- For all your waxing needs
Voskom salons, specialising in waxing, just relaunched with a new and improved interior and more services offered. Brunch had a chat with Voskom Owner and Founder Waruni Dissanayake to find out more about waxing and her salon.
[caption id="attachment_171488" align="alignright" width="277"]
Voskom Owner and Founder Waruni Dissanayake[/caption]
She initially jumped into the benefits of waxing: “Waxing produces better results than shaving. You want unwanted hair gone – not just gone for one day to simply feel prickly stubble the next. shaving simply sloughs away the surface layer of hair, leaving the follicle intact. Waxing removes hair from the root, keeping you soft and smooth for longer.”
She told us that the more you continue to wax, the better chance the regrowth – hair becomes finer, softer, and lighter (not rough or coarse) and that awful feeling of leg stubble one day post-shave? Gone for good when you start your wax routine.
Dissanayake’s selling point is how fast she is; for example, usually, a Brazilian wax would take 10-15 minutes, whereas Dissanayake only takes five to seven minutes, simply because of her many years of experience. “I’ve gotten used to how it works, and the faster I get it done, the less pain my client feels as well. I want to give them the best experience possible,” she shared. This of course, does not mean that she is not thorough; even if there are a few stubborn hairs that remain, she will make sure to tweeze them out by the end of the appointment.
Because of her speed and how comfortable she makes her customers, she told us that no one has left her services, unless it’s due to the location being too far away.
Her client base was generated solely through word-of-mouth, she hardly did any marketing. Dissanayake told us that even when she was pregnant, she kept waxing until it became difficult for her to do it, because she was so attached to her client base. One look through her reviews online, and you’ll see how her clients sing her praises. Her testimonials are noteworthy, and having experienced a full body wax at Voskom, I can say with certainty that she does live up to her words; fast, relatively painless, and an overall pleasant and informative session. To give more context, a usual full body wax would take well over an hour, but Dissanayake managed to do it in 30 minutes, all the while explaining to me about the various waxes she has in store and how to maintain one’s body after a wax.
Voskom does not have an option of sugar wax, as Dissanayake says that the oil-based wax she uses removes dead skin, as well as offers a less painful option. As someone that generally opts for a sugar wax, I can attest to the fact that it was far less painful, which is what our first question is when it comes to waxing. They currently offer three types of hot wax; the normal wax (aka fruity wax), an oil-based wax, as well as a luxury wax.
[caption id="attachment_171490" align="alignright" width="226"]
The interior of newly relaunched Voskom salon[/caption]
We asked Dissanayake which she would recommend to customers, to which she replied: “If a client comes in with a lot of dead skin, I recommend the oil-based since it removes the dead skin as well as in-growns. The luxury wax removes even the finest hairs, and I generally recommend it for brides.”
She did apply a few strips of luxury wax to my legs, and I can honestly say that I felt absolutely zero pain, so if you have a low pain tolerance, this is the option for you, although it is on the pricier side.
She also added that generally, when one waxes their back, they tend to get a bit of a rash and feel itchy, which she informed us is normal as waxing causes trauma to the body’s skin and will persist for two to three days after, so in order to avoid this, the luxury wax would be the best option. Dissanayake explained that a histamine reaction is easily identified by a rash that presents itself as welts or bumps and that this reaction may happen immediately after your wax. She also stated that not everyone will experience it, but if you do, it is easily reduced by taking an antihistamine before your appointment, and applying a cold compress immediately afterwards.
In terms of preparing for and maintaining a wax, she informed everyone to exfoliate the night before their appointment, not any later as the skin would be too sensitive otherwise. After the wax, she recommended to avoid using any perfumed products on your skin as it may cause irritation. “The best product to apply afterwards is a soothing aloe gel. I apply it to all my customers after waxing, but if needed, they may purchase one and apply it at home as well,” she said. She also warned against hot water showers after waxing, and to stick with cool, soothing water instead.
When she told us all her wax is imported, we asked her if she faced any issues with the import restrictions: “Not at the moment because I generally buy in bulk, so I still have stock left over, and a new stock is coming in this week as well, so I am able to manage.” She added that if the price of the wax increases, then she’d also have to increase prices, but generally, her clients are more than happy to comply.
[caption id="attachment_171486" align="alignleft" width="213"]
A previous client at Voskom[/caption]
In terms of hygiene and following health guidelines, Voskom ensures to change the disposable bed sheet after each client. They do double dip, but Dissanayake told us that the stick is changed for every part of the body, and discarded after the client in order to reduce waste. For a Brazilian, she does not do double dipping as it’s an especially sensitive area and maintains strict hygiene when working on it. A new stick is always used for the next client, and the bed too is sanitised.
Currently, she runs the entire operation by herself, but is looking to hire more staff, as with the reopening, they have expanded the premises and the number of customers.
Voskom is open until 7 p.m., as Dissanayake wanted to ensure that customers had the option of coming after work since time is always a concern for many.
Location: 9A, Railway Avenue, Nugegoda
Instagram: @voskom_colombo
Facebook: Voskom Colombo
Contact: 0770275478
