Frequently
Asked Questions

For most clients, every 4–6 weeks is a great starting point. This allows us to regularly assess your skin, address changing concerns, and build on the progress made during previous treatments.

That does not mean everyone needs the same schedule. Your ideal frequency depends on your skin, goals, home-care routine, treatment type, and budget. Some clients benefit from a more focused series of treatments, while others maintain their results with less frequent visits.

At ONYX, we would rather create a realistic plan you can maintain than recommend appointments simply for the sake of booking them.

Professional skincare recommendations take the guesswork out of your routine.

There are countless products available, but more products do not necessarily mean better skin. A professionally recommended routine is selected based on your skin type, current condition, goals, sensitivities, lifestyle, and the treatments you receive.

We can also help determine which ingredients belong together, which may be unnecessary, and which could potentially irritate or compromise your skin barrier.

The goal is not to give you a complicated shelf full of products. It is to build an effective routine with products that have a purpose.

Your budget matters, and it should be part of the conversation.

Healthy skin does not require purchasing every product or booking every treatment available. If you have a specific amount you are comfortable investing, tell us. We can prioritize where your money will make the greatest impact.

For some clients, that may mean investing more heavily in consistent home care and scheduling professional treatments less frequently. For others, it may mean creating a treatment series to address a specific concern.

Consistency within your budget is far more valuable than an elaborate routine or treatment plan you cannot maintain.

Think about the math: we may see your skin once a month, but you care for it twice a day.

That makes your home routine one of the most influential parts of your results.

Professional treatments can exfoliate, hydrate, clarify, stimulate, and address concerns at a level your daily routine cannot. Home care supports those results during the weeks between appointments.

The two are designed to work together. Your facial is not a substitute for home care, and home care cannot always accomplish what a professional treatment can.

The best results usually come from combining both.

No.

A strong routine can be surprisingly simple. We would rather see you consistently use a few well-selected products than own ten products you rarely use or that do not work well together.

Your routine can evolve as your skin, goals, seasons, and budget change.

Some improvements—such as hydration, softness, and glow—may be noticeable immediately after a facial. Other concerns require patience and consistency.

Texture, congestion, discoloration, breakouts, and visible signs of aging typically require a longer-term approach involving professional treatments, home care, and daily habits.

Skin is biological tissue, not an overnight project. We focus on progressive, not aggressive treatment and realistic, sustainable improvement.

You do not have to diagnose your own skin before booking.

If you are new to ONYX, THE INTRODUCTION is designed specifically for new clients. It gives us an opportunity to evaluate your skin, discuss your concerns and goals, learn about your current routine, and begin building an appropriate treatment and home-care plan.

Your job is to tell us what you are noticing and what you would like to improve. Determining how we approach it is ours.

Possibly.

Certain exfoliating acids, retinoids, prescription topicals, acne medications, and other active products may need to be paused before particular treatments.

Always disclose the products and medications you are currently using. This helps us determine what can be safely performed and whether your appointment needs to be modified.

When in doubt, contact ONYX before your appointment.

It depends on the treatment.

If you simply want hydrated, refreshed, glowing skin, certain facials can be excellent before an event. More intensive treatments—including peels, microneedling, or treatments involving significant exfoliation—should generally be planned farther in advance.

If you have a wedding, photos, vacation, reunion, or another important event coming up, tell us the date. We can help create an appropriate timeline rather than experimenting with something new immediately beforehand.

Brazilian waxing removes hair from the root, leaving the skin smoother for significantly longer than shaving.

With consistent waxing, many clients also notice that regrowth becomes softer, finer, and less noticeable over time. Waxing eliminates daily shaving and the rough stubble that can appear shortly afterward.

For clients prone to shaving irritation, waxing may also be a preferred alternative when paired with appropriate aftercare.

Most clients do best on approximately a 4–6 week schedule, depending on their individual hair-growth cycle.

Consistency matters. Regular waxing helps keep the hair on a more predictable growth cycle and generally provides better long-term results than waxing sporadically or shaving between appointments.

Waxing works best when there is enough hair for the wax to effectively grip and remove it from the root.

Shaving between appointments interrupts the waxing cycle and creates hairs at different stages of growth. This can make it harder to achieve consistently smooth results at your next appointment.

If your goal is to transition from shaving to waxing, give the process time and stay consistent.

Proper exfoliation helps prevent dead skin from accumulating over the opening of the follicle as new hair begins to grow.

When hair has difficulty reaching the surface, it can curl or become trapped beneath the skin, contributing to ingrown hairs and bumps.

Once the skin has had time to settle after your wax, regular gentle exfoliation can help keep the area smooth and support healthy hair regrowth.

Avoid overly aggressive scrubbing—the goal is consistent exfoliation, not irritation.

