First Time Waxer

It is very common for people to be really, really, really nervous before their first professional waxing experience.

They’ve seen all the waxertainment videos on YouTube and in the movies. They’ve heard all the horror stories from friends and family. Maybe they are extra worried about having to expose the body area to a stranger and/or being in weird body positions. Maybe they are self-conscious about their bodies and the thought of being examined in a bright light is a little intimidating. Perhaps they have heard about all the diseases one could be exposed to by poor facility and technician hygiene and waxing and they are grossed out.

With all that in mind naturally they’re a bit warry the first time or two they see us.

We understand that anything new can cause one stress and certainly when we are talking about a potentially very up-close and personal service well that ups the ante a bit more.

Our Process

Rest assured you are in good hands at River Rock. We don’t take short cuts or offer cut rate waxing services at River Rock; your health and safety are too important to us. We are a clinical environment at River Rock. Nothing against more salon/spa style venues, it is just that we prefer bright lighting to dirt hiding darkness and peppy efficiency to slow soft musical interludes here.

We care enough to take a full health history with all your personal information prior to any waxing service at River Rock to make sure that you are a good candidate for waxing and that you will have the safest and most effective treatment we can offer.

While a lot of places skip this important step, they do it to save technician time and maximize their profits with quick room turnover and zero documentation time; not because it is in your best interest as a client. Sure it takes an extra 15-20 minutes or so at that first appointment but you are worth it to us!

We also offer a free 24-hour patch test for new clients to ensure your skin tolerates waxing normally. Two days before your wedding or 10 day trip is not the time to have a horrible rash, stiches, blisters, or to be totally raw and scabby because it turns out you were taking a medication that thinned your skin resulting in unwanted skin removal or created an interaction leading to profuse bruising, bleeding, or other problems.

Many people do not realize that tons of medications, nutritional supplements, and common OTC skin care products and common activities are known to cause skin sensitivities that could lead to problems with waxing up to and including horrific skin removal if they are not planned for. We will take the time to make sure body waxing is right for you in the long run, not just until you pay for your service.

While we are efficient (and almost always on time or ready early for your appointment), we won’t rush you in and out willy nilly. We respect your modesty and always schedule extra time for you to change clothes when needed and for things like questions and reviewing after care. We take our time to make sure your waxing is done right and include all the amenities you’ll need for a great experience up front with our flat fee pricing. There will not be any surprises at River Rock. We specialize in hair removal here; it isn’t our side business or just another service we offer among a bunch of others.

Safety and Sanitation

Please know that quality professional waxing is nothing like the movies. We’re all ridiculously germaphobic at River Rock, you’ll never have a cleaner facility or technicians that follow more hygienic procedures than we do at River Rock!

• We always utilize hospital level sanitation and disinfection protocol for every client, every treatment.

• We participate in a regular sterilization monitoring and assurance program—we don’t just clean we disinfect and sterilize here.

• We provide freshly laundered blankets for modesty.

• We utilize fresh single use disposable gloves for each and every service we provide and do not touch you with them.

• We utilize fresh single use water resistant disposable drapes here so your bare skin doesn’t even touch our treatment tables.

• We utilize the highest level of active ingredients like isopropyl alcohol in the cleaning solutions applied to your skin pre-wax instead of “gentle” perfumed solutions sold by most waxing vendors.

For our waxing needs we utilize disposable wax containers and a fresh new applicator for each time we dip into the wax. You’ll never, ever, find double dipping here at River Rock when we body wax. You will never come in contact with someone else’s waxing leftovers or bodily fluids here.

Double dipping or using the same stick for the whole service—or the newest version of this getting a new stick for each client not for each dip is illegal in most states including Wisconsin. It has been the professional standard to use fresh disposable gloves for each and every waxing service for more than 20 years. We surpass the highest professional hygiene standards at River Rock for your and our peace of mind and safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get an appointment? Can I just walk in or should I call?

We generally book 2-4 weeks out year round and 4-6 weeks out in our busy seasons so you need to plan ahead on this one. Our busiest times are from 4-6PM. If you know you need a specific time then you need to call now.

You will want to schedule your next wax before you leave so we are sure you have the time you want.

