Growing up us women were always fascinated with the idea of hair removal. We probably started with waxing/threading our eyebrows and upper lip because that’s all our mom’s would let us do. Then you probably moved on to shaving and have been doing it ever since. It is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to get rid of unwanted hair right before a date or wearing a bikini. Well, after all the stubbly hair, ingrown hairs, and constant buying of razor blades, it’s time to move on up to and welcome ourselves into the world of waxing.
I know what you’re thinking, the pain and the price are the first things that come to mind when you hear the word wax. But after you try it for the first time your life will be changed forever and you will never go back to shaving ever again!
I have been waxing for over four years, and have done my share of experimenting with what type of wax works best and what does not. Now I am by no means a skincare expert, but as a woman that has been around the block once or twice, I want to be able to help both men and women with questions I had before I was introduced into the world of wax. The two types I find more effective are blue hard wax and sugar waxing. Just like with everything in the world, there are both pros and cons but I am going to debunk all the misconceptions you might have heard about the topic and even include some of my favorite shops in LA and NYC!
When I first started waxing I began with my full arms and Brazilian area, I know what you’re thinking, and yes it was very painful to be blunt and yes it was a bit uncomfortable with having someone looking at my who-ha that I had never met before. Nonetheless, I went through with it and it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.
BLUE HARD WAX
This was what I was introduced to, or some of you might know it by its actual name, Cirepil blue wax. It is super popular with many small and large salons around the states. It consists of buying the blue beads and melting them, which if you are looking to try waxing but are not up for paying a ton of money you can always choose to buy the beads and DIY at home! I’ll leave a link to the specific beads I’ve seen my aestheticians use below.
The esthetician starts off making sure the wax is hot enough to where it will not burn you but make sure it grabs a hold of the hair follicle. Then they will proceed to use a jumbo wooden craft stick, kind of like the ones you used in elementary school to build houses to scoop up the wax and place it on your body, some spas use wax strips to remove the hair and others just opt for the wax getting a bit hard and taking it off.
For arms it’s a pretty basic process, the person doing your wax will have you sitting down and ask you to extend, turn over and bend your arm to ensure they get every last bit of hair, usually, they will have you examine it for yourself and make sure you are satisfied. As for your Brazilian, or bikini area, it is a bit more tedious, you’ll first have to lay on your back and have your legs in a butterfly position, you will normally change positions and have one leg in a butterfly position and the other straight down, and for the finishing touches you’ll have to bend your legs and bring them to your chest and they will do the butt area.
They will usually end with plucking unwanted little stubborn hairs that did not want to come out with the wax and rubbing a type of lotion around the waxed areas to help calm the redness. The hair usually takes about 3 to 4 weeks to reach a full length of regrowth. The process lasts about 20- 30 minutes depending on how your aesthetician waxes and their process.
Sugar Wax
Now, this type of wax has to be the best kind in my opinion. Sugaring is all- natural and vegan, using only three ingredients: sugar, lemon, and water to help remove the hair. It is not as hot as the traditional Cirepil wax so the sensation of the wax going on your skin is a bit better. Now, I have not done my Brazilian with sugaring yet because I wanted to try out lasers. I will share my experience with that in a later post!
But the process is a tad different for arm hair removal. The mixture of wax comes in a container that they will pop in the microwave for 15 seconds or until they can move the wax around with their hands. The esthetician will have you lay down with your arms along your side. Then use the sugar composition and spread it along your arms and pull. He or she will normally reuse it a few times before they throw it away. It ends up being super environmental since they are not using any other tools but the wax itself. They will normally end with asking if you see any more hair you want to get rid of and then add a tea tree oil to your skin.
Cirepil Wax
Pros
1. Best for skin types that are not sensitive,
2. Easily accessible, waxing salons are normally found in various cities
3. Normally it is more inexpensive,
Cons
1. Not recommended to shave in between sessions
2. Hair should be as long as a grain of rice to be able to wax
3. Painful level of a 7 or 8, not recommended for people that do not have a high pain tolerance
Sugar Wax
Pros
1. Best for all skins types
2. Lasts longer than traditional waxing (between 4-5 weeks sometimes longer)
3. All natural ingredients for those that are careful of what goes on their skin
4. Helps with fading scars
Cons
1. Not located in many places, might have to travel a bit
2. Not recommended to shave in between sessions
3. Hair should be as long as a grain of rice to be able to wax
RECOMMENDATIONS
So you are ready to find a salon and start your journey to being hair free! Congratulations! There are a few things to keep in mind that have helped me along with many friends that have a love for waxing. First, find a provider that you absolutely trust! Make sure they have great reviews on Google and Yelp and read the reviews to see if people talk about a particular person that they love.
You are going to be your most vulnerable (especially if you are doing a Brazilian) so make sure you have a connection with the person. Look at the pictures of the salon as well, make sure it is nice and clean since we are dealing with your skin. You need to make sure you are taking every precaution necessary. Also, during the process, I find it therapeutic to talk to the person waxing you. Normally they do love to chat and it eases the tension for you.
My wax lady was like my therapist! She knew when I was going on vacation, who I was dating, and everything in between! Lastly, if you end up loving it, stick with it! I cannot stress this enough. The key to benefiting from all the positives of waxing is continue to go ever 4 to 6 weeks. AND DO NOT SHAVE IN BETWEEN SESSIONS! I know, trust me it can be tempting especially if hair starts to show when you have someplace to go or someone to see. But do not do it no matter how bad you want to. If you do, it will start the process all over again.
The more you continue to wax it will start to hurt less because the hair follicle is used to being removed that way. If you introduce it back to a razor blade then the way the hair was removed will cause it to grow back darker and coarse. Also, exfoliating is key! I always exfoliate at least 2-3 times per week and especially right before I go get a fresh wax. It makes those hard to reach hairs more visible when you remove the dead skin. Happy waxing and I hope you find a provider that will add ease to another item of your monthly beauty maintenance!
List of Salons
Proper Puss
33 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014
210 Dryden Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Sugaring NYC
315 West 57th Street, Office 405 New York, NY 10019 (Columbus Circle)
1225 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10028 (UES)
European Wax Center
15628 Whittwood Ln, Whittier, CA 90603
