Bumps on lips after waxing

Ok, no one has been able to explain this, so I'm gonna ask all you wonderful smart estys your opinion.

After I get my lip waxed, and after I do a client's lip waxing, often one or several small vesicles appear. They are clear and they almost always go away within a day or so. I've gotten to the point of mentioning this to the client. ("if you notice a bump or two, just be patient and DONT PICK AT IT. It's not a pimple and it will go away real soon" -- I say don't pick at it because some of my clients have noticed them and try to "pop" them like a zit)

Ok, my theory: I think that maybe when waxing I'm pulling the oil gland up a little higher in the follicle when removing the hair. In response to this, the body immediately starts to encapsulate the pore while the gland recedes back to where it belongs. Then the vesicle fades away. I know it sounds strange -- like science fiction. But I can't explain these vesicles any other way. And I've seen no references to them anywhere.

So please help. Give me your ideas. Some of you must know what the actual facts of this are and I really would like to be giving actual facts to my clients.

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Permalink Reply by Susanne Schmaling on August 15, 2013 at 11:16am

I love that you are trying to think this through! Based on the training that I have had, it was explained to me as a histamine reaction with in the skin, basically an immune system response. I have the same thing happen to my skin when I wax. The fix has been a lower temperature wax and high frequency applied over a soothing balm after the service. I also have used a mild glycolic serum over the area starting in the evening after I wax, it also is helpful.

Hope that helps a little!

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Permalink Reply by Terry Hill on August 15, 2013 at 7:05pm

Ooooh that makes so much sense. I love this arcane knowledge! Cool, I'm definitely going to try that with my next lip wax. Do you think red LED would help too? And I've never had this reaction anywhere but my lip. And if clients were having the bumps in other places, they've never said.

While I have you here, let me ask: is this why some people recommend taking a Tums before waxing?

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Permalink Reply by Cindy Greenwood on August 16, 2013 at 7:57am

LOL - I have never heard the "Tums" idea before!

I use hard wax (lower temp) on clients that have had these issues in the past. The majority of those clients will be okay and only get the bumps if they go back to strip wax.

Love Susanne's rec of High Freq and calming serum or balm. I am using the Berodin's essential oil after wax and that works great.

Blue LED is the anti-bacterial...but I have used red LED in a facial to bring down redness in sensitive types...I think that you could safely try it and seeif it makes a difference.