We don't typically keep a receptionist on staff so you may hit the private voicemail when you call. Don't be shy, leave us a detailed message. Be sure and leave your full name, contact number, service you are looking for, and best times for your appointment and we will return your call ASAP.

We work by appointment so that means if we are in the office, we are working on someone. We respect your time and don't interrupt your appointment to take calls or assist other clients. To preserve our signature high level of service and personal attention, we don't take walk-ins. You'll need to set up an appointment with us ahead of time by phone.

We rarely have same day appointments available. As soon as you know you want to wax you will want to call the office at 715-831-0200 to set one up.

How should I prepare myself BEFORE getting waxed?

The best way to prepare yourself is to first relax and know you're in good hands. Our staff is very well trained and experienced. Our goal is to make this treatment as pleasant as possible and to help you be as comfortable with the procedure as possible. Trust us, we've seen it all before. You can be confident in our hygiene practices and in our skill. Everything is going to be just fine and we promise you will survive.

• You may want to avoid using harsh soaps or astringents for 2 hours before and after waxing. If you can begin exfoliating your skin a few days prior to waxing that is very helpful.

• Please avoid any tanning for 24 hours before waxing. You’ll also want to avoid long soaks in hot water (LONG hot showers, steam rooms, hot soaking baths, hot tubs etc.) for 8 hours before or after treatment.

• Do not apply lotions, oils, body sprays, or other scented or moisturizing products on the day of your wax.

• A quick shower to clean up especially before genital waxing is appreciated. We do have fully appointed restrooms available before and after your treatment to freshen up if needed.

• Some clients choose to take an OTC pain reliever such as Advil or Tylenol 60 minutes before their appointment.

• We have also found that clients that take an antacid or two 30 minutes before their appointment experience less redness post treatment.

• If you are taking prescription medications for acne or anti-aging purposes or using Retinol type products we will be unable to provide you with waxing services due to the potential for skin damage (as in your skin will be removed along with perhaps some of the hair) please understand that isn't a risk either of us want to take so don't withhold information from us as it will be fairly obvious when your skin peels off we have an issue.

• Please plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. Have a seat in the waiting area we will be out for you shortly. We have video surveillance so we know you are here. If you need to use the restroom head on back if you know where it is, you don’t need to wait for permission.

• We like to start appointments on time not late. On time for us means you are ready to start your appointment at the designated time. If your appointment is at 5 we like to get started at 5 not have you pull in the lot at 5, streak in the door and then be in the rest room for 10 minutes so we actually start at 5:10 or 5:15. We will not inconvenience the next client by running over into their time so if you are late we may need you to reschedule your appointment or limit what we can accomplish in your designated time block.

• No videos or photos onsite please.

• Your technician will go over any other policy or procedural things that may apply to you at your first visit.

Will waxing hurt? I've seen waxing in movies... I'm no baby but will I cry and/or die?

It will be uncomfortable but tolerable. Your first waxing can be a bit of a religious experience but subsequent waxes are a walk in the park if scheduled in a timely manner.

The first time you wax is always more uncomfortable than later waxes. After all, you have allowed those hairs to grow for years in some cases and they can be extremely thick, densely packed, and deeply rooted.

As you continue with waxing the treatments will be more and more comfortable as we are dealing with new, smaller hairs and you will be able to space waxing out a bit more. Removing hair directly from the follicle is never super comfortable, but we are professional, and highly experienced. If you can stand to remove a band-aid really fast you can wax just fine.

Really in the movies, they do just about everything wrong or shall we say on purpose for dramatic effect? Professional waxing is so fast you'll be done before you know it and really, you'll be okay, the sensation stops immediately after.

How can I make my treatment more comfortable?

You can try the following suggestions to make your waxing experience more comfortable:

• First, relax. Try not to psych yourself out with worry and stress; thousands of people wax safely and tolerably every day.

• Consider having the 24 hour patch test procedure as your fist exposure to waxing to build comfort and familiarity with the process if you are really nervous about getting waxed.

• Avoid caffeine or other stimulants 6 - 10 hours before treatment.

• Don't drink alcohol prior to your treatment; don't come in terribly hung over, both make your wax so much more uncomfortable.

• Don't smoke 4 hours prior to treatment.

• You may want to try taking your favorite OTC analgesic, such as Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, or aspirin, 60 minutes before your treatment.

