Burn with hot wax after depilation, hair removal

There is a burn of wax when exposed to too hot molten wax - that is, such a burn is considered to be exclusively thermal damage. This type of injury was most widespread with the beginning of wax depilation - a popular cosmetic procedure. Less often the burn becomes the result of inaccurate treatment of wax suppositories - for example, when visiting a church or on a New Year's holiday.

[1]

Epidemiology

A wax burn is considered a rare complication if the procedure is performed in a cosmetic salon, where the cosmetologist uses special equipment to control the temperature of the wax.

However, this complication often occurs if depilation is performed at home, alone.

If the wax is heated to the right temperature, then the sensation of the procedure should not cause discomfort, and the skin should not blush, swell and flake off.

[2], [3], [4], [5]

Causes of the wax burn

Illiterate selection of a depilatory remedy, ignorance or lack of experience in the procedure, neglect of precautions often lead to such an unpleasant consequence as a wax burn. When performing the procedure, do not forget that the wax heats up to high temperatures, which can lead to damage to the outer tissues (especially if the skin is sensitive - for example, under the armpits, face or bikini).

Burning wax can damage any skin in any area on the body. Most often, such injuries occur during depilation with the use of hot wax, so it is advisable not to conduct such a procedure on your own, but to consult a competent specialist-cosmetologist.

[6]

Risk factors

The risk factors for skin burns with wax are:

• sensitive skin;
• ignorance of the rules of wax depilation;
• treatment for depilation to a person who does not have relevant experience;
• non-observance of banal safety rules;
• Negligent attitude to the situation when dealing with hot wax.

[7], [8], [9],

Pathogenesis

When exposure to high temperatures, the coagulation reactions of the proteins of the superficial skin tissues begin. Skin cells die, undergoing necrosis processes.

The depth of the skin lesion depends on how high the temperature of the wax was, and how long the skin was contacted with the wax.

As a rule, because of the low melting point, the burn with wax is not profound: most often the defeat is limited to the I-II degree:

• I degree - the appearance of persistent redness;
• II degree - a detachment of the epidermis and the appearance of blisters.

[10], [11], [12]

Symptoms of the wax burn

Burns of the first degree are distinguished by the appearance of stable hyperemia of the affected area of the skin, with severe burning pain. There may be an edema. Restoration of tissues occurs quickly, for 3-4 days.

For second-degree burns, the occurrence of a different amount of blisters filled with clear liquid contents against the background of reddened skin is characteristic. After opening the blisters, small erosions are exposed, which eventually form into a crust. Healing occurs during 1-2 weeks.

Burns of heavier degrees for wax burn are uncharacteristic: the melting point of the wax mass is low, and such indicators, fortunately, can not cause a deep burn of the skin.

The first signs of a wax burn appear almost immediately after the thermal exposure: a person feels a sharp or intensively growing pain. With a second degree burn, blisters can appear not immediately, but only after a few hours: sometimes a soft reddish crust forms instead of blisters.

The general condition thus practically does not suffer: the temperature remains within the limits of norm, arterial pressure does not change.

Burn after waxing

A depilatory burn is a consequence of the use of superheated waxes without preliminary protective treatment of the skin. This happens often during depilation in improper conditions for this - for example, at home.

The use of wax for depilation at home is an inherently unsafe procedure. Any carelessness can lead to undesirable consequences in the form of a burn.

The correct procedure is as follows:

• wax is heated to t ° about 46-47 ° C, and no more;
• Wax is applied to the skin as the hair follicles grow;
• after hardening, the wax strip is removed with a sharp movement, against the growth of the hair follicles.

In most cases, wax burns are red spots that are painful when touched. If a bubble or crust forms on the surface, it is best to consult a doctor.

Face Wax Burn

If you use wax to depilate the face on your own, at home, it is better to use cold or low-temperature wax that does not affect the skin of the thermal impact and does not injure superficially located smallest vessels.

Hot wax is often used by professional specialists in beauty parlors, since it is very important to warm it up properly, carefully controlling the temperature. Using hot wax on your own at home, or from dubious craftsmen, you risk getting burned - after all, the wax is easy to overheat, and you should work with a hot product as quickly as possible (which requires certain skills).

Additional factors that contribute to traumatizing the skin on the face during wax depilation are:

• scratches, acne on the face;
• fresh tan.

Sometimes allergic manifestations on the face skin are taken for a burn wax. Therefore, before you perform the procedure, make sure that you do not have any allergies to the depilant.

