution with natural sun exposure and wear a good sunscreen for at least 48 hours on areas exposed to the sun.
• Keep the paws off, do not touch or rub the area until it is healed 1-2 days after your wax.
• Manual exfoliation begins 2 days after your wax on all areas.
• Do not wear compression style clothing for 24 hours after waxing; you risk a wicked acne-like outbreak if you do. Avoid tight fitting clothing such as Under Armor, Spanx, etcetera.
• Do not use harsh soaps or anti-acne/anti-aging products in this area for 24 to 48 hours to avoid chemical burns in the open follicles as they heal.
• Do not apply hair dye to decorative patterns for 24 hours.
• Do not have chemical peels or other exfoliation services or skin bleaching services for 48 hours after a wax in that area.
• No wild (or mild) hot tub parties, river or lake floating or swimming for 48 hours--you risk serious infections if you do. Avoid heat and hot sweaty activities.
• If the skin feels tight or itchy a thin layer of OTC hydrocortisone cream can soothe the skin quickly.
• Aloe vera gel, Aquaphor, or other soothing non-fragranced moisturizers can aid in healing.
• Remember the three keys to waxing success: Keep it clean, cool, and dry.

If you have questions or concerns after your wax do not hesitate to call us immediately. If you don't get us in person, leave a detailed message and we will return your call ASAP.

Is there anyone you simply will not wax?

Waxing services are not recommended and will not be performed for those clients using (or have used in the last 6 months) Accutane or Retin-A type products. If you have utilized these or similar products please be aware there is a very real risk of losing skin if you wax as these products by their very nature thin the skin.

We are also unable to wax if you have tanned on the day of your waxing appointment, or if you have visible sunburn. We will not wax if you have certain medical conditions, non-intact skin, or unidentified skin lesions.

While having to reschedule is an inconvenience, this is a serious matter and when we deny service it is for your own safety.

I have just tons of hair...I feel like sasquatch...really can you help me too?

Absolutely we can.

Remember what is a lot of hair to you and what is a lot of hair to us in our professional experience, are probably two very different things. Trust us, you aren't alone and it doesn't shock us. We are not grossed out if you don't naturally look like a hairless movie star.

We know unwanted hair just needs to go. Every day we assist people just like you in eliminating years of embarrassing hair from virtually anywhere. No one has too much hair for us to deal with.

Why do you need to see my driver's license or a photo ID?

The most important reason is we care enough to establish your real identity and protect your identity from potential problems--imagine if someone took your wallet and wanted to use your credit cards to get services. Because we are taking your personal and health information, the HIPAA regulations also require we verify your identity.

A positive identification of you with your picture and name (like a valid photo ID shows) protects us and you. We also need to be sure you are over 18 and can legally agree to treatment.

Due to recently enacted legislation to protect consumers, in order to accept credit card payments we also are now required to establish and verify your identity each time we accept payment.

Our liability insurer also requires us to verify your personal information and we do. To comply with all these regulations we could: Keep a copy of your ID on file like many doctors and dentists do or we could ask you to show your photo ID each time. We have chosen to take our own photo of you after verifying your identity with a valid photo ID and keep it in your treatment file so that our clients do not have to deal with the inconvenience of ID checking each time.

I’m a private person and this is a private service; I don’t want anyone to know my business. How do you do you keep me safe?

Our privacy policy is to never release your information to anyone (except as required by law) period.

We keep client records completely confidential with physical access to them controlled and restricted. All of our digital records are encrypted and kept in a secure cloud storage site. We utilize a secure shredding service for disposal of any physical records or paper that might have any personally identifying information in or on it.

You will never see your picture used for anything other than to identify you among staff members. We respect your privacy and we do not gossip nor do we discuss one client with another. We follow the same guidelines for privacy that all good medical professionals do. It is a common occurrence for members of the same family or office-mates to suddenly discover they’ve each been seeing us for years and we’ve never said a peep.

What happens at River Rock stays at River Rock. We neither confirm nor deny we know someone. If you see us out and about in town feel free to give us a wave. Know that it is likely we may not “see” you unless you make the first move. We do this so that our shy or very private clients will feel comfortable. If anyone asks how you know us feel free to tell them “oh she does my hair” and we will smile along. If you are comfortable sharing more with others so be it. We think that it is your decision who you share your hair removal experiences with, not ours.

So um, it's due to be

We realize that hair removal doesn't always coincide with your most convenient moments. Although you will be feeling "not so fresh" really it doesn't impact our job at all or bother us in any way. Feel free to keep your appointment as generally unless you are telling us we'd have never known. We would recommend you utilize a tampon or the Instead soft cup type product. If you are a tampon user you can tuck the string up and we will be all set to wax away. We respect your comfort level and if you would rather reschedule of course we understand.

I'm a larger person, is this something for skinny minnies, jockeys, and petite flowers only?

Please don't be self-conscious; we welcome clients in all shapes and sizes. It makes no difference to us if you are plus sized, gigantically tall, a professional linebacker etcetera; we know you will love the results from professional hair removal services.

While larger folks tend to have more surface area, and thus would require more product usage on our end; we never upcharge for "extra wax" or "extra hair" like some places do. We use simple flat pricing at River Rock so there will never be any surprises when you check out after your service.

Our pricing is the same for everyone at River Rock.