• Practice using deep breathing and other relaxation techniques. Remember although the sensation may be intense at times, it will be over very quickly.

• Try taking an antacid (Tums, Rolaids etc.) 30-45 minutes before your treatment, it helps reduce redness double quick.

• If you are having seasonal allergy symptoms you may want to consider taking your favorite allergy relief product 60 minutes prior to your treatment as active seasonal allergies can make the normal redness and swelling that results from waxing last longer and be more dramatic.

How do I care for the area after I get waxed?

Your technician will give you a personalized after care plan at your consultation.

In general the idea is to keep the area clean, cool, and dry for at least 8 hours if not 24 hours after waxing. Although the particulars may change based on what area and what type of service you had done, you cannot go wrong with the following:

• After your body waxing service go home and take a quick shower to remove any wax residue.

• Avoid sweaty activities for 8 to 24 hours so no working out, long runs and so forth. If you must do so then apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or spray such as Neosporin prior to the sweat fest so it can act as a prophylactic and prevent bacteria from getting into the healing follicles.

• Be sure and shower immediately after the activity and not sit around in sweaty clothes. Perspiration wicks in bacteria and that increases the potential for an acne fest.

• If you are prone to body acne and you had back or chest waxing and don't have a chance to use fresh clean sheets, sleep in a clean t-shirt the first day or two.

• Apply an antiseptic such as alcohol, witch hazel, or similar products for 2 days to a week after waxing.

• You may apply keratolytic lotion daily after your wax to prevent ingrown hairs, redness, and irritation. We have this available for purchase.

• No tanning beds for 48 hours or you risk serious burns. Use caution with natural sun exposure and wear a good sunscreen for at least 48 hours on areas exposed to the sun.

• Keep the paws off, do not touch or rub the area until it is healed which takes 1-2 days after your wax.

• Manual exfoliation begins 2 days after your wax on all areas.

• Do not wear compression style clothing for 24-48 hours after waxing; you risk a wicked acne-like outbreak if you do. Avoid tight fitting clothing such as Under Armor, Spanx, etcetera.

• Do not use harsh soaps or anti-acne/anti-aging products in this area for 24 to 48 hours to avoid chemical burns in the open follicles as they heal.

• Do not apply hair dye to decorative hair patterns for 24 hours.

• Do not have chemical peels or other exfoliation services or skin bleaching services for 48 hours after a wax in that area.

• No wild (or mild) hot tub parties, river or lake floating or swimming for 48 hours--you risk serious infections if you do. Avoid heat and hot sweaty activities.

• If the skin feels tight or itchy a thin layer of OTC hydrocortisone cream can soothe the skin quickly.

• Aloe vera gel, Aquaphor, or other soothing non-fragranced moisturizers or balms can aid in healing.

• Remember the three keys to waxing success: Keep it clean, cool, and dry.

If you have questions or concerns after your wax do not hesitate to call us immediately. We check our voice mail regularly if you don't get us in person we will return your call ASAP.

How long does my hair need to be to get a good wax?

If you have been shaving the area, we need you to let it grow for NOT LESS than three full weeks from the last shave. Yes you read that correctly, three WEEKS.

If you were a waxer 3-4 weeks is a good time frame.

If you have untouched hair, as in you have never shaved, trimmed, waxed, or plucked then we are probably good to go now.

Yes, we totally understand you feel like you may die from all that hair and that three weeks is forever for underarms or bikini zone growth if you are a daily shaver. Trust us, while we completely understand that the initial grow out is not fun, but it really is worth it.

Some new clients reallllly want a wax done so they fib on how long it has been since they shaved. Not a hot idea. Yes, we can tell if you are not being truthful but more importantly you are really cheating yourself out of the good waxing results you are investing in.

While we can do what we would call a quick and dirty wax to get the bulk of the hair out for you, understand it will be more uncomfortable as we will be doing multiple passes and tweezing a lot. You will also have a bunch of short hairs left over and your hair will seem to be filling in right away. These are not the smooth long lasting results we want you to have.

You are investing a lot of money in a wax so we want you to get the best results possible.

We know that some places may direct you to cut or trim the hair to a certain length. Please do NOT do any trimming at all; it can never be too long for us to wax successfully but it can definitely be too short.

