What Every Waxer Inflammation€¦ · ABOUT THE AUTHOR Before entering the ield o waxing 15 years ago, Judy Zi ka was trained in the sciences. She now blends that background with

What Every Waxer Needs to Know About

InflammationADVANCED EDUCATION

FOR WAXING PROFESSIONALS

Judy Fleming Zifka

Licensed Esthetician / Waxing Professional

First Edition

Copyright © 2014 by Judy Fleming Zika.

ISBN 978-0-692-28964-8

All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission o the publisher, except in the case o brie quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The information provided in this book is designed to provide helpful information on the subjects discussed. This book is not meant to be used, nor should it be used, to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment o any medical problem, consult your own physician. The publisher and author are not responsible for any speciic health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this book. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement o any websites or other sources. Readers should be aware that the website addresses listed in this book may change.

For permission requests or information about quantity purchases, contact the author, addressed “Attention: Permissions,” at the address below.

www.WaxingWithJudy.com

First Edition eBook

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to my clients who willingly shared their experiences, followed each new discovery, and helped me to build this body o knowledge that can now be shared. They helped me learn so much more than I ever imagined possible from this little thing called hair. I could not have done it without them.

My husband endured more hours than he cares to admit listening to me talk about inlammation and hair, two subjects that fascinated me to no end but probably pushed him to his limit at times. Thanks, Lance, for hanging in there and helping me see this through.

To my dear friend Marianne Bennett I give deep gratitude for her countless hours o listening, perspective, and encouragement. Her delicate skin helped me understand many things I would have otherwise missed.

Last, but certainly not least, is my acknowledgement o the important role my daughter Andrea played in this discovery. She opened the doors that led me into neurology and embryology, two topics that are fundamentally important to understanding hair. I would never have seen what others missed without her profound gift o teaching me how to think outside the box.

WHAT EVERY WAXER NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT INFLAMMATION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Before entering the ield o waxing 15 years ago, Judy Zika was trained in the sciences. She now blends that background with her extensive experience in the waxing studio to provide a new perspective o hair that is solidly based in science but adapted to the practical needs o the waxing business. Her discoveries represent some o the most important advances in waxing that have occurred for decades.

Judy's love o science is apparent in the broad scope o subjects she covers in her writing. She manages to convey complex information in a way that is easy to understand and fun to learn. She has a Bachelors o Science degree in Physical Geography from the University o Alaska, with an emphasis on prehistoric climates. This provided her the training to be able to review scientiic research from so many different ields.


Judy is the parent o two children, one o whom has signiicant neurological disabilities from a condition known as lissencephaly. By necessity, she has become familiar with the subjects o genetics, neurology, and embryology.

Despite her dificult job o caring for a child with special needs, Judy was able to build a successful waxing business that provided the lexibility she needed to be both a mother and an entrepreneur. She recently retired after 15 years o active practice in the ield o esthetics and waxing, and lives in Portland, Oregon where she works on her writing. She is the author o two previous eBooks, "What Every Woman Needs To Know About Waxing," and "What Every Man Needs Know About Waxing," and is currently working on the next book, "The Secret Intelligence o Hair," which reveals a surprising link she has discovered between hair growth, intelligence, and evolution.

"What Every Woman Needs to Know About Waxing" and "What Every Man Needs to Know About Waxing" are available as eBooks on Amazon.

To contact the author with comments or questions, visit her website: www.WaxingWithJudy.com


http://www.WaxingWithJudy.com

http://www.WaxingWithJudy.com

Table of Contents

Section 1 ~ TheoryChapter 1

..............................................................Introducing Inflammation 1

Chapter 2...................................................................What is Inflammation? 7

Chapter 3..................The Immune System - Maintaining a State of Balance 10

....................................................................................Homeostasis 10

Chapter 4..........................................Building Blocks of the Immune System 13

Chapter 5.............................................The Role of Inflammation in Healing 21

Chapter 6..........................The First Trigger of Inflammation - Nerve Stress 23

.................................................................................Physical Stress 26.......................................................................Environmental Stress 28

..............................................................................Emo?onal Stress 30

Chapter 7......................................Calming Nerves to Reduce Inflammation 38

......................................................................Fast-‐Adap?ng Nerves 41.....................................................................Slow-‐Adap?ng Nerves 42