Exfoliation and hydration work together.

Dry, dehydrated skin can make it more difficult for new hair to emerge through the surface. Keeping the skin appropriately moisturized helps maintain a softer, healthier skin barrier and can reduce the environment that contributes to trapped hairs.

Use gentle, fragrance-free products appropriate for the area and avoid heavily fragranced body products immediately following your wax.

Immediately after waxing, the skin and follicles can be more sensitive. For approximately the first 24 hours, avoid activities that create excessive heat, friction, or irritation.

This can include strenuous exercise, hot tubs, saunas, very hot baths, tight clothing, heavily fragranced products, and sexual activity.

Allowing the skin time to calm can help minimize unnecessary irritation.

Ideally, hair should be approximately ¼ inch long—roughly the length of a grain of rice.

If you have been shaving, this generally means allowing approximately two weeks of growth, although everyone’s growth rate is different.

Waxing involves removing hair from the root, so some discomfort is expected. However, most clients find that the anticipation is worse than the actual service.

Regular waxing can also become easier over time as you become accustomed to the process and the regrowth becomes finer.

Please arrive on time for your scheduled appointment. Because ONYX operates by appointment, your reserved time is specifically set aside for you.

If you are a new client, please complete any requested intake forms before your appointment whenever possible so we can spend your treatment time focused on you.

We understand that life happens. However, appointments are scheduled with a specific amount of time to safely and thoroughly perform your service.

Late arrival may require your treatment to be shortened or modified to avoid delaying the next client’s appointment. Depending on how late you arrive and the service scheduled, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

If you need to make a change to your appointment, please provide as much notice as possible.

Last-minute cancellations and no-shows leave appointment time that often cannot be filled on short notice. Please refer to the current ONYX booking and cancellation policy when scheduling for specific notice requirements and applicable fees.

You are welcome to arrive with or without makeup. Your treatment includes proper cleansing of the skin.

However, arriving with minimal makeup can allow us to spend more of your appointment time focused on treatment rather than makeup removal.

Depending on the treatment, yes.

Retinoids, exfoliating acids, scrubs, benzoyl peroxide, prescription topicals, and other active ingredients may need to be temporarily discontinued before certain services.

Because recommendations vary by treatment and product, please disclose everything you are currently using on your skin. If you are unsure whether something should be stopped, contact ONYX before your appointment rather than guessing.

Please disclose medications, prescription skincare, recent medication changes, allergies, known sensitivities, recent surgeries or procedures, and anything else that could affect your skin or the safety of your service.

Certain medications and medical treatments can change how the skin responds to waxing, exfoliation, peels, microneedling, and other professional treatments.

This information is used to help us determine whether your scheduled service can be performed safely or should be modified or postponed.

Many services may still be appropriate during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, but certain treatments, products, ingredients, or modalities may need to be avoided or modified.

Please let us know if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding before your treatment so your service can be adjusted appropriately. When necessary, we may recommend discussing a particular treatment or ingredient with your healthcare provider before proceeding.

Please contact ONYX before your appointment if you have an active contagious illness, fever, cold sore or other active infection in the treatment area, significant sunburn, open wounds, or a new or unexplained skin reaction.

You should also let us know about recent injections, laser treatments, chemical peels, microneedling, surgery, or other professional procedures.

Rescheduling when necessary protects your skin and allows us to provide the treatment when it can be performed appropriately.

Usually, yes.

Breakouts are one of the reasons many clients seek professional skincare. Your treatment can often be customized to address inflammation, congestion, hydration, and barrier support.

However, certain severe, inflamed, open, or medically treated skin conditions may require modification or postponement. We will evaluate your skin and determine what is appropriate.

If you have an active cold sore, please contact ONYX before your appointment.

Certain treatments can irritate the area or potentially spread the virus to surrounding skin. Depending on the location and treatment scheduled, your appointment may need to be modified or rescheduled until the area has healed.

Yes, but timing matters.

Facial massage, pressure, exfoliation, and certain devices may not be appropriate immediately following injectable treatments. Please tell us when and where you received Botox, filler, or another injectable before your facial.

When scheduling injectables and facial services close together, contact ONYX so we can help determine appropriate timing.

Yes, particularly before advanced exfoliation, peels, waxing, or other treatments that require the skin to be healthy and uncompromised.

Sunburned or significantly irritated skin should not be aggressively treated. Daily sunscreen use is also strongly encouraged before and after professional skin treatments.

Allow approximately ¼ inch of hair growth—about the length of a grain of rice—so the wax has enough hair to grip effectively.

Gently exfoliating in the days leading up to your appointment may also help remove excess dead skin, but avoid aggressive exfoliation immediately before your wax.

Arrive with clean skin and avoid applying heavy oils or lotions to the area immediately beforehand.

