Emer O'Callaghan: How to deal with hairy toes, bikini lines, and facial hair 

We have had a mixed bag of weather so far this summer - talk about blowing hot and cold - but now the kids are off, holiday season has arrived.

I love the brighter, longer evenings, and less traffic on the roads. I prefer my summer clothes and, being a Tomboy at heart, I like being outdoors exploring when I’m off.

I live in shorts, t-shirts and runners and I’d gladly live on a beach - any beach really - if only we where allowed to build there!

I am always flat to the mat in the clinic every summer, and the big thing this year is trying to get the education out to the public about the correct amount of SPF to be applied.

The World Skin Association says you need the length of three fingers of SPF for the face, neck, and chest, and the size of a short glass of SPF for the body for any average-sized person. So if you’re taller, use more.

Then reapply every two hours when outside.

Always check your SPF has UVA and UVB protection and that it says broad spectrum on it.

Wear a hat, and don’t forget your lips and ears for the SPF too.

That goes whether we are abroad on holiday or having a staycation.

But do you know one thing that no woman wants on her holidays? Hairs - unless it’s on our heads, we simply don’t like it anywhere else.

I specialise in electrolysis for facial hair removal, and from 25 years of doing it this, I do know once summer comes, so does more hair growth, and it’s the same for the body.

So this week, I’d like to give my top waxing tips just in time for the summer holiday season.

FACIAL WAXING

I won’t sugar coat this: I will never tell any woman to wax her face.

I have a motto in Emerald Beauty Clinic to never do anything to any client that I wouldn’t do to myself, and I would never put a spatula of wax to my face.

The reason is because I know firstly how bad it is for hair growth, as it won’t just take the dark hairs, it will also take the light, downey ones - and once they are waxed even once, they will come back worse.

Basically, waxing your face will give you more hairs, this is why I say not to do it, and why I only do electrolysis for clients’ facial hair.

This is done with a light, thin needle, and we only select to remove the dark, obvious hairs.

Also, as a skin specialist, I love skin and I protect it at all costs, and waxing removes three or four layer of skin in one go.

In my professional opinion, facial waxing is so 20 years ago and we have evolved. In the beauty profession, we have far better ways to remove facial hairs without damaging the skin and taking hairs that should not be taken.

Also, the pull from the waxing has been proven to weaken the collagen a lot faster, which can lead to noticeable sagging eyelids and lined upper lips over many years.

LEG WAXES

I have seen the results first hand in my own clients who I have waxed for years, and it’s particularly noticeable on the legs, that waxing, when kept up over time, simply slows down the hair growth. You see clear patches on the skin where hair just seems to stop growing back.

Also, remember hair is hormonal and as we age our hormones decrease.

This, in conjunction with regular waxing over the years, is why so many of my clients who once were waxed every 6-8 weeks now get just an annual leg wax before their summer holidays.

Personally, I can never figure out anyone who only does a half leg wax.

Some women insist on waxing from the knee down and like to tell themselves they have no hairs on the thigh - I don’t see the logic in that.

I’m not very hairy and my hairs are more blonde, but I’m not into hairy anything really so I just wax everything. I just couldn’t be looking at smooth, hair-free lower legs and then some hairs on my thighs,

I did one of my popular beauty videos on this recently and you can watch it on the Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook/Instagram/TikTok pages now.

BIKINI LINE

I wax my own bikini line, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that.

Granted, you need to be very flexible, but also mentally tough because to pull that wax strip off yourself on one of the most delicate parts of the female body is not for the faint-hearted, that’s for sure!

But I’m doing it for years and if I haven’t that skill now at this stage of my career, I’d be worried.

Everyone worries about bikini wax, but I say no pain, no gain - and I always tell clients to wait till they see how good it will look in the end.

We are spoiled for choice on the various bikini line styles - there is the Brazilian, the Hollywood, the G-string - and the days of the so-called standard bikini line wax are gone.

People have become far more adventurous of all ages, as well as the fact that high cut bikinis and swimsuits are more fashionable today.

Like it or not, body hair is seen as poor grooming today, and even the men know this. Many men I know in their 50s tell me about being in the gym or dressing room around 20-year-old young fellas, and how they felt so self-conscious because they had hairy chests.

Shows like Love Island have influenced so many in this regard.

Body hair is not in fashion, but I don’t think anyone should be conforming just to fit in.

UNDERARMS

There are many forms of waxing, we have hard wax, soft wax, and roller wax, and hard wax is always best for underarm hairs I find.

Here, you use no strip to remove the hair, you layer it up like icing a cake then get a lip on it and pull it off. It gives a great finish.

I trained in this and always loved doing it as it takes great skill to master it right, but very few do this wax today as it’s more time-consuming and we are all so time-poor.

Waxing underarms lasts weeks, whereas shaving only makes the growth stronger and it will be back.

HAIRY TOES

Lots of women have very hairy toes that need to be waxed.

I would never charge anyone to wax their toes when doing their legs because it takes seconds and it’s doing a proper job, but women say to be all the time how they got charged extra for the toe wax elsewhere.

AFTERCARE

Did you know that after a waxing, the pores of your skin are open for 24 hours, often longer? Following the aftercare advice we give you is key to preventing skin irritations.

After your waxing, you must not for 24-48 hours apply fake tan, go on a sunbed or sit out in the sun, go swimming, use a sauna, or steam room, apply any body creams, oils or lotions. You must avoid hot showers, and not wear tights or tight clothing that will cause friction.

Everyone gets an aftercare sheet after every treatment at Emerald Beauty Clinic, I hand them out like confetti all day long. It’s then up to the client to follow the clear instructions.

We really are spoiled for choice on the various methods of hair removal we have today: laser, electrolysis, threading, tweezers, bleaching, and waxing.

Waxing, I truly believe, is a tried and tested form of hair removal.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a multi award winning beauty doctor and skin specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A Guinot Gold Crown Elite Clinic and Dermalogica Centre of Excellence, 2008-2026, wwww.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/instagram/TikTok.
• SPECIAL OFFER: Detox your skin this summer with our award-winning Guinot Detoxegene Facial, 90 mins, €130, and get a complimentary eyebrow shape and lymphatic drainage massage included. To book, call Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. Appointments only, free parking available for clients.