Chapter 8..............................The Relationship Between Hair and the Brain 50

........................................................................Evolu?onary History 51..................................................................Primary Purpose of Hair 53

...........................................................................Neuron Migra?on 55.............................................................................The srGAP2 Gene 56

................................................................................The K111 Virus 58


Table of Contents

Section 1 ~ Theory, continued

Chapter 9..............................The Second Step of Inflammation - Histamine 65

.......................................Histamine Dila?on Changes Blood Speed 69...............................................................................An?-‐Histamines 72

Chapter 10...........................................................The Inflammatory Cascade 76

...........................................Six Steps of the Inflammatory Cascade 77

Chapter 11............................The Third Step of Inflammation - Vasodilation 80

..................................The Circulatory Environment of Vasodila?on 81..........................Comparison with Thermoregulatory Vasodila?on 85

..............................................Factors that Determine Blood Speed 87.........................................................................................Perfusion 91

Chapter 12........................The Fourth Step of Inflammation - Leaking Fluids 94

....................................................Using Heat to Increase Perfusion 95

Chapter 13........................The Fifth Step of Inflammation - Adrenal Glands 100

.....................................................................................Adrenaline 102..............................................................................Motor Neurons 105

..........................................................................................Cor?sol 110


Table of Contents

Section 1 ~ Theory, continued

Chapter 14...................................Alternatives to Hydrocortisone - Caffeine 116

...........................................Using Caffeine to Treat Inflamma?on 117.................................................Using the Right Doses of Caffeine 121

Chapter 15................The Sixth Step of Inflammation - Lymphatic Drainage 126

...............................................................................Lymph Vessels 127.................................................................................Lymph Nodes 128

Chapter 16..........................................................Ingrown Hairs and Pimples 131

................................................................................Ingrown Hairs 131.........................................................................Sebaceous Glands 136

............................................................................Sebaceous Cysts 139..........................................................................................Pimples 142

Chapter 17............................Final Remarks on the Theory of Inflammation 149

end of sec)on 1


Table of Contents

Section 2 ~ Techniques

Technique..........................................Holding the Skin Tight to Avoid Pain 154

Technique................................................Numbing the Skin Before Waxing 156

...........................................................................Numbing Agents 157..........................................................................Slapping the Skin 160

....................................................................................Using Heat 162

Technique................................................Calming Nerves with Distraction 164

.....................................................Using Conversa?on to Distract 165.................................................................Using Music to Distract 167

Technique..................................................Calming Nerves with Breathing 168

Technique.............................Using Pressure to Calm Fast-Adapting Nerves 172

Technique............................Using Pressure to Calm Slow-Adapting Nerves 176

...............................................Applying Pressure to the Upper Lip 181......................................................Applying Pressure to the Neck 183.......................................................Applying Pressure to the Back 186.....................................................Applying Pressure to the Chest 192

.............................................Applying Pressure to the Pubic Area 196


Table of Contents

Section 2 ~ Techniques, continued

Technique..............................................Using Heat to Treat Inflammation 201

.........................................Safely Hea?ng Towels and Washcloths 203..............................................................Applying Heat to the Skin 205

..............................................Using Heat Before vs. A]er Waxing 207

Technique.........................................Using Caffeine to Treat Inflammation 210

.......................................Amount of Caffeine in Popular Products 212..........................................................How Much Caffeine is Safe? 213

............................................................................Timing the Dose 215...............................................................................Client Consent 217

Technique.............................Using Anti-Histamines to Treat Inflammation 219

...........................................................Using Oral An?-‐Histamines 221......................................................Using Topical An?-‐Histamines 223

Technique........................................................................The Rule of Color 226

Technique............................................Treating Ingrown Hair and Pimples 233

Technique...........................................................Extracting Ingrown Hairs 238

Technique...................................Dry Brushing - The Best Way to Exfoliate 242

Technique.................Using Acne Treatments on Ingrown Hair and Pimples 246


Table of Contents


Technique..............................................Using High Frequency Treatments 249

Technique................................Using Essential Oils to Treat Inflammation 255

............................................................Using Carrier Oils to Dilute 257...................................................................Lavender Essen?al Oil 257....................................................................Tea Tree Essen?al Oil 259

Technique.........................................DIY Home Remedies for Inflammation 261

....................................................................................Moist Heat 261.................................................................................Aspirin Mask 262

