Ok so I waxed my back at home last Wednesday with the help of my Mom. It hurt a lil at first and then i was pleased to know (although red as heck!) the hair was gone and it wouldn't be coming back soon.

A day passed and everything was good, then i think i might not have showered before bed Thursday and Friday morning I was shocked to see a pimple rash covering most of the back (heaviest in the area that had the most hair pulled). I've never had so many pimples on my body before!!

I'm pretty distraught, it's four days later and my back looks the same if not worse. I heard that it can take months for this to go away...

Can anyone tell me the most effective and quickest treatment I can do to get the healing started??

Yes, you should have kept the area dry and clean and applied witch hazel or pure aloe vera.

At this point, continue to keep the area dry and clean. Buy some witch hazel and apply a few times a day. Avoid sweating if at all possible. It's irritation that needs a bit of time and care to heal.

Thank you lagirl,

So if I would of applied witch hazel right after the wax job the pimples/rash probably wouldn't have shown up? How long after is the skin sensitive and needs special treatment?

Also do you know if they sell witch hazel at Walgreen's?

And I really can't go to the gym until this clears up?? Wow!

I really appreciate the advice

This can be caused by several things involving getting bacteria into the wounds, i.e. dirt on the strips used for waxing, bacteria on the skin or in the wax staying on the skin after you waxed, sweating and causing bacteria to get into the open pores, etc. I don't know how careful you and your mom were when you were doing this and how clean everything was. But you did say that you didn't shower after, so it sounds like whatever bacteria was on there got into your pores. Plus, often the skin is more sensitive the first few times you wax since it's not used to it. All of that probably contributed to it.

Yes, they have witch hazel at Walgreens near antiseptic stuff and bandaids.

Yes, I would avoid sweating if you want it to go away faster. It's not just the sweating, but the drying of the sweat and bacteria getting in your skin.

Yes i don't think I was as careful with the aftercare as I shoulda been. Well I have the witch hazel now and I am gonna take care of this as suggested... i'll be back to report on how long the healing takes (hopefully not too long!) so other that experience this have an idea of how long this process takes.

Kudos lagirl for the wise words, if I only would have researched earlier!!

Hi shyguy23,

Feel free to print out a copy of the notes that we provide to our waxing clients. I hope you will find the information helpful.

What you need to know about waxing by Arlene Batz, President of Breier Hair Removal & Skin Care, Inc.

WAXING - FOR OUR CLIENTS
MEN AND WOMEN

Facial hair needs to be at least 1/8” -- Body hair needs to be 1/4”.

If you plan on bathing or showering prior to waxing, please do so at least 2 hours prior to waxing.

Afterwards: You might observe pinking of the skin, red bumps, ingrown hairs. It is rare to see a bruise or blister but if you are using blood thinners or even aspirin, or are menstruating or suffering from a vitamin or nutrient deficiency, bruising might be more apparent.

Aftercare: Avoid heat for 24 hours; this includes hot baths, sauna, steam baths, and exposure to strong UV lights or sun tanning treatments. Do not sun tan for 48 hrs. Do not apply highly fragranced products to waxed areas; this includes perfume/cologne, scented body lotions, anti-perspirant, cosmetics, feminine hygiene sprays. Avoid applying high SPF sun blocks to the waxed area for 24 hrs as sunscreen chemicals can be irritating to the newly waxed skin, this includes self tanning products and tan accelerators. Do not use harsh abrasives or exfoliants in the waxed area unless you are prone to ingrown hairs - then use your exfoliant once you begin to see the appearance of hairs growing back. Stop exfoliating 48 hrs before your next waxing appointment.

Some ingredients that help boost healing: aloe vera gel, tea tree oil, red raspberry and azulene. See our products page.

For best results: repeat your professional waxing routine every 4 to 6 weeks and do not shave or use depilatories between visits.

Waxing clients, please note: no waxing inside of the nose and inside of the ears, no waxing eyelashes off, no waxing on: the actual nipple, warts, moles, sunburned skin, recent scar tissue, tattoos, around body piercings, over protruding or varicose veins, over open wounds, skin that is undergoing skin grafts or dermabrasion or being treated with AHA's /glycolic acids 8% or higher, on herpes simplex, people with phlebitis or diabetes and those in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, and no waxing over an area that has had Botox injections within the past 72 hrs. Those who have recently received a chemical peel or had an invasive exfoliation procedure should wait 4 weeks before waxing. Those who have used Accutane must be off of the drug for 6 months before waxing can be done. Those who have used either Adapalene or Renova or Retin A must be free of those meds for 3 months before waxing can be done. Those using Tetracycline or other acne medications should not be waxed.

Hi and thanks for your reply Arlene, I do have one question for you:

Aftercare: Avoid heat for 24 hours; this includes hot baths, sauna, steam baths, and exposure to strong UV lights or sun tanning treatments. Do not sun tan for 48 hrs. Do not apply highly fragranced products to waxed areas; this includes perfume/cologne, scented body lotions, anti-perspirant, cosmetics, feminine hygiene sprays.


Does scented body lotion include coco butter, thats what I normally use?

And is it still ok to moisturize my hands and face in the mean while?

Yes, it does. Don't put anything with chemicals and oils on the treated skin. All those things clog pores. Wait until the skin is healed.

Ok so it's been 2 weeks, I have kept my back clean and most the white heads (there are a few minor ones) and swelling have gone.

Now in place of the whiteheads are red and dark spots... will the witch hazel help with this phase of the healing?

What's the best remedy to get rid of the dark spots?

Tea Trea Oil applied sparringly (a little goes a long way) will help heal the skin and dissolve puss and necrotic tissue faster, leading to normalization of the skin in a shorter period of time. If you use too much, however, you will have dry, flaky, shedding skin.