Think leverage. We need to have a lever long enough to allow us to pry out hair that's been there a long, long, long time with a very well developed root. That's why first time waxers have better results with longer hair growth than shorter hair growth. The older the hair you have the larger the root will be, and the larger the root the more leverage it takes to pry it out of the follicle.

This is like pulling weeds in your garden. Imagine a huge well developed weed and someone cuts the top of the plant off leaving only a tiny bit showing--it is almost impossible to pull the whole root out and you'll probably break off that little handle you did have without getting the plant out. But if you have a nice long handle to use with good technique and strength you can pop that giant plant right out. Same idea here.

Contrary to folklore, longer hair growth does not make waxing hurt more. Some places have confused the idea of length of hair equalling comfort level with age of hair or stage of development. New, fresh baby hair is naturally small and short, whereas old hair is thicker and longer. Cutting the old hair short does not make the root of the hair smaller. Your hair is dead at the skin surface so anything you do at this level does not affect the nerve connections under the skin.

Longer hair actually means more leverage for us which means a faster more comforatble wax for you. The removal of older well developed hair does have more sensation than removing tiny moist new hair would because the target zone is bigger not because the hair was longer. It is all about root size not length of hair you can see. This is why regular waxes are more comfortable for the client than sporadic waxes as the hairs are less developed.

Many wax companies advise trimming bikini zones prior to waxing because they use strip wax not european style hard wax like we do so trimming is really more to reduce the amount of product technicans use and to make sure the product can get down to stick to the skin easily; trimming is not really about getting better results for the clients it is about compensating for a type of product, economizing product application to save cash, and about a technique issue.

Once you are a routine waxer you could have successful removal with slightly shorter hair but we also don't recommend an every two week wax. One of the goals of waxing is to force your hair to fill in at the same time in waves. Your natural body hair pattern developed over time with one hair showing up, then two, then five and so on over the course of a couple years or more. Each follicle has its own time clock. This is why we never molt and become totally bald like birds do, each of our hairs is on its very own schedule.

Instead of letting your hair go through its life-cycle and fill in naturally and sporadically, we want to force a lot of the hair to grow-in in large waves of growth. We'll remove what you have and each of those follicle will then go through its healing process and produce a new hair at the same time. This forces a wave of hair growth.

Over time with routine waxing you will find less and less fill in between waxes with a bunch of hair showing up right before you are due for your next wax and very little visible on the weeks leading up to it. If you don't wait 3-4 weeks in between waxes or if you pin point tweeze between waxes to "make it last longer" then you are training your hair to fill in sporadically and not all at once so you loose one of the best benefits of routine waxes. Your waxes will not "last" as long if you don't let the pattern grow in so we can train it to fill in waves.

Remember we need ALL the hair to reach a given length, not just some of it, so check the underbrush. If you are a trimmer and use a guide, stop trimming. Too short means you will have a lot of tweezing to suffer through and that's not fun for either of us.

If you like to measure these sorts of things we need 1/3 inch for really clean removal on a virgin wax area. Not one hair at 1/3 inch, all of the hair. For repeat waxing (so after your second or third full wax) 1/4 inch is usually sufficient if you want to go that route. It will take you at least four weeks (or longer in some cases) after your last wax to be ready to wax again.

What should I wear?

This depends on the area to be waxed and your personal comfort/modesty level. A few suggestions:

Avoid wearing clothes that will fit tightly over the area to be waxed. This can cause uncomfortable chafing or rubbing after your waxing.

For the back or chest to wear a soft shirt that isn't your all-time favorite one as wax and after care products can stain and stiff shirts or scratchy fabrics will not feel good. Without hair as a buffer you will find your skin to be MUCH more sensitive.

For the underarms, you may wear a tank top or remove your shirt.

For genital waxing you will keep your shirt on (and socks if you like), but we'll be needing access to the goods. We respect your modesty and will provide drape sheets for you. You'll want looser fitting underwear after your treatment, remember the idea is clean, cool, and dry for whatever area post treatment not compression and sweat.

Under Armor, man Spanx, and other compression items are a BAD idea to wear on waxing day. These types of items encourage skin issues after waxing and should be avoided for 24 if not 48 hours.

