I tried waxing my chest (I went to the Nordstrom spa–I don’t know if anyone knows anything about them, if they’re especially good or bad…) for the first time a little over two weeks ago. Afterwards, my chest was totally red and really itchy all night, and had broken out by the next morning in all sorts of little red rash-like bumps. My entire chest remained incredibly itchy, and I used cortizone cream on it for about two days before it finally cleared up. Then it went away and everything was great, but the problem is, the hairs have been starting to come back and I am going to need to get them waxed again soon. So really, I have two questions. First, is a rash-like reaction such as the one I experienced typical for people who wax their chest for the first time? Is there some way to prevent that from happening again in the future so I can avoid having to use cortizone cream every time I have waxing done? I could really use some advice about this, since I like having my chest smooth but obviously don’t want to break out in a red, itchy rash every time I have it waxed.
Also, is it typical for the hair to grow back so fast after waxing? I am not THAT hairy a guy, and I already started to feel as though I was beginning to need a new wax after only about 10 days. Does it start to take a little longer after subsequent waxings, or…? I just know that I can’t afford to spend $40 every two weeks just to stay clean shaven.
Regardless, I would be incredibly thankful for any suggestions anyone has. Thank you in advance!!
hi eric… your rash and redness is typical of a first time user of waxing… its also typical for constant users of waxing…it also has alot to do with your skin… if its sensitive and all that…
i would say to lessen the reaction… make sure you take a good shower and exfoliate the skin that is to be waxed before you go to the salon… that will help a little… and after waxing, you can run some cold water or ice (if you can bare it)over the waxed area to tone down and control the redness and heat… but also keep with lots of mosterioser and i hear tendskin is good…
regarding the hair growing back fast… tells me that the hair was not pulled from the roots and that during the process of waxing, the hair was broken off instead of pulled off completely… could be your chest hair is brittle or the salon person is not doing a great job… if the hair has been pulled of correctly (and from the root) then you shouldnt see any morsal of hair popping out until after 2-3 weeks… (thats my experience) and you said you arent that hairy and possibly the hair isnt that thick either??.. if so then you should have better success than those ppl with lots of hair and thickness…
…maybe you should try sugaring… with sugaring… hair, most of the time, is pulled out from the roots and you’ll stay hair free longer… as opposed to the hair being just broken off.
have you tried home use waxing? that can save you money and trips to the salon and if you start sugaring, you can do it at home as well… or let someone else do it for you. 
good luck!
[ July 11, 2004, 09:04 PM: Message edited by: rachelle ]
forgot to mention that the hair growing back quickly could just mean that your hair is the type that grows back quickly! hehe… then again i guess male hair grows faster than female???.. that could very well be your case eric.
good luck!