Over the last several issues, we’ve solicited your questions about waxing. In addition to the many questions about that form of hair removal, we’ve received a number of questions about alternatives to waxing, from threading to sugaring to electrolysis. Starting with this issue, we’ll be covering a different alternative every other month, beginning with sugaring. There is a lot of curiosity in the industry about this form of hair removal, so we went straight to Lina Kennedy, president of Alexandria Professional Body Sugaring, for some answers.

the service: Sugaring

what makes it different:
Sugaring is done with all-natural ingredients and no chemicals—just sugar, lemon and water. The paste that is formed by the three ingredients is body temperature, so it is not hot and there is no risk of lifting up live skin cells, says Kennedy. Extractions are performed in the natural direction of growth as opposed to waxing where it is pulled off in the opposite direction of growth.

how it works: The first step is prepping the area to be sugared to help draw out impurities and clear the follicles to make extraction easier. The paste is then molded into the follicles, where it wraps itself around the hairs—no matter how short—and “glides them out” in the natural direction of growth, Kennedy explains. This means capturing hairs in the early anagen stage for faster permanency of hair removal, and less time waiting between appointments.

pain scale: Minimal, if it all, says Kennedy. “Once we clean out the follicles, the hair doesn’t resist.”

commitment: Alexandria Sugaring requires that anyone purchasing the products for the first time take a two-day, 16-hour course to learn the ins and outs of how to perform the service. The course is accredited and the company is affiliated with all the state boards.

cost to the spa: A start-up kit, which can cover about 20 full bodies (legs, arms, eyebrows and bikinis) or more than 1,000 eyebrows, costs $350. The two-day course costs $300.

pricing: Kennedy recommends that spas switching from waxing to sugaring increase their prices by 20 percent “because the results are real and the clients love it.”

bonuses: The pain and hassle of in-grown hairs is limited because there is less chance of breakage. Also, since bacteria doesn’t grow in sugar, the process is extremely hygienic.

for more information: www.alexandriaprofessional.com

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