If you wear tactical clothing for work (police, military, security vests, holsters, and other similar items that trap body heat) a thin layer of an antibacterial cream or spray or perhaps a body powder is a great idea for 2 days after your wax for the first few treatments to act as a prophylactic and prevent a bacterial buildup in the healing follicles and lessen chaffing. If you can schedule so you have a day after waxing without the tactical clothing that would be ideal.

How long will it take?

That depends on the area, how much hair you have, the room temperature/humidity levels, the type of skin you have, the type of wax, what your tolerance level is, and if you happen to sweat a lot. We never upcharge if it takes us longer than average.

At your consultation your technician will explain the amount of time you can expect your treatment to take. The following times are generous averages for areas; we'd rather you over plan for time than try to squeeze a wax in a packed schedule.

• For genital waxing please plan up to an hour.

• For a back & chest wax plan up to 60 minutes.

• For underarms plan to spend 15 minutes with us.

• Nose and ear waxing takes up to 15 minutes for each area.

Generally, first time waxing takes longer then subsequent waxes as there will only be the active growing hair present so there will be less of it and it is easier to remove and we’ll be taking a bit of time to get to know you better.

Is there anyone you simply will not wax?

Waxing services are not recommended and will not be performed for those clients using (or have used in the last 6 months) Accutane or Retin-A products. If you have utilized these or similar products please be aware there is a very real risk of losing skin if you wax as these products by their very nature thin the skin.

We are also unable to wax if you have tanned on the day of your waxing appointment, or if you have visible sunburn. We will not wax if you have certain medical conditions, non-intact skin, or unidentified skin lesions.

While having to reschedule is an inconvenience, this is a serious matter and when we deny service it is for your own safety.

I have just tons of hair... I feel like sasquatch... really can you help me too?

Absolutely we can. Remember what is a lot of hair to you and what is a lot of hair to us in our professional experience, are two very different things. Trust us, you aren't alone and it doesn't shock us. We are not grossed out if you don't look like a hairless movie star.

We know unwanted hair needs to go. Every day we assist people just like you in eliminating years of embarrassing hair from virtually anywhere. No one has too much hair for us to deal with.

Why do you need to see my driver's license or a photo ID?

The most important reason is we care enough to establish your real identity and protect your identity from potential problems--imagine if someone took your wallet and wanted to use your credit cards to get services. Because we are taking your personal and health information, the HIPAA regulations also require we verify your identity.

A positive identification of you with your picture and name (like a valid photo ID shows) protects us and you. We also need to be sure you are over 18 and can legally agree to treatment.

Due to recently enacted legislation to protect consumers, in order to accept credit card payments we also are now required to establish and verify your identity each time we accept payment.

Our liability insurer also requires us to verify your personal information and we do. To comply with all these regulations we could: Keep a copy of your ID on file like many doctors and dentists do or we could ask you to show your photo ID each time. We have chosen to take our own photo of you after verifying your identity with a valid photo ID and keep it in your treatment file so that our clients do not have to deal with the inconvenience of ID checking each time.

I’m a private person and this is a private service; I don’t want anyone to know my business. How do you do you keep me safe?

Our privacy policy is to never release your information to anyone (except as required by law) period. We keep client records completely confidential with physical access to them controlled, restricted, and monitored by electronic surveillance 24/7. All of our digital records are encrypted and kept in a secure cloud storage site. We utilize a secure shredding service for disposal of any physical records or paper that might have any personally identifying information in or on it.

You will never see your picture used for anything other than to identify you among staff members. We respect your privacy and we do not gossip nor do we discuss one client with another. We follow the same guidelines for privacy that all good medical professionals do. It is a common occurrence for members of the same family or office-mates to suddenly discover they’ve each been seeing us for years and we’ve never said a peep.

What happens at River Rock stays at River Rock. We neither confirm nor deny we know someone. If you see us out and about in town feel free to give us a wave. Know that it is likely we may not “see” you unless you make the first move. We do this so that our shy or very private clients will feel comfortable. If anyone asks how you know us feel free to tell them “oh she does my hair” and we will smile along. If you are comfortable sharing more with others that is your decision.

So I got my period... can I still wax?