.........................................................................Baking Soda Mask 263

Technique...............................................Caring for the Skin After Waxing 266

...........................................................Products Used in the Salon 267.................................................................Products Used at Home 270

...........................................................................Sex A]er Waxing 271...................................................................Exercise A]er Waxing 273

...................................................................................Public Pools 274.....................................................................................Bed Linens 275

Technique.......................Screening Clients for Sensitivity to Inflammation 276

................................................................Ques?ons to Ask Clients 277


Table of Contents


Technique..............................................................Hard Wax vs. Soft Wax 280

...................................................................................Hard Waxes 280..........................................................................So] (Strip) Waxes 283

................................................................Choosing the Right Wax 284

..............................................................................Bibliography 286

................................................................Adrenaline (Epinephrine) 287............................................................................Art of Distrac?on 288

...........................................................................................Caffeine 289....................................................................Circula?on / Perfusion 294

.........................................................................................Evolu?on 296.................................................................................FDA Warnings 298

................................................................................................Heat 299............................................................High Frequency Treatments 302

.......................................................................................Histamine 303

.......................................................................................Hormones 304.............................................................................................Nerves 306

...................................................................................Rule of Color 310...........................................................................Sebaceous Glands 313

..............................................................................................Stress 314


Table of Illustrations

Section 1 ~ Theory.................The Immune System is Balanced by Four Basic Systems 14

..............................................Web of Nerves Around a Hair Follicle 39.........................................Fast-‐Adap?ng vs Slow-‐Adap?ng Nerves 44.....................................Distribu?on of Slow-‐Adap?ng Merkel Cells 45

........................................................................................Mast Cells 67.....................................................Histamine Dilates Blood Vessels 68

...........................................Six Steps of the Inflammatory Cascade 78..............................................................................Adrenal Glands 101

.........................................................................Sebaceous Glands 137

Section 2 ~ Technique........................................................Using Breath to Calm Nerves 169

....................................................................Fast-‐Adap?ng Nerves 173...................................................................Slow-‐Adap?ng Nerves 177

...........................................Distribu?on of Slow-‐Adap?ng Nerves 180......................................................Applying Pressure to the Neck 185...................................................Sensi?ve Areas on a Man's Back 186

...........................Distribu?on of Nerves Related to Sensory Input 188..................................................Sensi?ve Areas on a Man's Chest 193

...............................Distribu?on of Merkel Cells in the Pubic Area 197.............................................................Towel Placement on Body 202.........................................................Caffeine in Popular Products 212

...........................................................................The Rule of Color 229..................................Ingrown Hair vs. Plugged Sebaceous Gland 234

...................Needle Tipped Tweezers for Extrac?ng Ingrown Hair 239...................................................................High Frequency Wand 250


S E C T I O N 1

Theory

1

C H A P T E R 1

Introducing Inflammation

Every waxer needs to understand inlammation because it is something we create in nearly every client who comes to us for hair removal. The process o removing multiple hairs at once almost always causes the skin to turn bright pink or red for a few minutes or a few hours. This is inlammation, and it is universally disliked by our clients. The faster we can get rid o it the happier they are.

Since waxers are the ones creating inlammation, it makes sense that waxers should also be experts in how to treat it. After all, we see inlammation every day in all types o bodies and all kinds o skin. There are very few professions that offer a better opportunity to observe the causes and effects o inlammation than waxing.

And yet, despite our intimate relationship with inlammation, most waxers have a surprisingly limited understanding o it. I we were taught anything at all about inlammation in school, it was probably the same ideas that were being taught 40 years ago. There have been some amazing discoveries in the past decade, and it's time to bring our understanding into a new light. I hope this book does it for you.

For the past 12 years I have been experimenting with how to reduce the inlammation I create when I wax my clients. During my days in beauty school I received little or no education on this topic and so, out o necessity, I am self-taught. That is, in many ways, an advantage because I began my journey without preconceived ideas o what causes inlammation. I approached my research with an open mind and compared everything I read to what I actually observed.

My goal in the beginning was simply to understand what is happening when the skin o my clients becomes red and how I could make it go away faster. I had lots o ideas to try out, and with an active clientele I also had a steady stream o guinea pigs willing to try my experiments. As a result, my waxing studio became something o a research laboratory where I investigated inlammation.