[13]

Stages

The wound from the burn wax heals in several stages:

1. The stage of purulent necrosis, during which the fluid inside the blister becomes dull. The skin on the lesion site can acquire a more intense red color. If the blisters have merged and become very large, then they are opened to release a purulent liquid outward.
2. The stage of granulation, in which the blisters dry up, and in their place begins the restoration of the skin. At this stage it is very important not to let the infection get to the affected surface.
3. The stage of epithelialization is characterized by the final tightening of the wound surface and the formation of scar tissue (or without it).

Forms

Burns in their etiology can be:

• thermal (arising after contact with high temperature);
• Electric (which occur when in contact with an electric shock or when striking lightning);
• chemical (develop under the influence of chemical agents);
• radiation (damage due to irradiation).

Wax burn belongs to the thermal type of burn lesions, since it occurs after contact with a hot viscous substance - the wax mass.

Complications and consequences

Wax burns, fortunately, are usually shallow, so this trauma does not cause serious consequences. However, there may be aesthetic defects on the skin - for example, the appearance of pigment spots or small cicatricial changes.

At the stage of opening the blisters there is a considerable risk of getting the infection into the wound, therefore, it is necessary to take measures in order to avoid infection. In no case can you independently perform an autopsy: this procedure is performed in aseptic conditions, using a sterile needle. Further treatment should consist of the use of external healing and disinfectants, which the doctor appoints.

[14], [15]

Diagnostics of the wax burn

Diagnosis of burn wax is based on the detection of signs of damage to the capillaries and nerve endings. As a rule, it is not difficult: redness of the skin is noted, the sensitivity of the affected skin to pain is preserved.

Analyzes may be needed only to exclude the infection from entering the body. For this purpose, an overall blood test is administered.

Instrumental diagnosis of superficial burns with wax is usually not applied.

[16], [17], [18], [19]

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is performed with more severe skin lesions:

• with superficial burns, only redness of the skin is observed, or blistering;
• when the degree IIIa is damaged, a thin surface scab of brownish or gray color is formed.

In some cases, it is necessary to distinguish the surface burn with wax from an allergic reaction to the wax mass. With allergies, as a rule, in addition to redness, there is itching, swelling, skin rashes like a urticaria.

[20], [21]

Treatment of the wax burn

To begin treatment of a burn with wax it is necessary immediately, as soon as the first symptoms of tissue damage appear, namely: redness of the skin, burning pain, swelling. If you delay with first aid, then the risk of infection and the development of complications increases.

As a first aid you can use such tools, which are often available in any home medicine cabinet:

• ointments - Levomekol, Bepanten, Argosulfan;
• spray Panthenol.

The above ointments are virtually devoid of side effects, except that occasionally there is a development of allergies. The action of ointments and spray begins immediately after application: these preparations are multi-component and convenient to use.

If blisters are formed, this slows down tissue repair. In this situation, antimicrobial external drugs can help:

• Tetracycline ointment;
• Streptocide ointment;
• combined means - balm Rescuer, ointment Boro-plus;
• Baneocin ointment (a combination of neomycin and bacitracin).

The frequency of application of ointments is 2-4 times a day. Do not use to treat alcohols - they dry the inflamed skin and intensify the irritation. It is also impossible to pierce the blisters by themselves - this can lead to infection of the wound and the development of inflammation. Such a procedure should be conducted by the doctor in an aseptic setting.

Medicines for burns with wax

	Dosing and Administration	Side effects
Panthenol Spray	Spray evenly sprayed on the affected skin, 1-4 times a day.	Sometimes it can develop an allergy in the form of itching, rash-like rash.
Levomexol	Ointment is applied to the burn site from the first day of the injury on the fourth day, twice a day.	Rare Levemecol can cause allergies.
Balm Rescuer	Balm is applied to a dry wound, 2-3 times a day.	The drug can cause allergies, rarely - exacerbation of inflammation.
Ointment Bepanten	Ointment is applied to the burned skin 1-2 times a day.	It is extremely rare - in isolated cases - it is possible to develop allergies.
Baneocin	Ointment is applied under the bandage, 2-3 times a day.	Sometimes there is dryness, skin allergic rash, redness.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

There is no acute need for physiotherapy during the treatment of burns with wax. However, if necessary, to eliminate pain and accelerate tissue repair, such methods can be used.

