Waxing is the application of wax to an area and then peeling it off the skin to remove unwanted hair.
What is the risk?
- Waxing could lead to infections, from minor skin irritations, to hair follicle infections, to transmission of bloodborne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV
- Skin can become attached to the wax, depending on the wax used
- When the wax is peeled, the skin may break and you could bleed
- Blood may also come to the surface as the hair follicle is ripped out. Therefore, infected blood could get into the wax.
How can it be done safely?
- Technicians must practise Routine Practices for Infection Control
- Multi-use instruments such as tweezers and scissors must be cleaned with soap and water, followed by a high-level disinfectant for at least 10 minutes
- Wax should not be reused and double dipping into the main pot of wax is not recommended
- Heated wax temperature alone is not hot enough to kill bacteria or viruses.
Broken skin surfaces--for instance, those with cuts, abrasions or rash--should not be waxed.