In time, I developed techniques that proved very successful in reducing the amount o redness (inlammation) that my clients experienced. My clients were pleased and so was I, but I was also a bit confused because some o the methods that produced the best results were nearly opposite o what I had been taught. It was quite a dilemma. I couldn't argue with the results o my experiments so I had to challenge what I had been taught.

It became my mission to understand inlammation and I poured mysel into it. By day I waxed clients, and by night I researched every medical ield I could think o to ind clues that would explain what triggers inlammation and why it was responding so well to my unorthodox techniques.

In the course o these efforts I discovered some surprising things. For instance, I began with a somewhat naive expectation that i I dug deep enough I would eventually ind that someone had already igured all this out and my questions would be answered. Instead, the deeper I dug the more I realized that it hadn't been igured out yet. The scientiic world knows a lot o things about inlammation, but knows very little about how hair its into the picture.

C H A P T E R 1 ~ I N T R O D U C I N G I N F L A M M A T I O N 2


Because o my work as a waxer, I already knew that an important relationship exists between hair and inlammation. I only needed to look at the skin o my clients to see evidence o it. And yet, I found very little discussion o this relationship in my review o scientiic literature. It seemed as though no one was paying any attention to the inlammation caused by hair removal, and it meant that a lot o valuable information about inlammation had not yet been explored.

I was also surprised to discover that one o the most fundamental ideas we have been taught about inlammation is simply not correct. In particular, we have a misunderstanding o how blood lows through a vessel that is dilated because o inlammation. It's a small error, easily over-looked, but it explains why some o my most successful treatments were contradictory to what I had been taught.

At irst I found it inconceivable that this error had not been recognized before. And yet, there it was. By making this one small correction in the description o how blood lows through an inlamed vessel, my working model o inlammation suddenly became more complete and accurate.

How did I know that my description o inlammation was more accurate than the traditional one? Because making this one correction presented a completely new set o options for treating inlammation and they worked on virtually every client, including a few doctors and nurses who became believers when they saw the results.

It's not easy to convince people that a long-held belie is actually false. I there is a fundamental error in our understanding, why hasn't it already been recognized by medical researchers? How could a waxer discover something that doctors and researchers have not?

To answer that question, let's irst release any assumptions we may hold that people in the beauty industry are not as smart as those in the scientiic ields. We are all just people who have chosen a profession to focus upon, and there is nothing about one's chosen profession that automatically infers intellectual superiority or inferiority. There is no reason that a waxer cannot make observations about inlammation that are not obvious to others,



especially when they have such a unique opportunity to view inlammation that researchers don't have.

For most people, body hair is a supericial part o being human, an insigniicant remnant o our ancient history. But for a waxer, body hair is the primary focus o our work and everything needs to be explained from the perspective o hair. I you think body hair has no value, it makes sense that you wouldn't expect it to provide valuable answers. But when you see hair as important and explain inlammation from that perspective, it reveals many secrets that have been previously overlooked. It turns out that hair is much more important than it has been given credit for.

Hair is important to waxers, and we work in conditions that researchers can only dream of. We don't need government grants or volunteers to study inlammation because people willingly pay us for what we do. We aren't bound by rules o ethical treatment that requires most researchers to work only with laboratory animals and then extrapolate their conclusions to humans. Waxers work exclusively with humans and we do it without violating any ethics. The observations we make do not have to be extrapolated.

A waxer works with clients that represent a wide variety o ages, skin color, hair color, and sensitivities. We witness a diversity o responses that researchers would ind dificult to duplicate. Waxers operate in a world where hair is important and inlammation can be studied in ways that are not available to traditional researchers.



As I conducted my research in the waxing salon, I tried to remain true to the principles o scientiic investigation. I started with observations and then asked questions. Why does removing hair cause such a rapid inlammatory response? What causes some people to react more than others? How can I reduce this response? When is the best time to intervene? What else can we try?

To answer these questions I had to step into many different branches o science and read hundreds o technical papers, some o which contradicted each other. The work presented here represents thousands o hours o research into neurology, immunology, evolutionary biology and many other branches o science. Thankfully, I had a good background in the sciences before I became a waxer, so I was not intimidated by the complexity o the research.

I did become tired, however, o the scientiic jargon that most research papers use. It began to feel like they were using a language designed to prevent most o us from understanding what they are saying. Their science may be good, but their communication is not.

