To wax or not to wax

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-04-2003
To wax or not to wax
4
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 10:51am
As summer time approaches and we get closer to beach season I am contemplating waxing. I would love to go without shaving my legs and other parts of my body all summer, but have yet to try waxing.

Anyone out there a regular waxer? Do you go to a salon, or do you do it yourself? How long does it usually last? Which products are the best ones? What about this Nads stuff?

As you can see I have lots of questions....so don't be shy tell me all your best and worst experiences with waxing. Any information would be great!


Thanks,

Lori

Mom to two beautiful girls

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 1:06pm
I have only tried waxing once and it HURT! You have to let the hair grow to about 1/4 inch before waxing as well. I tried it at home and didn't have much success.

If you don't want to shave you can try a dipiltory cream like Nair. They now have faster acting formulas that don't smell as bad as they used to. I used to do this before I had kids, but found I didn't have the time to keep it on my legs without smudging it or getting it on other stuff by doing other things while I wait till I can take it off.

good luck

Tanya

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2003
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 1:49pm
Waxing hurts like heck! OMG! My cousin tried waxing the bikini area..and she thought she was gonna die...It bled! Yes it can bleed......if your roots are deep. I have used Nair but its the same as waxing to me....ur hair has to be so long before it will work good. My mothers legs blisters with Nair...so you may want to try it on a small area before you do the whole thing. Maybe try waxing a small part of your leg...to see how its gonna feel..before you get that sticky stuff all over your legs. Hope this helps!

Christy

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 9:16pm
I get waxed all the time (brows and upper lip....they don't say "moustache" to you in a salon! lol). Anyway, waxing hurts but you get used to it. I did have a "brazillian" bikini wax done last year as a treat for my husband and well, NEVER AGAIN!!!! I swear the beautician saw more of my body parts than my ob/gyn and it hurt like hell. And left ingrowns and bled a little.

Also... if you are really hairy (like dark, thick hair) you won't stay bare for the 3-4 weeks that they say. First of all, each hair is on a different growth cycle at any point in the month and the new dark hairs coming up are visible on your skin anyway.

I would just shave. Legs get really expensive.

Melissa

Meldi
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Thu, 05-06-2004 - 2:12pm
I've had my legs (and other areas) waxed for years. I have done both salons, and at home, and shave or use an epilator inbetween times for touch up. The key to being happy with a leg waxing is 1)know what to expect going in and 2)make SURE that the person you go to is well experienced and comes with good recommendations.



If you've never waxed before, I would think carefully about trying anything other than the lower leg at home, and then ONLY use cold wax to start with. A slight miscalculation on the wax temperature, and instead of taking off hair, you pull off the top layer of skin--painful, and also there's a risk of scarring if it's bad enough! So, stick to products that are room temperature at first for at home, for safety's sake. I've tried the NADS thing, and a few other sugar based products, and wasn't really very impressed. I had to repeat strips too many times to make it worth the trouble because it left hairs behind with each pass. I've heard from friends that it works better on darker haired people, because the hair tends to be a little coarser and thicker, so it can grab it better. If you're light haired, it may not work as well.

Personally, for me it's worth the money at least two or three times a year to have it done professionally. I made the mistake of shaving all the way to my waist pretty much lol(I was young and stupid, what can I say) so there's some areas that are a little tricky. If you're comfortable with it, a bikini wax makes summer sooooo much easier to deal with, especially before you head to the beach or the lake that first time. As far as the effects, the more often you wax, the sparcer and softer the hair seems to be--certainly more so than when you're strictly shaving. I've got that peaches and cream complexion thing, so with pale pale legs, hair is very noticable, especially stiff stubble. I can usually go about 4-6 weeks between waxings, and only do it in the warm weather, so it makes vacations easy if you do it the week before. You may have redness for a day or so--you did just pull out all of your hairs, after all. Speaking of which, yes, it does hurt. Depending on several factors, it may be more or less uncomfortable for you--how good the person doing the waxing is, how coarse and deeply rooted your hair is, how sensitive your skin is, etc. I've heard some people say that it gets to the point that is doesn't hurt if you do it repeatedly, but I've yet to get there... I'll admit, it does get a little easier, but it still is not the most fun I've ever had. I've found it helpful to go home, and take a bath afterwards with aveeno to soothe the skin. The immediate pain is fast, and over quickly, but you are a little tender after that for a day.

The only other drawback to waxing, especially the bikini area, is the risk of ingrown hairs. To avoid that, use a mild lufa type sponge or cloth and make sure to keep it gently exfoliated after you are waxed--that way as the hairs start to come back slowly, they won't get stuck under the skin. As long as you do that, it shouldn't be a big issue. That's apparantly more of an issue sometimes with people who have dark skin or really dark hair--same problem as above, I suppose. I've had it happen a few times, but nothing horrible.

Soooo, if you decide to go to a salon, don't be afraid to ask the person you go to how long they've been doing waxing, and how many people they've worked on. If they're insulted by the question, then you need to find someone else to wax your legs. :) Good luck being hair free this summer!

Angela