How To Get Candle Wax Out Of Hair

Warm Hard Wax

Hard wax is an effective option both for areas with thicker hair and fine, thin hair. The wax is applied warm and hardens as it cools. It's also known as strip-free wax because, in its hardened form, it acts as the strip itself. A small amount of pre-epilation oil typically goes on the skin after it's cleansed to protect it from the wax. Shays explains that after warming the wax to a spreadable state, it "hardens to a flexible material that is pulled off by a 'lip' created by the provider."

Hard wax is applied in a thicker layer than soft wax, but also in the direction of hair growth—an important detail. "Pulling in the wrong direction of hair growth can cause hair to break and become ingrown," warns Petak. The wax grabs on to the hairs in a shrink-wrapping manner as it hardens rather than sticking to the skin like soft wax. This makes it more suitable for smaller, more sensitive areas like the lip, nose, underarms, and bikini area. When used on larger areas, like the legs, Shays explains it "can create breakage of hair towards the end of the pull."

VidaSleek Hard Wax Kit: Face, Underarms & Bikini

VidaSleek Hard Wax Kit: Face, Underarms & Bikini $14

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Its gentle nature is great for those with sensitive skin but on the flip side, it's not strong enough to grab the hairs from the bulb, meaning you may have to go over a single area multiple times. "This will lead to irritation on the skin," Petak explains. Be sure to use a quality product when working with hard wax. "Cheaper varieties of hard wax can cool down to be brittle and not flexible," Shays says this creates a mess and an inefficient wax.

Like with soft wax, the hair needs to be long enough for the wax to grab. "We recommend hair be at least 1/4" long (about the size of a sprinkle)," Petak says. "It's a good idea to stop shaving at least five days prior."