My goal is to share the results o this research with you in a way that is easy to understand and yet still accurate. I want these ideas to be understood by everyone, not just those with a science background. This requires that I sometimes leave out the iner details o how things work in an effort to simplify a subject that is actually quite complex.

Despite this goal o simplicity, care has been taken to make sure that the explanations are accurate. The details I have omitted do not materially change our understanding o the processes I describe. I a reader wants to learn more details about any o the subjects covered here, an extensive list o resources is provided in the Bibliography.

Within this book you will learn about much more than just inlammation. You will learn about neurology, embryology, and immunology. You will learn how stress affects inlammation, and how our blood low changes as vessels dilate and contract. The world o human biology opens up in new ways when it is explored from the perspective o hair. You may ind that many o these ideas have practical applications in your life outside o the waxing studio, too.



This book is divided into two sections: Theory and Techniques. The Theory section covers the fundamental principles o hair and inlammation. This is where new ideas are introduced and discussed. The Techniques section is where these new ideas are put into practice. This is where you will learn exactly how to incorporate these ideas into your waxing business.

You can improve your waxing skills right away by using the ideas in this book. You can be comfortable knowing that they are reliable, tested, and supported by evidence from outside research. But what is truly great about these ideas is that they cost little or nothing to implement. They don't require you to purchase a product or invest in a piece o equipment or pay a franchise fee. The only investment you have to make is a small amount o time and a large amount o understanding.

I encourage you to try these techniques in your waxing practice and see for yoursel what kind o results you can get. Even i you implement only one or two o the ideas in this book, your clients will notice and rave about how nobody takes care o their skin like you do. When you demonstrate your understanding o how to treat inlammation, you are demonstrating your expertise as a waxer. Expertise is what every client wants, and your efforts will be rewarded with loyal clients and word-of-mouth referrals that will keep you busy for as long as you care to work.



7

C H A P T E R 2

What is Inflammation?

We all know that waxing causes the skin to turn red. A lot o people, including our clients, do not think o this redness and irritation as inlammation because they think inlammation is only associated with infection. This is not correct. Inlammation is one o the most basic responses o our immune system, and it can occur for a variety o reasons. Infection is one reason and waxing is another. They both cause inlammation because inlammation is a universal and primary response o the immune system.

In simple terms, inlammation is a response from the immune system that causes skin to become red, hot, swollen, and tender. This is what we see immediately after hair is removed by waxing. The skin becomes red, individual follicles become swollen, and the area is temporarily tender.

Inlammation is produced by our immune system as a response to irritation, and there are many types o irritation we can experience. Waxing creates irritation because we over-stimulate the hair follicle nerves when hair is forcibly removed. Friction, bruising, and cuts also cause irritation because tissue is being damaged. Insect bites, bacteria, and parasites are

also irritating because they are invaders into our system. All these sources o irritation are capable o triggering the immune system and causing inlammation. Inlammation is therefore present in a wide range o health conditions.

When inlammation comes on quickly and lasts for a short period o time, such as what is experienced with waxing, it is called acute inlammation. In medical terms, acute means short duration and chronic means long duration. Waxing produces acute inlammation, but not chronic inlammation. The redness o inlammation lasts for a few minutes or a few hours, depending on the client.

When skin is inlamed and becomes red, the color o the skin is caused by something we can't see — vasodilation, or the dilation o blood vessels. All o the symptoms we associate with inlammation — the heat, the color o the skin, the swelling, the tenderness, the buildup o luids — are because blood vessels have dilated under the surface o the skin.

Almost everything that happens during inlammation is controlled by vasodilation, and so when we talk about controlling inlammation we are really talking about controlling vasodilation. This important fact will guide many o the treatment methods we develop.

I inlammation is controlled by vasodilation, then we have to ask what controls vasodilation. It is our immune system that controls vasodilation, so when we talk about controlling vasodilation we are really talking about controlling our immune system.

C H A P T E R 2 ~ T H E I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8


When we think about the immune system, we don't usually think o opening and closing blood vessels as one o its major functions. Instead, most people think the immune system's major function is to ight of germs and infection because that's the part o our immune system that advertising talks about the most.

For the vast majority o people, almost everything they know about the immune system has come from advertising and it is an incomplete picture. The germ ighting powers o our immune system are important, but regulating the blood low by opening and closing vessels is much more important from the perspective o waxing, because this is how inlammation is controlled.

