How It Works: Hot wax is spread on the area of skin where the undesired hair is growing. A strip of cloth or paper is then applied over the wax and quickly pulled away, taking the hairs, root, and some of the dead skin cells along with it. Waxing can be done by professionals in a beauty salon, or in the comfort of your home.
How Long It Lasts: 4 to 5 weeks
Pros: Waxing is fast, inexpensive, and can be done at home. Waxing removed both hair fiber and root, and so leaves the area smooth for a long time. There are waxing kits available in grocery store and drugstores. A home use kit typically costs between $25-$75, and for professional waxing, it’s $25-$200. Once the hair grows back, it is usually lighter and not as noticeable than after shaving.
Cons: Can be painful, specially in sensitive skin areas, and where the hair is very strong. There is also the change of hairs breaking below the surface. Waxing can be messy and getting the wax to be the proper consistency can be difficult. After waxing, there is often temporary redness and inflamation of the skin, and if proper hygiene is not followed, the skin can get infected.
Professional waxing can be more expensive than some of the other hair removal methods. It can be helpful to go at least once to observe how the professionals do it, then do it at home. Do not feel embarassed, there’s no area that professional beauty specialists have not waxed before.
Some acne medications like isotretinoin and tretinoin, which are frequently used by teenagers can make the skin sensitive, for them we recommend not to use waxing as a hair removal method. People suffering from sunburn, skin irritation or moles should also avoid waxing.
Tips: In order for waxing to work, there much be some length of hair above the skin surface (at least 1/4 inches). So before waxing, you should not shave for a few weeks to allow for the growth of the hair.