The following physiotherapeutic procedures are most preferable:

• electrostimulation with Hivamat equipment (the session lasts an average of 15 minutes, the course is expected to be 14 sessions);
• franklinization (the session lasts 15 minutes, the course consists of daily sessions for several weeks);
• ultraviolet irradiation with suberythmic doses with the help of Melita equipment (about 10 sessions are used every other day);
• pulsed low-frequency magnetotherapy with the use of Poly-Mage equipment (the session lasts about half an hour, the treatment course involves holding 15 sessions at a frequency of once every two days);
• laser therapy helium-neon (the session lasts an average of 15 minutes, the course is expected to be 20 sessions with a frequency of conducting every other day).

Alternative treatment

To treat wax burns, there are many alternative recipes. Most of them quickly cure a burn, preserving the purity and health of the skin.

• Ointment from burns with wax: for its preparation you need 20 g of beeswax, 200 ml of any vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. L. Fatty cream, 1 raw yolk. Heat the oil, melt the wax in it. The resulting mass is allowed to cool down to body temperature. We mix the remaining ingredients into the mass and place the prepared ointment in the refrigerator. We use it for waxing every day, 4 times a day.
• Ointment from the burn with blisters: for cooking, you need 100 grams of internal fat and 20 g of propolis. Fat melt with a water bath, dilute propolis in it and keep on fire for 30 minutes, stirring constantly. The resulting mass is cooled and stored in the refrigerator. This ointment can be used for any kind of burn with blisters.

Another alternative is dental powder. One teaspoon of powder is mixed with a small amount of water to the state of a thick slurry and we put a thick layer of wax on the burn. Such a simple method will help to quickly remove pain and prevent the formation of blisters.

[22], [23], [24]

Herbal Treatment

With a wax burn without restrictions, you can use the juice of the lower leaves of houseplants of colanchoe or aloe. Juice can be used as a lotion, you can simply apply to the affected skin, or mix with honey and apply as an ointment.

In addition, you can pre-cook a mixture based on St. John's wort and olive oil. Half a glass of dry chopped herb St. John's wort is covered in warm warmed oil (200 ml) and leave for infusion for 3 weeks in a dark place. Next, the drug is filtered and used to lubricate the affected areas on the skin.

To prevent the appearance of scars and pigment spots, ointment from the root of burdock is effective. To prepare the ointment we need: 2 tbsp. L. Crushed rhizome of burdock, 400 ml of boiling water and high-quality butter. The rhizome of the burdock is dropped into the water and boiled until the water in the saucepan is half full. From the resulting broth we prepare the ointment, keeping the proportion - 1 part of broth for 4 parts of butter. The resulting ointment is stored in the refrigerator, using during the day as needed.

Homeopathy

Among all the homeopathic medicines that are available today in pharmacies, the most common preparations are the German company Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH. In case of wax burn, in particular, the following means of homeopathy will work:

• Abropernol - usually prescribed 1 tablet under the tongue three times a day.
• Arnika Salbe Heel S - in the morning or at night, apply ointment to the affected areas of the skin. At the initial stage of the burn, the ointment can be applied under the bandage.
• Calendula Salbe Heel C - in the morning and at night (sometimes allowed more frequent use) are applied to the affected areas of the skin, you can under the bandage.
• Sulfur-Heel - standardly prescribed under the tongue of 1 tablet three times a day.

Side effects when using the tools of homeopathy are rare - in general, it can be an allergic reaction to a separate component of the drug.

Operative treatment

Operative types of treatment for burns with wax are practically not carried out, since such damages are overwhelmingly superficial and heal independently without requiring surgical intervention.

Prevention

Hair removal with wax is a fairly common procedure. However, wax depilation can be dangerous - because with improper preparation there is a high risk of getting a burn. In order to avoid trouble, it is recommended to use a warm or special cold wax when doing the procedure yourself.

Removing hair with hot wax is a salon method, to which only experienced craftsmen are solved - consider this.

We also recommend that you familiarize yourself with preventive measures, the observance of which will help prevent waxes from burning.

• Wax should be heated while following the instructions carefully. If you do not know how to use such material, it is better to consult a specialist in the beauty salon.
• Do not settle for a procedure if it is conducted by a dubious specialist who has no experience and appropriate recommendations.
• Do not wax depilation if there are abrasions and wounds on the skin at the procedure site.
• Immediately after the procedure, apply to the skin a special healing and soothing remedy, recommended by a cosmetologist.

[25], [26]

Forecast

In most situations, the burn wax heals, leaving no traces behind. Therefore, the prognosis can be considered favorable, especially in the case of proper treatment. In rare cases, after the burn, pigment spots remain - the result of deeper tissue damage and lack of competent first aid.