I we want to have an accurate understanding o inlammation we must irst have a better understanding o the immune system. This requires that some o our preconceived ideas must be dropped so we can explain inlammation as it truly exists. In the next section we will reine our deinition o the immune system and put it in terms that are meaningful to a waxer. In the process we will see that the immune system is not as complex as we might have believed.

C H A P T E R 2 ~ T H E I M M U N E S Y S T E M 9


10

C H A P T E R 3

The Immune System ~ Maintaining a State of Balance

The immune system is not complicated when you realize that everything it does is an attempt to keep us in balance. It has no motive other than that. It just wants to keep us in balance, and every action it takes is in response to something that has taken us out o balance. Too hot, too cold, too fast, too slow, painful, and broken are all unbalanced conditions that are addressed by our immune system. It's true that the immune system ights of infections and heals damaged tissue, but those actions fall under the larger umbrella o keeping us in balance.

The attempt to stay in balance is called homeostasis (ho-me-oh-STAY-sis) and it is a force

that governs all biologic systems, and certainly the human system. Every living thing has limits on what conditions it can tolerate and homeostasis is the attempt to keep a biologic system within those limits.

In humans, the nervous system is responsible for monitoring the conditions o our body. When conditions reach a certain limit, or threshold, a nerve sends a signal to the brain. The immune system, which is controlled by the nervous system, relies upon these signals to tell it that a threshold has been crossed and action needs to be taken. When a signal is received that our system is out o balance, the immune system tries to make corrections that will bring us back into balance.

Depending on which threshold has been crossed, our immune system makes a counteractive response that attempts to bring things back into homeostasis. I we are too hot, the immune system will try to cool us down. I our heart is pumping too fast, the immune system will try to slow it down. I a vessel is punctured and we lose blood, the immune system will coagulate it so it stops leaking. I bacteria invade, the immune system will try to neutralize them. I cells are damaged, the immune system will try to repair them.

Whatever problem we encounter, our immune system always tries to restore homeostasis and bring us back into a state o balance. And the immune system does this all day, all night, every day, for our entire life.

All humans share similar thresholds o tolerance for various conditions, but each person has their own individual threshold. What one person can tolerate, another person may not. Each o your clients will have different thresholds they can tolerate. We can make some educated guesses about people, but it is ultimately up to each individual to learn what their personal thresholds are because no one else, not even doctors, can assume to know one's limits.

The techniques that will be presented in later sections take advantage o the fact that our immune system is always trying to maintain balance. We help that process by adding or subtracting things from the environment o inlammation so that homeostasis can be achieved faster.

To help the immune system restore balance, we've got to irst know which systems are out o balance. Only then can we know what needs to change to restore balance. Fortunately, there are only four fundamental forces that control whether the immune system is creating

C H A P T E R 3 ~ M A I N T A I N I N G B A L A N C E 11


inlammation or suppressing it. Once we are aware o these forces, we can help the immune system and improve the way our clients respond to inlammation.

Therefore, the irst thing we need to understand are the basic forces that govern the immune system. I don't want to make the immune system complicated by getting caught up in the details o how our biochemistry makes it all happen. What we need is a fundamental understanding o the forces that direct the actions o inlammation. Once we understand the basic forces that control our immune system, it becomes much easier to recognize what actions we can take that might help to restore balance and reduce inlammation.

C H A P T E R 3 ~ M A I N T A I N I N G B A L A N C E 12


13

C H A P T E R 4

Building Blocks of the Immune System

As we talk about the immune system, it is easy to fall into the trap o referring to it as i it were a physical thing, but it is not a thing. There is no speciic organ that controls the immune system, no speciic place you can point to and say, "That's the immune system." It is a set o responses that are triggered when we experience stress on a cellular level, and virtually all o the major systems o the body are involved in one way or another to carry out the actions o this thing we call the immune system.

The immune system is a set o responses. It doesn't have a mind o its own and it never attacks us, even though it is sometimes described that way. The immune system can only respond to signals that a threshold has been crossed, and i the immune system is active there must be a signal somewhere telling it to be that way.

