The return of warm weather certainly means a boost in waxing appointments at your spa as clients think about upcoming beach vacations. We recently attended a timely celebration of Uni K Wax Center's 21st birthday and its introduction of the Brazilian Wax to the market. There, I learned that waxing is much older and dates back to ancient cultures, in fact. Here's an overview of key moments in hair removal history and how waxing became the method of choice.
- Ancient Egypt: Women removed all body hair using seashell tweezers, pumice stones, or early beeswax and sugar-based concoctions
- Roman Empire: A hairless body was considered a sign of high status and wealth, so women and men used razors made from flints, tweezers, creams, and stones to remove excess hair.
- Middle Ages: The hair-removal trend moves to the face when Queen Elizabeth I removed hair on her eyebrows and forehead.
- 1800s: One of the first depilatory creams is introduced but did not see significant marketing until the early 1900s.
- 1960s: Wax strips debuted and became popular for hair removal from the armpits and legs.
- 1970s: Hair removal in hte bikini area sees a resurgence thanks to the bikini fashion trend.
- 1993: Founder Noemi Grupenmager coined the term, "The Brazilian Wax" and opens the first Uni K Wax Center (Miami Beach, FL), which uses an all-natural elastic wax made of beeswax, essential oils, and a pine tree resin.
- 2000s: Celebrities, including Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham and Eva Longoria, and their estheticians open up about waxing preferences.
For more on the latest trends in waxing, check out: Skin So Smooth.