If you are considering having a waxing treatment then the last thought you’ll probably think about is getting an infection. It is not uncommon to feel some irritation or discomfort during and after the treatment, but what else can go wrong?
One story that you may want to read before you go ahead is that of a lady in New York City who visited a waxing hair removal salon. After having the wax treatment, the woman happened to experience a fever. But that’s not all. She also felt pain and chills. She felt them in her left thigh. At the beginning, she simply thought that she might have caught a cold. Yet, after 5 days without getting any better, she consulted a doctor.
The doctor’s diagnosis was shocking. She was informed that she had cellulitis. Cellulitis is an infection caused by bacteria in the skin as well as its underlying tissue. One of the doctors stated that she could have lost the use of her legs!
Once diagnosed, she had to stay in the hospital for a fortnight. It took her months to recover both physically and emotionally. It turned out that the woman was not the only one who had to go to the hospital after undergoing such a waxing treatment. 2 other women in New Jersey also had the same experience. These women had to go to hospital after undergoing a Brazilian wax treatment. The worst case happened when a woman, who suffered from diabetes type 1, nearly died due to the bacterial infection after the waxing.
Waxing can be a risky business at times since when the wax if removed it pulls away dead skin and can cause tiny abrasions and tears. It is these tiny access points that let bacteria in. Waxing can also be used to remove pubic hair which helps to protect sensitive and easily infected areas.
The most problematic scenario arises when waxing creates inflammation of the skin and this leads to trapping the bacteria beneath the skin. Nevertheless, all these things do not necessarily mean that there is no way to avoid them.
While undergoing a waxing hair removal treatment, patients should keep in mind the following:
- Choose the facility to undergo a waxing treatment carefully. Go and visit the location to make sure it is clean and hygienic and that the aesthetician has a license.
- Speak to the specialist about the different waxes that can be used and which might be right for you. A hard wax may be more gentle and adhere well to the skin, while other waxes can be sticky and cause a lot of discomfort to the treated person.
- Pay attention to the hygiene of the aesthetician’s hands. You should make sure they clean their hands regularly, use gloves and sterilized equipment.
- A topical antibiotic cream should be applied for several days after wax treatment to prevent irritation.
- Patients should also check periodically to see whether they develop rashes, have experienced tiny cuts or tears, have inflamed ingrown hairs after a waxing hair removal session. Any of these can result in infection if not careful.