C H A P T E R 4 ~ B U I L D I N G B L O C K S O F T H E I M M U N E S Y S T E M 14


Depending on what kind o stress our cells experience, every part o the body gets involved in the immune system functions at some point. From the perspective o waxers who are trying to reduce inlammation, however, there are four parts o the immune system that are most important to us:

• the nervous system (brain and peripheral nerves)• the circulatory system (blood and lymph)• the integumentary system (hair, skin and glands)• the endocrine system (especially hormones produced by the adrenal gland)

Each o these systems has an important role in starting and stopping inlammation. Note that each o these systems is an actual physical thing, but the immune system is not. The immune system is just a collection o responses from these systems.

Nervous System

The nervous system is arguably the most important part o our immune system because it is the communication network that monitors our body for signs o irritation. Millions o peripheral nerves spread out from the brain to monitor every action in our body and alert us to any danger that requires action from the immune system. Strong nerve signals are what activate the immune system. Without nerve signals that indicate something is wrong, the immune system is practically dormant. Peripheral nerves therefore exert primary control over whether the immune system, and therefore inlammation, is turned of or on. Peripheral nerves are what we irritate when hair is removed during waxing.

Circulatory System

The circulatory system is almost as important to the immune process as the nervous system because the circulation o blood throughout the body is how the immune system moves things around.



The immune system would not have the power to heal i it couldn't direct its activities to a speciic location. Antibodies need to travel in the bloodstream and accumulate at the site o infection or injury. White blood cells need to migrate out o the vessels and move into tissue to neutralize the damage. The lymph system needs to carry all the debris away. The circulatory system, therefore, plays a vital role in the effectiveness o the immune system.

Integumentary System

The integumentary system includes our skin, hair and glands in the outer dermal layers. Most o the immune system's battles are fought in the dermal layers because that's where most o the wear and tear is experienced as we go through life. I it weren't for our immune system, our skin would never last through a lifetime o abuse. Every cut would become fatal and every infection would lead to death. Instead, our immune system has evolved ways o reacting quickly to protect our skin from damage, and this protective instinct is one o the reasons why hair removal by waxing causes such a strong inlammatory response.

Endocrine System

The endocrine system is often overlooked in discussions o the immune system, but it provides a vital function. The endocrine system includes all the glands we use to control biologic functions, and among the most important in terms o inlammation are the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands manufacture adrenaline and cortisol, both o which are involved in turning inlammation on and off. The adrenal glands react very quickly when the brain senses danger, and their quick response is one o the reasons why inlammation appears so rapidly when the skin is irritated by waxing.

Each o these four systems — the nervous system, circulatory system, integumentary system, and endocrine system — contributes something important to the creation or suppression o inlammation. Each provides a unique function, but they all work together to create the condition we call inlammation. Whenever we see inlammation from waxing we can be



sure that part o it is being controlled by the nervous system, part o it is being controlled by the circulatory system, another part is being controlled by the endocrine system, and part is being controlled by the skin.

This gives us four different places where we can make corrections to change the course o inlammation. We can apply corrections to the nerves or to the way blood circulates. We can apply corrections to the way the adrenal glands secrete hormones, or we can apply corrections to the skin and hair.

The reason these corrections are effective is because o something we learned at the very beginning o our discussion — the immune system is always trying to maintain balance. When you change the conditions in one system, the immune system responds by changing conditions in other systems because it is trying to achieve balance.

As waxers, we need to understand two important things and use them to our advantage:

1. There are only four basic systems at work in creating inlammation: the nervous system, circulatory system, endocrine system, and integumentary or skin/hair system; and

2. The immune system's primary job is to maintain homeostasis, or balance.

Every day, all day long, the immune system maintains balance, or homeostasis, by lowering the levels o some systems while raising the level o others. Most o these effects go unnoticed as we go through our day, and you will often hear the immune system described as being dormant unless there is an active infection or injury.



In reality, the immune system is never dormant because it is always working to keep us in balance. Saying that it goes dormant is a useful concept because it draws a line between the everyday actions o the immune system and the more dramatic actions o inlammation. But for you to appreciate the beauty o the immune system, you should know that it is never dormant.

The immune system always needs a signal to respond to. It's waiting for something to trigger it into action. I we change the signals that are being sent from any o the four major systems, it will change the immune response. It's a cause and effect relationship, and not as complicated as most o us think.



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What Every Waxer Inflammation€¦ · ABOUT THE AUTHOR Before entering the ield o waxing 15 years ago, Judy Zi ka was trained in the sciences. She now blends that background with