No.

If you have been shaving, allow enough time for the hair to grow before your appointment. Hair that is too short may not be effectively removed by the wax.

Once you begin a consistent waxing schedule, avoid shaving between appointments whenever possible.

Yes, you can receive a Brazilian wax while menstruating as long as you are comfortable doing so and use a tampon or menstrual cup during the service.

Some clients notice increased skin sensitivity around their menstrual cycle, so the service may feel slightly more uncomfortable than usual.

This depends on the medication, where it is being used, and the area being waxed.

Certain retinoids and medications can make the skin more fragile and increase the risk of lifting or injury during waxing.

Always disclose topical and oral medications before your service. Never assume that because a product is not being used directly on the area being waxed that it is irrelevant.

Wear whatever makes you comfortable.

If possible, loose-fitting, breathable clothing can be more comfortable afterward and helps minimize unnecessary friction against freshly waxed skin.

Follow the specific aftercare recommendations provided for your treatment.

In general, keep your routine gentle, maintain hydration, avoid unnecessary exfoliation, and protect your skin with sunscreen. Depending on your service, you may be instructed to temporarily avoid retinoids, exfoliating acids, excessive heat, strenuous exercise, or other potentially irritating activities.

More treatment is not always better. Give your skin time to respond to the work we have already done.

It depends on the treatment.

After more intensive exfoliation, peels, microneedling, or treatments that leave the skin temporarily sensitized, you may be advised to avoid strenuous exercise and excessive heat for a period of time.

Your specific aftercare instructions will take priority over general recommendations.

This depends on the treatment.

After some services, makeup is perfectly appropriate. Following treatments that temporarily compromise or create channels in the skin, you may be instructed to avoid makeup for a specific period.

When possible, giving freshly treated skin some makeup-free time is a great option.

Professional treatments can make sun protection particularly important, especially following exfoliation or treatments designed to address discoloration and signs of aging.

Unprotected UV exposure can contribute to premature aging, pigmentation, inflammation, and the very concerns we may be working to improve.

Daily sunscreen is not simply an aftercare product—it is an important part of maintaining your long-term results.

Not necessarily—and that is normal.

Some treatments are designed to provide an immediate glow, while others intentionally initiate a process that continues after you leave the studio.

Temporary redness, dryness, flaking, sensitivity, or other expected responses can occur depending on the service performed. We will explain what is normal for your particular treatment and provide appropriate aftercare instructions.

Not necessarily.

More aggressive does not automatically mean more effective. Over-treating the skin can create inflammation, compromise the skin barrier, and ultimately work against your goals.

At ONYX, our philosophy is progressive, not aggressive. We choose treatments based on what your skin can appropriately tolerate and what will move you toward your goals—not simply what sounds the strongest.

You don’t have to figure it out alone.

If you are a new facial client, start with THE INTRODUCTION. We can evaluate your skin, discuss your concerns, review your current products, talk about your budget and goals, and determine what makes sense from there.

If you are an existing client and are unsure which service is appropriate, contact ONYX before booking. We are happy to point you in the right direction.

Your medications, hair growth, breakouts, ingrown hairs, skincare habits, how long it has been since your last wax, the fact that you sleep in your makeup sometimes, or that your current routine consists of almost nothing.

We cannot give you the best recommendation if we do not have the full picture.

There is no expectation of perfection at ONYX. Come as you are. We will start there.

Absolutely not.

You do not need to change your routine, clear your breakouts, or know anything about skincare before making an appointment. Come with your skin exactly as it is.

Our role is to meet you where you are and determine an appropriate next step.

A single facial can make your skin look and feel significantly better, but long-standing concerns rarely develop overnight—and they generally do not disappear overnight either.

Meaningful changes typically come from consistency, appropriate treatments, home care, and time.

We will always be transparent about what a treatment can reasonably accomplish and when a series or longer-term plan may be more appropriate.

In many cases, yes.

Sensitive or reactive skin does not automatically mean professional treatments are off limits. It does mean the treatment should be selected and customized carefully.

Please tell us about known sensitivities, allergies, medications, recent procedures, and previous reactions before your service.

No.

Product recommendations are made because we believe they can support your skin and extend your professional results—not because you are required to purchase them.

If you are interested in improving your home routine, we can prioritize recommendations based on what your skin needs most and what fits comfortably within your budget.

At ONYX, treatments are not built around doing the most—they are built around doing what makes sense for your skin.

We believe in personalized treatments, proven results, thoughtful home care, and progressive rather than unnecessarily aggressive treatment.

Your skin, goals, lifestyle, tolerance, and budget are considered when developing a plan. Whether you are beginning with your first professional facial or working toward a specific long-term goal, the objective remains the same: intentional treatment with a reason behind every step.