By Editorial TeamSo you’re heading to Novotel Longevity Week in Paris this October 2026. It’s a huge global event, so naturally, you’re thinking about personal grooming. A good wax gives you a serious edge, keeping you looking sharp for all those events and meet-and-greets. The real question is, how do you prep your skin to get the smoothest possible result with the least amount of irritation?
Key Takeaways
- Start your skin prep a full month before Novotel Longevity Week to get your skin and hair on a good cycle.
- Gently exfoliate two or three times a week with a physical scrub or chemical exfoliant. This is your best defense against ingrown hairs.
- Moisturize every single day. Use a lotion that won’t clog your pores to keep skin hydrated, which makes hair removal way easier.
- No sun or tanning beds on the area for at least 72 hours before your wax. It makes your skin way too sensitive.
- Book your last wax for 3-5 days before you leave. This gives any redness time to disappear completely.
1. Start Early: The Four-Week Lead-Up
Getting that perfectly smooth skin for a big event like Novotel Longevity Week takes some planning. You can’t just book a wax the day before and expect miracles. I tell all my clients to start their prep at least four weeks out. This is mainly about conditioning the skin, but it also helps get your hair growth cycles lined up so regrowth is more even. When you wax consistently over a few weeks, the hair can actually become less dense and thinner, a finding backed by research in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.
Pro Tip: Hair Length Matters
Let your hair grow out to about a quarter-inch, think the length of a grain of rice. If it’s shorter, the wax has nothing to grab. If it’s too long, the pull is more painful and not as clean. And whatever you do, don’t shave or use hair removal creams between your appointments in that four-week prep window.
2. Establish a Consistent Exfoliation Routine
You have to exfoliate. Period. Starting four weeks out from your trip, get into a routine of exfoliating two to three times a week. It sloughs off the dead skin cells that can otherwise trap hairs and cause ingrowns or a patchy wax. You can go with a physical scrub, like a sugar scrub or a soft body brush, or a chemical one with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs). If your skin is sensitive, I usually suggest a mild BHA lotion because the salicylic acid gets right into the pore to prevent bumps. Even the American Academy of Dermatology Association points out that gentle, regular exfoliation is key for healthy skin texture and avoiding problems after hair removal.
Common Mistake: Over-Exfoliation
But don’t go crazy. Scrubbing every day or with something too harsh will just irritate your skin, leaving it sensitive and more likely to get damaged when you do get waxed. Make sure you’re using a product meant for the body, not a harsher one for your face.
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Find a Wax Center Near You →3. Prioritize Daily Hydration
Hydrated skin is soft and flexible, that’s the secret to a good wax. Start moisturizing every day (twice if you can) about four weeks before you head to Novotel. Find a good, rich moisturizer that is “non-comedogenic,” meaning it won’t clog your pores. Look for stuff like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or shea butter, which are great for pulling moisture in and keeping it there. When skin is properly hydrated, the hair comes out of the follicle much more easily, which means less pain and less risk of the skin lifting. It’s why organizations like the National Eczema Association are always talking about moisturizing to keep the skin’s barrier healthy.
4. Avoid Sun Exposure and Tanning
A lot of people forget this one, but it’s huge: stay out of the sun. For at least 72 hours before your wax, a full week is even better, keep the area you’re waxing away from direct sun and out of tanning beds. Tanned or sunburned skin is already damaged and sensitive, which means waxing will hurt more and could cause lifting or even dark spots later. If you absolutely have to be in the sun, you need to be militant about applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen and reapplying it every couple of hours. Trust me, even a little pinkness can make a wax feel awful and cause major irritation.
Pro Tip: Post-Wax Sun Protection
Same goes for after your appointment. Your skin is extra vulnerable to sun damage right after a wax. Keep protecting it, especially if you’ll be at any outdoor functions during Novotel Longevity Week.
5. Schedule Your Waxing Appointment Strategically
When you book your appointment is just as important as the prep. For a big trip like Novotel Longevity Week, get your final wax done three to five days before you leave. That’s the sweet spot. It gives any redness or tenderness time to completely vanish, so your skin is calm but still perfectly smooth when the conference kicks off. Wax too close to your flight and you might still be red. Wax too far out and you could see stubble before the week’s end.
Common Mistake: Waxing Too Close to the Event
So many people make the mistake of getting waxed the day before a huge event, and they almost always regret it because of the redness that hasn’t gone down yet. Just plan ahead. Your skin will be much happier.
6. Prepare for Your Appointment Day
The day of the wax, take a warm shower (not hot!) to help open up your pores a bit. Don’t put any lotion, oil, or even deodorant on the area you’re getting waxed, that stuff creates a film that stops the wax from gripping the hair. Also, wear loose, comfy clothes to your appointment so you don’t have fabric rubbing against your fresh skin afterward. If you’re worried about pain, some people take an ibuprofen about 30-45 minutes beforehand to take the edge off, but you should always check with your doctor before doing that.
7. Post-Wax Aftercare for Longevity
What you do after the wax is just as important as the prep. For the first day or two, you need to be careful: no hot baths, saunas, intense workouts, or anything that makes you super sweaty, since that can irritate the open follicles. Stick to breathable cotton clothing. You can go back to your gentle exfoliation routine after a couple of days, and definitely keep moisturizing daily. Soothing ingredients like tea tree oil or witch hazel can be great for calming the skin and keeping little bumps from forming. As the American Academy of Dermatology often recommends, stick with gentle, fragrance-free stuff on sensitive skin, especially after a wax.
Pro Tip: Ingrown Hair Prevention
If you know you’re prone to ingrowns, grab a serum or lotion made specifically for them. Find one with salicylic acid or glycolic acid, which will help keep the pores clear so the hair can grow out straight. Start using it a few days after your wax, once the skin isn’t tender anymore. Prepping for a big international event like Novotel Longevity Week is all about following a consistent plan that puts your skin’s health first. If you stick to this regimen, you’ll show up with smooth, comfortable skin that stays that way through your entire packed schedule.
How long will my wax last for the conference?
You can expect your skin to stay smooth for about two to three weeks, though it depends on how fast your hair grows. If you get your wax 3-5 days before Novotel Longevity Week, you’ll be perfectly smooth for the entire event.
What about an epilator instead of waxing?
An epilator also pulls hair from the root, but for a lot of people, it’s more irritating and doesn’t leave the skin as uniformly smooth as a professional wax does. For something important like this, I’d stick with waxing for the clean, reliable results.
Help! I got an ingrown hair before the trip.
Don’t pick at it! Squeezing an ingrown hair is the fastest way to get an infection or a scar. Instead, just keep up with gentle exfoliation and try applying a warm compress. A spot treatment with salicylic acid might also help it work its way out. If it gets really painful or looks infected, it’s time to see a dermatologist.
Is it safe to wax while using retinoids?
Absolutely not. If you’re using any topical retinoids (like Retin-A or Differin) or taking oral ones (like Accutane), you cannot wax. These drugs make your skin incredibly fragile and thin, and waxing will likely tear or “lift” it. You have to tell your esthetician about every medication and active skincare product you’re using.
How can I make the smoothness last longer?
Keep up with your exfoliation and moisturizing routine while you’re traveling. The biggest thing is not to shave, since that will mess up the growth cycle you just trained. Some people use hair growth inhibitor serums to get a little more time between waxes, but honestly, the results on those can be hit or miss.
