Welcome to Ministry of Waxing’s Tumblr, we’re the London Waxperts and this is our home online.
Here we’ll be talking about our products, our salons, our treatments and aftercare, our staff trainer Chloe will be answering all your beauty questions
Remember ‘ouch’? Or ‘aah’? We don’t. We stopped hearing noises like that so long ago we’ve forgotten how they sound. That’s because we’re the Waxperts, and we do things differently.
Our founder Cynthia Chua pioneered new waxing methods over a decade ago that made Minstry of Waxing what it is today. She wanted to make waxing less painful, less embarrassing and more hygienic, and that’s the ethos we still work by today. Across the world, our salons are devoted to the holy trinity of waxing: hygiene, speed and quality.
We know being waxed can be daunting, but you can trust us to make it as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Not only that, we also offer unrivalled standards of hygiene. We were the first to banish the ‘double dip’ from our salons, and every customer gets their own, vacuum-sealed waxing pack, so piece of mind is on the house.
Over the past decade, we’ve pruned over 2,000,000 bushes and performed more than 500,000 IPL hair removal procedures. We’ve got our technique so refined that we can neaten any unkempt bushes in a record 30 minutes. Our menu of secret recipe lotions (including Malin + Goetz & MOW Ingrown Hair Cream and MOW Ice Cream) offer unrivalled tenderness during and after waxing and IPL and keep you smooth and soothed from beginning to end and beyond.
We know what we’re doing. With us, you’re in safe hands. Literally.
A Hair Erasing Experience: IPL at Ministry of Waxing
At Ministry of Waxing, we live by the simple mantra of Hygiene, Speed and Quality. Our waxing processes are safe, comfortable and – most importantly of all – put our customers at ease, no matter what the procedure.
However, if you think being waxed is a bit of a faff and want to save time, effort and – in the long run – money we are also world leaders in Intense Pulsed Light treatments. Want to know more? Read on.
What is IPL?
Intense Pulsed Light treatment, or IPL, comes to you straight from the realms of sci-fi. The machine directs pulses of light straight down into the follicles of your stubborn, unwanted hair. The melanin in your hair absorbs the energy, converts it into heat and this process, over the course of six treatments, weakens the hair to the point where it won’t grow back for a long, long time. Not only this, but IPL treatments also reduce pigmentation in treated areas, giving you a smooth, blemish free finish for a long time.
It’s effective, it’s quick, and as with any visit to Ministry of Waxing, you can be assured that you’re in the hands of the best around.
Is it safe?
We know what you’re thinking. And yes, it does sound complicated. But we promise, it’s not. Our technicians are intensively trained over eight weeks at a dedicated IPL academy to ensure that their knowledge is as comprehensive as can be.
Aside from this, we’ve spent nine years developing our technique and furthering the field of IPL. The machine we use is the toppest of top of the line – the Ferrari of IPL machines, if you will – so all of our customers are safe in the knowledge that the entire process – from tech to technician - is free of pesky bugs or weak links.
What are the benefits?
The main, standout benefit of IPL treatment is that you’re hair free for longer, while spending less time in salons. Our waxing treatments are already hassle free – IPL is even less fuss than that. Just six sessions (ten for facial treatments) and you’re hair free for around two years.
Over the course of three years, IPL Brazilian treatments can save you 75 hours in salons. That’s over three days for you to learn how to windsurf, speak French or anything you can’t get done while sitting in a salon.
What about afterwards?
Our post IPL treatments have been specially developed in conjunction with our global Waxperts to ensure that our customers have the best possible soothing care during and after treatment. The same ethos that runs through our waxing practices continues through everything we do.
Pop in for a chat, or speak to us on Facebook or Twitter. We’ve got all the answers you need.
Social VIP
London Fashion Week correspondent and founder of fashion social network WIWT Poppy Dinsey comes to Ministry of Waxing for her IPL. Over the next weeks and months we will be following Poppy’s experiences as she undergoes a full series of IPL treatments at our London HQ. Here are Poppy’s thoughts in her first interview after her treatment, answering the questions you all want to know!
Q. Hello Poppy, welcome to Ministry of Waxing, can you please tell us and the Ministry of Waxing fans a little bit about yourself?
I run the outfit sharing social network What I Wore Today - WIWT.com. It’s an exceptionally busy job! As well as managing an ever growing community of fashion types, I work with brands on a whole range of projects from reporting at London Fashion Week to evangelising about tech products. I live in West London and I’m 25.
Q. For all those who aren’t 100% sure what IPL is, how would you best describe it?
Whenever people ask me about it it seems the main things they want to know is does it hurt and does it work - well it doesn’t hurt and does work! No reputable salon will ever guarantee permanent total hair loss, but you should get a pretty unbelievable reduction in hair growth. As for how it feels, the most uncomfortable part is probably the cold gel that’s applied straight from the fridge to prepare the skin! Once that’s lathered on nicely the therapist gets to zapping away. You have to wear some pretty unsexy dark glasses but the process itself is a bit like getting an ultrasound scan. (Except on your legs). You always read online that the sensation of being ‘zapped’ is like being flicked with an elastic band, I don’t think it even feels like that to be honest. You can barely feel anything, just a bit of warmth.
