The Field Guide

Know before
you go.

Everything a first-timer needs and a regular forgets: how to prep, how to care for your skin after, and the house rules. Straight answers, no fluff.

Before your wax

After your wax

Between visits

Teeth whitening

The house rules

Before your wax.

Let it grow to a quarter inch. About the length of a grain of rice, or roughly two weeks of growth. Any shorter and the wax has nothing to hold; do not shave in the two weeks before your visit.

Exfoliate the day before, not the day of. A gentle scrub 24 to 48 hours ahead lifts dead skin and helps prevent ingrowns. Skip anything harsh right before your appointment.

Arrive clean and dry. Shower beforehand and skip lotions, oils and heavy moisturizer on the day. Product on the skin gets between the wax and the hair.

Go easy on coffee and alcohol that day. Both can make skin more reactive. Water is your friend all week.

Skip the tanning for 48 hours before. Sun-stressed skin is sensitive skin, and it does not wax well.

Book around your cycle if you can. Skin runs more sensitive during your period. Any other week will feel noticeably easier.

After your wax.

Give it 24 to 48 quiet hours. No gym, pools, hot tubs, saunas or hot baths while your follicles close. Sweat and standing water carry bacteria to freshly waxed skin.

Stay out of the sun. Freshly waxed skin burns fast. Keep it covered for a day or two.

Wear loose, breathable cotton. Tight clothes rub; friction is what irritates. Give the area room to breathe the first day.

Hold the products. No self-tanner, fragranced lotions or harsh actives on the area for 24 hours.

Never shave between visits. Shaving restarts the coarse-regrowth cycle and invites ingrowns. Let the wax do its work.

Resume exfoliating after 48 hours. Then keep it up two or three times a week. It is the single best habit against ingrown hairs.

Between waxes

Your wax sets it. Pura Vida keeps it.

Our own post-wax line calms skin, fights ingrowns and keeps you smooth between visits. Ask your esthetician what fits your skin on the way out.

The four-week rhythm.

Four weeks is the sweet spot. Regrowth comes in finer, appointments get faster and easier, and returning within four weeks of your last visit earns your Maintenance rate, roughly 30% off.

Book the next one before you leave. The easiest way to never miss the window. Same date next month, done.

Teeth whitening.

Come as you are. A 15-minute LED session needs no prep beyond your normal brushing.

Eat white for 48 hours after. Right after whitening, enamel absorbs pigment more easily. Skip coffee, red wine, berries and dark sauces for a day or two, or use a straw.

Mild sensitivity can happen. Some clients notice it for a day; it settles on its own.

The house rules.

Cancellations need 6 hours notice

Plans change, we get it. Give us at least 6 hours and there is no charge. Inside 6 hours, the fee is 25% of the service value.

No-shows

A missed appointment without notice is charged 50% of the service value, and future bookings will need a card on file.

Running late?

There is no grace period, and priority always goes to guests who arrive on time. We know your time is valuable; so is ours, and it is how every appointment starts when promised. Running behind? Call us. We will do our best, and you will be seen as a walk-in as soon as we are able.

Card on file

Booking requires a card on file; the online system will ask for one when you book. It is only ever charged under the policies on this page.

Consent forms

Every service starts with a consent form so your esthetician knows your skin, your history and your preferences before the first strip.

Professional, in both directions

Our estheticians are licensed professionals providing a professional service, and we extend every client the same respect we expect back. Inappropriate comments, advances or behavior of any kind end the appointment immediately and end the client relationship permanently.

A comfortable studio for everyone

We reserve the right to refuse service for behavior we consider inappropriate. Our team takes care of you; we take care of our team.

The more regularly you come, the easier it gets.

Know beforeyou go.