Waxing becomes the preferred method of hair removal when your goal is to stay hair-free for a longer time as compared to shaving just as explained in waxing vs. shaving. So, you decide to take the pain and get that unwanted hair plucked out of the roots.
However, does the pain of waxing facial hair increase immensely after the session, and are you not sure what is happening and how to deal with it?
Well, it is ripped skin from waxing and can happen due to several reasons. Moreover, your major concern will be treating the torn skin. So, let us talk about how to heal ripped skin from waxing fast.
Part 1: Why Did My Skin Rip Off After Waxing?
Ripped skin from waxing could be because of a number of reasons. The most common ones are given as,
- Poor technique of the waxing expert: If your waxing expert is not expert enough to be gentle and careful while applying and ripping the wax off your skin or you are doing the wax yourself without any practice, you can end up with ripped skin. It is more common on eyebrows and upper lips.
- Using wax at the wrong temperature: Hot wax tends to burn the top layer of the skin. Consequently, the wax adheres firmly to the skin, and the skin rips off as you remove the waxing strip.
- Condition of your skin: Overuse of the products that exfoliate the skin and increase cellular turnover like retinol, AHA, BHA, and exfoliants makes the top layer of skin thin and prone to damage by wax.
Whatever the cause is, skin ripped by wax looks the same. So, if you feel extreme and unusual pain after the waxing strip is removed, the treated area feels like it is burned, it looks red, and the superficial skin layers are peeled off, you can assume that the skin is ripped by waxing. Also, check other side effects of waxing at waxing side effects and how to avoid them.
Part 2: How to Heal Ripped Skin from Waxing Fast?
The management of ripped skin from wax mainly included 3 steps with the goal of immediate relief, healing, and prevention of long-term effects.
Immediate Steps for Healing Ripped Skin
Below are the steps to treat the skin ripped from waxing fast.
1. Cleanse the Ripped Area
First of all, you should remove the wax residue and broken skin cells from the ripped area. So, clean the area by washing it with cold water. You can also use a mild cleanser.
2. Use an Antiseptic Solution
Take any antiseptic solution like alcohol or apple cider vinegar and apply it over the ripped area to kill the microbes that might enter the skin.
3. Use Cold Compress
After cleaning, you need to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by skin damage. For this, apply ice wrapped in clothes or cold packs on the ripped skin.
4. Apply a Soothing Product
Now you need to soothe the skin damaged after waxing and begin healing. For this, apply any essential oil, aloe vera gel, or moisturizer on the skin. You can use the oils mentioned in the best skin oils.
5. Do Not Prick or Irritate the Skin
To prevent the skin condition from worsening and give it time to heal, do not touch it. Also, if you feel irritation, never itch or prick the area with a compromised skin barrier.
Promoting Healing and Recovery
Below are the measures you can take to promote healing and recovery.
1. Maintain Hygiene and Dryness
A damp wound stimulates the group of microorganisms and so does an unclean wound. So, ensure that you clean the wound regularly and keep it dry.
2. Apply a Healing Ointment
The key to stimulation of the repair in the ripped skin is good skin hydration and nourishment. Also, note that need needs to be hydrated and not damp. So, apply an enriched body lotion.
3. Wear Loose, Breathable, and Soft Clothes
Friction with the clothes can add to the skin damage. Moreover, tight clothes entrap moisture, increasing the risk of infection. Wearing loose and soft clothes allows the skin to stay dry and heal.
4. Avoid Sun Exposure and Heat
Sun exposure makes them sensitive, prone to hyperpigmentation, and delays healing. So, always cover the treatment area with UV-protective clothes and sunblock. Additionally, the best remedy is to avoid sun exposure as much as possible.
5. Focus on Your Diet
Skin heals slowly if your diet is deficient in vitamins, minerals, and proteins. This is because the skin does not receive nutrition to generate new cells. Additionally, smoking and alcohol negatively affect the skin.
Thus, you should eat healthy meals, drink an adequate amount of water, and stay away from alcohol, smoking, and excess caffeine to heal your skin ripped by wax.
Over-the-counter products for Healing
The third step is healing the ripped skin caused by wax is an easily available medical treatment as explained below.
1. Hydrocortisone Cream
Hydrocortisone is great when the area of ripped skin is inflamed as well. It deals with the inflammation, calms redness, and reduces the pain as well.
2. Antibiotic Ointment
Ripped skin with compromised barrier is prone to infections. So, it is important to apply an antibiotic ointment to ensure that a little slip of waxing strip does not make your skin sick for a long time.
Topical antibiotics like Neosporin work well for promoting skin healing, preventing infection, and reducing inflammation.
3. Pain Relieving Agents
Whether it is upper lip waxing skin ripped off or eyebrow wax skin ripped off, it is painful because the skin in these areas is extra sensitive. So, you can apply a local anesthetic agent or eat a painkiller like ibuprofen or paracetamol can help you deal with the pain.
Part 3: How Long Does a Wax Rip Take to Heal?
Immediate treatment of the skin ripped by waxing can take a few hours to deal with the severe effects of the skin damage, like pain, redness, and irritation. However, complete healing of the body or an eye wax skin ripped off can take 1 to 2 weeks.
Moreover, it is important to note that skin healing is not the same for everyone. It depends upon your general health condition, your skin’s sensitivity, the severity of the skin damage, and your diet.
Part 4: Should I Expect it to Scar?
Yes and no. If you properly care for your waxing burns or skin ripped after the wax and take immediate treatment and delayed measures to heal the skin damage, it does not scar. And even if the scar is formed, it fades away easily.
However, if you leave the skin unattended, do not focus on hygiene, scratch it, it get infected, and have a bad diet, you can get a stubborn scar.
Part 5: When to Seek Professional Help?
If you are worried about treating skin ripping because of waxing and are unsure when to seek professional help, below are some factors to consider when going to a doctor.
1. Excessive Pain or Prolonged Healing Time
If your pain is not relieved by oral and topical painkillers, rather it is increasing, consult a doctor as skin damage can involve deep layers of the skin and irritation of the nerves for you to feel unbearable pain.
Additionally, if the skin barrier is not being repaired after all the tips we mentioned earlier and it has been over a month since you got wax, it is time to talk to your doctor.
2. Allergic Reaction
If you see bumps, skin redness, irritation, and swelling that is not responding to DIY remedies, it might be an allergic reaction requiring medical attention.
3. Severe Skin Damage
Waxing can rip off the top layer of the skin and it can damage it severely as well causing little tears in the skin, damage to microvessels, and infections. Under such conditions, you need professional help.
4. Signs of Infection
If you see that the area around the damaged skin is getting red, it is warm, and there is some discharge, you probably have an infection which is a serious indication of medical treatment.
Conclusion
Improper technique, low-quality wax, and thin skin can result in skin being ripped off after a waxing session, especially on the face. In such cases, keeping the damaged area clean, moisturized, dry, and free of infection is the goal.
Additionally, painkillers, anti-inflammatory, nourishing, and antibiotic ointments can help in healing the skin faster without leaving a scar.
