The term cactus skin perfectly describes the itchy feeling on your skin when hair starts growing back post-waxing.
It’s like you have tiny, prickly spikes all over your body and the only thing you want to do is – scratch the life out of them.
Why does it itch when hair grows back after waxing? We have all experienced that itchy hair growth after waxing.
However, why that happens is still a mystery. Let’s solve this mystery today and help you find relief for both, your hands and itchy skin.
What Causes Your Skin To Feel Itchy After Waxing?
Waxing may be considered a beauty regime, but one cannot deny that it takes a toll on your body.
Let’s face it, waxing is a painful procedure, and it can have several adverse after-effects on your body if you are not particular about a few things.
Apart from the pain, your skin may feel bumpy or itchy after waxing, significantly when new hair grows back. Here are a few common causes of why your skin feels itchy after waxing.
Dry Skin
Dry skin is the most common cause of itchiness when hair starts growing back after waxing.
When your skin is dehydrated, you will feel dry and rough patches on different areas of your body. When tiny hair starts sprouting back after waxing, your already flaky skin reacts to it and feels so itchy.
Folliculitis
Folliculitis is a medical condition that occurs as a result of waxing. If you have folliculitis,you get tiny pimples or bumps all over your skin thatcauses inflammation and itchiness. This condition is quite common, and it gets better on its own after a couple of days.
Ingrown Hair
Ingrown hair can be described as a type of folliculitis where your hair grows back into the skin instead of growing in an outwards direction. It is common to find ingrown hair on your body after waxing.
They appear similar to acne and are usually in the form of small, pink bumps or dots on your skin.
People with rough or curly hair are more likely to have ingrown hair. It also usually occurs when you have dry skin, and hence is quite itchy.
Sweat Irritation
Just like dehydration, overhydration of your skin can also be problematic. It results in excessive sweating that may cause extra irritation and itchiness on your skin which can be highly aggravating.
This itching gets worse when hair starts growing back after waxing. Your skin needs breathing space and just the right amount of moisture to get rid of the itchiness.
Contact Dermatitis
Your skin sometimes develops an allergic reaction to waxing, mainly if your wax contains chemicals or you have extra sensitive skin.
This condition is called contact dermatitis, and it usually occurs as a result of fragrances n soaps or clothes detergent.
You may feel severe itchiness or rashes on your skin if you are suffering from contact dermatitis. If it gets worse, you may experience some swelling and pain around the affected areas.
Wax Allergy
Using a good quality wax or a homemade one is always recommended as they are safe for your skin and get the job done efficiently.
On the other hand, a poor quality wax would leave out hair patches on your body and may also cause allergic reactions.
You don’t know what ingredients manufacturers put in low-quality wax, and some of them may contain harmful chemicals that can cause irritation, inflammation, and rashes on your skin post-waxing.
When new hair starts growing back after waxing, the itching and irritation continue as it takes several days for your skin to heal.
Intense Physical Activity
Exercisingor any intense physical activity after waxing is not recommended. This is because such activities will make you sweat excessively, and the bacteria will react with freshly waxed hair follicles on your skin, making it feel extremely itchy and inflamed.
Tight-fitted Clothes
When you wear tight or skin-fitted clothes, your skin feels suffocated. Your skin needs proper breathing space and air, or else it will become itchy and may develop an allergic reaction to the sweat.
This is why beauty experts recommend you to wear loose, breathable clothes to avoid any trouble.
Pre-Waxing Shower
When you shower right before waxing, your hair follicles and pores open up because of the warm water.
This makes your skin more prone to itching and may cause redness and dry patches. Not only does this ruin the waxing job, but it also causes ingrown on your skin, which get worse when hair starts growing back.
How to Treat Itchy Hair Growth Using Natural Remedies?
Using natural remedies is a safe and reliable way to treat itchy hair growth. Using chemical-loaded commercial products might provide you with a temporary solution, but they may create other problems for you in the long run.
Moreover, these products are generally harmful to your skin, so it’s best to use them as little as possible. Here are some ways you can naturally treat itchy hair growth after waxing:
Using A Sugar Scrub for Exfoliation
Make a homemade sugar scrub to exfoliate and scrub your body to get rid of ingrown caused by waxing and itchy hair growth.
To make the scrub, all you need is half cup sugar and half cup oil (olive, coconut, almond).
Mix these, and your scrub is ready. Apply it in small batches all over your body and massage gently in circular motions.
This scrub works like a charm to soothe your skin and provide relief from itchy hair growth.
It also helps extract out ingrown hair from the roots and makes your skin feel smooth again.
Another benefit of using this scrub is that it helps remove dead skin cells from your body and cleanses your skin from the core.
Use this scrub regularly, twice or thrice a week, for best results. You can store it in an air-tight glass jar and keep it in the fridge for several weeks.