We realize that hair removal doesn't always coincide with the most convenient moments. Although you will be feeling "not so fresh" really it doesn't impact our job at all or bother us in any way or affect your wax. Feel free to keep your appointment as generally unless you are telling us we'd have never known.

We would recommend you utilize a tampon or the Instead soft cup type product. If you are a tampon user you can tuck the string up and we will be all set to wax away. We respect your comfort level and if you would rather reschedule of course we understand.

I'm a larger person, is this something for skinny minnies, jockeys, and petite flowers only?

Please don't be self-conscious; we welcome clients in all shapes and sizes. It makes no difference to us if you are plus sized, gigantically tall, a professional linebacker etcetera; we know you will love the results from professional hair removal services.

I've heard there are different types of Bikini Waxes or patterns. What patterns will you do?

We offer many types of genital waxing patterns for men and women. These include the Standard Bikini, Brazilian Bikini, the EO, Playboy Bikini, The TC2, the Sphinx (a.k.a. the Full Monty, the Bare All Bikini and incorrectly as a Brazilian), and the Boxer Brief. Presented in order from least hair removed to most. Please see our pricing menu tab for current costs.

If you have any medical conditions you should check with your healthcare provider before you wax.

For ladies the patterns offered include:

• The Regular or Standard Bikini Wax - For ladies, this wax removes all hair outside of the brief style panty line. This is a very conservative wax, perfect if you need a clean line for a swim suit or athletic brief.

• The next step up is the Playboy/Brazilian Bikini Wax - Basically we will remove all the hair from the vulva/genital region and back side leaving a small "landing strip" in various shapes on top of the pubic mound. That shape can be a square, a rectangle landing strip, an upside down triangle. With dense growing pattern other shapes are possible. All hair is removed from the labia; all hair is removed from the derriere and crevice. Named after the famous Playboy Playmates featured in the magazines because that's what you'd see on the models. Sometimes you will see this termed a French wax. We commonly hear this called the Brazilian around here so that is another reason you want to be sure you know exactly what you are getting when you go somewhere to be waxed, ask for specifics regardless of what it is called. This is an excellent choice if you tend to have the dreaded "swampy" condition or suffer from UTIs or yeast infections. From a hygienic perspective, this can be the starter option for easy cleansing and drying of the genital area. Genital hair tends to trap moisture creating a perfect warm moist environment for a host of bacteria and fungal infections.

• The next choice is the Sphinx Bikini Wax. This is our most popular wax pattern for the ladies. In this wax hair is entirely removed from the vulva area, labia, and from the derriere. If you were wearing brief style underwear everything under that would be removed. Sometimes this treatment is referred to as "The Full Monty" or Hollywood bikini wax and in these parts we often here this referred to as a Brazilian bikini wax.

• The Board Short Wax -We will remove everything mid-thigh up to the waist line front and back.

For gentlemen patterns offered include:

• EO (Equipment Only) Pattern: For the gentlemen this is the most conservative wax we offer. It includes the equipment only meaning the penis and scrotum. Yes, you can safely and easily wax both without skin damage.

• The TBC (Twig, Berries, Cleft) Pattern: This pattern includes the equipment, cleft in the backside, and removes the hair surrounding the equipment on the front side except for a decorative pattern (upside down triangle, square, landing strip, lightning bolt, etcetera) is left above the equipment. If you are looking for a way to focus attention on the goods, clearing out the underbrush is the way to go. Since the equipment is now visible (as reported in Men's Health Magazine) it tends to make the package look larger and fuller...enough said. If you are an athlete and are battling swampy or fungus issues like Jock Itch, this is the starting pattern wax for you. Some places may call this pattern a Brazilian, a guyzilian, manzilian, Hollywood, French or Australian wax.

• The TC2 (Brief Style) Pattern: This wax goes a little further than the TBC as it includes the full cheeks and leaves zero decorative pattern up above the equipment. It basically removes anything that would be covered by brief style underwear. You might here this called a Sphinx, Full Monty, or Bare-All wax and some folks confuse it with a Brazilian etcetera.

• The Board Short: This wax basically removes everything mid-thigh up to waist line front and back.

If you are looking for something not described above just ask. We are able to work with your hair and skin type to render just about anything. For detail information on waxing for men visit our men's waxing page.