Q. Was there anything that was worrying you about attending an IPL treatment? How did Ministry Of Waxing put you at ease?
I wasn’t worried about the pain, but I was worried about some of the practical issues like whether or not you need to be freshly shaven (you do) and length between tanning and waxes before starting IPL and so on. There are quite a few things to bear in mind when it comes to sun exposure (and fake tan too - anything that changes the colour of the skin) so you need to follow the prep guidelines and post-treatment care advice that you’re given. I thought I’d be able to wax between treatments but this is a big no-no as MOW explained. If you’re used to waxing, don’t assume the usual do’s and don’ts apply for IPL - they’re very different treatments. MOW made everything very clear, even things like how long I should expect the session to last and giving me the option of separating my legs/bikini appointments if I was worried about being in there for more than an hour.
Q. What do you think of the results?
I am literally stunned at the results after one session. I’ve just been on holiday and didn’t shave my legs once, I’d usually have to shave them twice a day as my hair is SO dark! It’s weird seeing the hairs shed, pulling at them becomes quite addictive. Seeing hair you’ve battled with for years just fall out is pretty heavenly. I’m very excited to see the effects after a few more sessions.
Would you recommend IPL over any other type of treatment, such as waxing or shaving? Why?
100% yes. I despise shaving, I often feel like the only girl in the world who actually finds shaving painful. My skin gets so irritated and you can still see the dark hair under my skin anyway so it just feels like a completely pointless exercise. Waxing is great as the results are instant whereas the shedding stage of IPL only happens a few days after treatment, but IPL offers a much more permanent solution, is a hell of a lot less painful AND you don’t have to let the hair grow in between treatments. Surely the worst part of waxing is having to let the hair grow out first?! For IPL you have to be clean shaven.
Is there a Ministry of Waxing or Browhaus treatment you’re secretly planning to try out next?
I desperately want my eyebrows done, but I’m not sure I’m brave enough for threading so I may have to stick with waxing and plucking! I’d love to get my eyelashes done too but I’ve heard that gets addictive! Oh and IPL on my underarms, they’re getting jealous of my legs and lady bits.
Poppy is here to answer all your questions throughout, so feel free to submit your questions through Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr!
6 months ago | 07:33am
IPL FAQs - everything you wanted to know, but were too afraid to ask
Here at Ministry of Waxing, your happiness is our pleasure. We work very hard to make sure that our customers are always satisfied with the treatment they receive and, just as importantly, made to feel comfortable during their stay with us.
With that in mind, we wanted to compile a collection of a few of the questions we hear regularly to ensure that you’re totally comfortable with your IPL experience at Ministry of Waxing.
Can you have IPL treatment if you have skin conditions such as Psoriasis or Eczema? How does it effect acne scars?
Yes, of course! In fact, IPL hair removal has been shown to have healing qualities when it comes to such skin problems. Due to its effects on the pigmentation of the skin, it also has the chance of smoothing out stretch marks, scars and blemishes.
I read in your previous information that IPL is “generally safe”, in what ways is it not safe?
IPL is safe as long as it is performed by experienced practitioners - like our Waxperts - who perform a patch test on the skin beforehand. We promise it’s not dangerous. Our technicians are intensively trained over eight weeks at a dedicated IPL academy to ensure that their knowledge is as comprehensive as can be. It has been shown that tanned skin may be more sensitive and possibly blister, so it is advised to steer clear of sun-beds for four weeks before treatments.
Can I remove hair in between treatments?
Yes, you can shave your hair between treatments because the IPL lasers target the root of the hair. Sadly, waxing cannot be performed between treatments because it removes the bulb of the hair.
Can I have IPL treatment at Ministry of Waxing if I have tattoos on the area?
It has been reported that IPL can fade tattoos due to its effect on the pigmentation of the skin, however, we are more than happy to perform IPL over your tattoos if you’d like us to.
How long does the hair on the area have to be?
The hair can be any length because the treatment effects the root and not the hair itself - although you must remember not to wax the hair between treatments!
Are there any medical conditions that mean i cant have IPL treatment at Ministry of Waxing?
Unfortunately we can’t treat you if you have diabetes or are pregnant. We also believe that you should wait three years after Chemotherapy to have this procedure. There’s also a slight risk if you suffer from photosensitive epilepsy. If you feel as though you’d be at risk of complications, we’d strongly recommend you put your mind at ease by speaking to your GP.
Can I have IPL treatment while I’m menstruating?
Of course you can, although please bear in mind that your body is more sensitive around this time, so the sensation might be a tiny big stronger.
Is it true that you have to have dark hair for IPL hair removal to be effective?
Not at all. Obviously, those with darker hair will have a more noticeable difference, faster but we promise you that it will work just as well on those with blonde hair. At Ministry of Waxing we don’t want you to have numerous treatments with no visible difference, we like our customers to have a pleasurable experience and be completely satisfied after six sessions.
