Getting up close and personal with clients’ bits day in, day out can lead to some awkward situations. Five brave waxers tell AMANDA PAULEY their most embarrassing hair-removal stories

THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR

Embarrassing story: “Erections – they happen. People don’t like talking about it but if you’re a male intimate waxer then you can’t be in this business and never expect to encounter one. It has happened to so many of my clients – lying there, hands clenched, trying to make it go away. It doesn’t mean the client is getting off on the treatment or is on your bed for the wrong reasons. Some people are just incredibly nervous and because they feel anxious sometimes things pop up and say ‘hello’.”

Lesson learned: “Usually an erection will disappear when you take the first strip of wax off, but if not, then it’s best to acknowledge the situation and say, ‘don’t worry about it’, because it puts the client’s mind at rest.

“Now, if your client starts apologising, and some do as the last thing they want is to be lying there with an erection, then just reply, ‘It’s fine, I’ve seen it all before. It happens’, and carry on working. This will calm the client, resulting in things disappearing on their own.

Andy Rouillard (aka the Wax Daddy), male waxing expert and owner of Axiom Men’s Grooming Salon and The Wax Academy, both in Basingstoke

THE BROWN STUFF

Embarrassing story: “As a waxer, you’re going to be touching lots of body parts and be exposed to all kinds of secretions. You just have to deal with it and not let it gross you out.

Something you can encounter, and it has happened to me before, is a bit of a ‘poo-bum Paula’ on your couch. I always give my clients an intimate wipe to use pre-treatment but there’s the odd time when they haven’t cleaned properly and ended up with the brown stuff there when I’m about to wax their bum crack.”

Lesson learned: “How do you handle this situation? Well, I’m afraid you’ve just got to deal with it and wipe it away using cleanser on a cotton pad.

“You can also pre-empt this situation by pointing out the individually wrapped wipe on the couch, explaining to the client how to use it to make sure they clean themselves the right way. The wipe is not a suggestion, it’s an instruction.”

Sam Marshall, wax educator and owner of The Beauty Guru in Salford

THE BALD TRUTH

Embarrassing story: “Early on in my career, I had a client booked in for an eyebrow wax and, during the consultation, she told me she had stopped taking a particular acne medication two weeks ago. Any kind of medication that treats acne thins the skin, but I didn’t know masses about it at the time and neither did my client. I thought it would be fine so I waxed her, but I completely skinned both brows and the skin in middle. She was so upset that she burst into tears. I felt so bad. Luckily, I spoke to her a few weeks later and her skin had healed up ok.”

Lesson learned: “For me, it was a lack of knowledge, especially about which medications are going to affect waxing treatments. The medication the client had been taking required her to be off it for a minimum of six months before having a waxing treatment. “Always ask the client for more information and don’t be afraid to turn to your colleagues for advice before doing anything.

Jenny Hunter, waxing specialist and trainer for intimate waxing brand Waxü

THE FLASHER

Embarrassing story: “Many years ago, when I was working in salon, I had a client booked in for a basic bikini wax. She was a first-timer, so didn’t really know what was involved in the treatment. After the consultation, I told her to get changed and left the room, but because I didn’t explain clearly what was expected of her, when I returned she was completely starkers. It was embarrassing for me and the client because she didn’t need to undress quite so much for this basic treatment.”

Lesson learned: “Communication is key. Always explain the most basic treatment information because clients don’t know what we know. It was a bit embarrassing to see that rate of undress when it wasn’t needed.

“It made me realise that I need to explain exactly how I want the client to be every single time, whether they’re a newbie or a regular.”

Lisa Stone, wax specialist and educator for Salon System, which manufactures Just Wax

THE BALL OF FIRE

Embarrassing story: “I once performed an intimate wax on a client who had lots of thick, tough hair around her bum. I was using hot wax for the treatment and when I asked the client to turnover so I could wax her bum crack, I noticed she was getting really warm because the wax wasn’t setting well.

“To cool her down, I sprayed oil on the area, placed the wax where it needed to go and then blew on my client’s bum to help the wax set quicker. When I went to pull it off I couldn’t, it was stuck. I was unable to get a proper grip. The wax was just coming away in stringy pieces. What was left was a hot ball of wax that wouldn’t set, covered in oil, on the client’s bum hole.

“Luckily, she had a cracking sense of humour, so I told her what was going on. She laughed and that helped calm me down. Then, I got a fan from another room to cool down her bum, removed the excess oil with tissue and then went over the area with a thin piece of wax, and away the ball came.”

Lesson learned: “It just goes to show that after years of waxing you can still get into a bit of a mess sometimes. You just need to breathe, assess the situation and find a solution.

“If you’re performing an intimate wax on someone who is really hairy, try not to apply the wax too thick, and do a few smaller strips to prevent this hairy blob of wax situation. Always keep a fan nearby too.”

Amy Lewis, director of nail and waxing specialist Mooeys, which has salons in Horsham and Farnham