Using Tea Tree Oil Mix
Tea Tree oil is the magic ingredient that provides instant relief from itchy hair growth. However, keep in mind that you need to dilute this essential oil by mixing it with coconut or olive oil to prevent over-clogging of your pores.
You need to apply this oil mixture to the problem areas of your body at least 2 to 3 times a day until the itching gets better.
Start with a small patch test area and wait for a couple of hours to see how your skin reacts to this oil concoction.
If there are no reactions, it means you are safe to use this remedy regularly. Tea tree oil also helps get rid of acne scars from your skin, so using it to treat itchy hair growth is nothing short of a win-win situation.
Aloe Vera Gel to the Rescue
Aloe Vera is one of nature’s miracle plants that comes with multiple benefits for your skin, hair, health, and so on. Aloe vera gel is known for its healing properties, and using the gel in its purest form is the best way to make the most of it.
Just apply the aloe vera gel smoothly over the problem areas on your skin, and you will find instant relief. In addition, it will further nourish and protect your skin.
If you have an aloe vera plant at home, you are in luck. All you need to do is cut off its sides carefully with a knife and extract all the gooey gel. You can also store this in a glass jar and refrigerate it.
Applying cool or cold aloe vera gel will provide instant comfort to itchiness or inflammation.
If you don’t have an aloe vera plant at home, you can buy an organic and 100% pure aloe vera gel from any store.
Using Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Apple cider vinegar can be described as a natural antiseptic. This versatile ingredient has several benefits for your skin, hair, and physical health, just like aloe vera. You can use ACV to provide instant relief to your irritated or inflamed skin.
All you need is to dip a cotton cloth in apple cider and apply it to the problem area. You can repeat this method 2 to 3 times a day to heal the infection and provide lasting relief.
Note that for any natural remedy that you try, start with testing out a small patch area as a sample to check for any allergic reactions.
For example, as ACV is strong, some people may be allergic to it, worsening the situation for them. So, be extra careful about testing patch areas to avoid any such mishaps.
Using Witch Hazel Extract
Just like apple cider vinegar, witch hazel is another wonderful product that comes with natural antiseptic properties.
This helps with easing itchiness and burning on the skin and also prevents redness and rashes.
Just dip a cotton cloth or any soft cloth pad in witch hazel extract and apply it to your skin. Repeat this method 2 to 3 times a day until your itchy hair growth stops and your hair are back to normal again.
Post-Waxing Care – Tips and Best Practices
Taking care of your skin is a constant job. Waxing takes a strain on your body, and hence you may experience common after-effects like ingrown, itchy hair, bumps, rashes after your waxing appointment.
Here are some helpful post-waxing care tips and best practices you can follow to prevent itchiness and other adverse after-effects of waxing:
Tips To Follow Right After Your Waxing Session
- Use ice cubes or cool compress to soothe your freshly waxed skin. You can also hop under a cool shower to ease the redness, soreness, and itchiness on the skin that usually occurs after waxing.
- Do not scratch your ingrown hair or the bumps on your skin caused by waxing. This will only worsen the situation and cause infection on your skin. Instead, try to use safe and natural remedies to ease the pain.
- Do not wear tight-fitted clothes after getting your waxing done. Let your body breathe and wear something loose, light, and comfortable to avoid excessive sweat and skin contact. Wearing tight-fitted clothes right after waxing increases the chances of having a skin allergic reaction.
- Do not apply perfume on your body or wear any fragrant products like creams or lotions, as the chemicals in these products are highly likely to irritate your already sore skin.
- Do not work out or do any intense physical activity until the next day after your waxing. Excessive sweat could lead to clogging of pores that may cause skin irritation or inflammation. Hence it is recommended that you give yourself at least 1-day rest after getting your waxing done.
Tips To Follow 3-5 Days After Your Waxing Session
- Continue wearing loose and breathable clothes as your new hair may start growing up by now. Tight clothes can cause sweat and itchiness when your hair starts growing back after waxing.
- Use natural soothing products like aloe vera gel, jojoba oil, or vitamin-E enriched lotions to moisturize your skin. Dry skin is the root cause of skin irritation, so make sure your skin is perfectly moisturized before new hair starts growing back, or else it will be itchy.
- Regularly cleanse and exfoliate your skin using natural scrubs to eliminate impurities from your skin and avoid ingrown that cause itchiness after waxing.
Final Words
We hope that we have successfully solved the mystery behind ‘why does it itch when hair grows back after waxing?’.
Now you have a fair idea of what causes itchy hair growth and how you can prevent it from happening in the future.
As mentioned above, taking care of your skin and body is a full-time job. You have to continuously invest in yourself to nourish and protect your skin.
However, if you keep our valuable tips and best practices in mind, you will be able to get rid of itchy hair growth in no time. Good luck!
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