GET PICKY

In addition to your regular waxing contras, keep an eye out for the following:
Excessive broken capillaries.Frequent nose bleeds (i.e. the type of person who gets a nose bleed if you so much as look at them).Any signs of infection, sore or broken skin.Nose piercings (ask your client to remove any piercings before you start, for obvious reasons).

Crack open the non-strip (hard) wax - this particular service cannot be performed with strip (warm) wax.I wear gloves for all waxing services. Personally, I don’t fancy poking around in anyone's nose without them.Raise the back of your couch slightly so that the client is lying in a semi-reclined position, with his head resting on a pillow or folded towel. This is easier than having the client lying flat.Apply a small amount of oil to the inside of both nostrils before starting, just around the lower rim of the nose (hence the gloves!).Wax one nostril at a time and instruct your client to breathe through his mouth. Don't apply wax to both nostrils at the same time, as this can feel a little claustrophobic.Get a pea-sized ball of non-strip wax on the end of a facial spatula. Press the nostril shut slightly and wipe the wax across the outer rim of the nose (just the lower, visible part of the nostril). Ensure the wax overlaps sufficiently onto the outside of the nose, as this is what you will use as your 'handle' when the time comes for removal.Once the wax is in place, press the nostril completely closed for a few seconds until the wax starts to set - in effect, this will 'squidge' the wax up slightly into the lower part of the nose, catching all of those hairy little blighters in its sticky goodness. Leave the wax in place for another couple of minutes until it fully hardens.Caution: do not insert your spatula into the nose itself, and only put wax around the lower rim of the nostril. Do not insert your spatula beyond this point, and never leave a spatula inside the nostril while waiting for wax to harden.When completely dry, press both nostrils together with your fingers, grip the edge of wax that is outside the nostril with your other hand, then tug the whole caboodle out quickly and firmly towards the client's feet. Keep your hand parallel to the client''s body - don't pull up into the air, as this will hurt, to put it mildly.Repeat on the other side, and finish by wiping a small amount of antiseptic cleanser over the area. Et voilà: one hair-free hooter.

Client has a moustache.
If your client has a moustache or more than a day's worth of beard growth, it's safe to assume he probably wants it to stay where it is. Get him to hold a clean paper or fabric waxing strip under his nose while you apply the wax, which will avoid accidentally catching any stray facial hair (ouch). Dispose of the strip once the wax is in the nostril and still gummy, otherwise everything will become stuck together.

Wax takes ages to set.
Be aware that the wax inside the nose will take longer to set than normal, due to the warmth of this area. Don't remove until fully hardened or it will merely stretch like chewing gum, and you'll be left with bits of gooey wax up the customer's nose. To make efficient use of the time, turn the client's head to the side and wax his ears while waiting for the wax in the nostril to dry.

Wax won't come out.
If the wax gets stuck or breaks during removal, do not go fishing about with a pair tweezers trying to get it out! Simply apply more wax over the top, wait for it to set and try again.

Sorry to labour the point, but please remember to NEVER shove a spatula or anything else up the client's nose.  It only takes a single mistimed sneeze to ruin someone’s day… :-)

Wax on!

P.S. Check out my nostril waxing video tutorial on Facebook. It's free!!

© Andy Rouillard, 2007-11. All rights reserved.