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Waxing is the lowest costing and most effective method for temporary hair removal because it removes hair with its roots, not just at the skin surface as with shaving. Regrowth of the hair usually takes 3 to 8 weeks.
For very important occasions such as competitive body building, beauty contests, or to impress someone special, a professional whole body waxing is recommended. This may cost about $150 for a whole "hairy" body and take 3 hours. You will be relatively hairless for about 3 weeks. One caution: have the waxing done at least a week before the special occasion to be sure that any tiny red pinprick-dots are healed.
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Hair regrowth after shaving is immediate and the stubble is coarse and rough. With waxing, the new hair takes weeks to come back, and is softer, lighter in color, and much sparser. Not only are the hairs removed but waxing exfoliates the top layer of dead skin cells, resulting in a softer, smoother, more translucent skin. Leg waxing leaves the skin silky smooth for 4 to 6 weeks. Waxing also works well on the stomach, brows, and upper lip.
Waxing often results in a slower hair return. Each waxing permanently destroys some hair roots and so space between the hairs increases. Less hair returns and the returning hair becomes finer. Eventually, much hair is permanently gone.
Removing facial hair does not make it grow back darker. However, some women experience "shading" and the skin where hair is removed becomes darker. This is usually due to exposing the skin to the sun within 48 hours after hair removal. For best results, use a sunblocker on newly treated areas.
Waxing Requires
- Special hair removal wax
- Cloth patches
- A moist towel
- A wax heating unit
- A mixing and applying spatula
- A pain reducing gel
- A skin repair cream
Waxing at home costs about $5 for a 3 oz. wax kit, which is enough for three applications on lower legs, while a salon charges $25 to $35 for the lower legs, $15 to $25 for the bikini line, and $10 to $20 for the upper lip.
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Types of Waxes
Special waxes have been developed for hair removal that contain combinations of waxes, such as paraffin and beeswax, oils or fats, and resins that help the wax adhere to the skin.
There are "hot" and "cold" waxes. Hot waxes are applied as a thin layer is applied to the skin in the direction of the hair growth. Newer, hot waxes melt at relatively low temperatures and often contain some sugar to ease their removal from the skin. The hair becomes trapped in the wax as it cools and hardens. A cloth is placed over the wax and pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of hair growth, taking the uprooted hairs with it. Waxes should contain no artificial colors, perfumes, or preservatives.
The best hot waxes melt at just above body temperature, reducing the danger of burning. The wax should wash away with water and not require any sort of special remover.
Cold waxes work similarly to hot waxes. You use strips precoated with wax that are pressed on the skin, then pulled off in the direction opposite to hair growth. The wax strips come in different sizes for use on the chin, eyebrows, upper lip, and bikini area. Waxes should not be re-used despite the recommendations of some wax sellers.
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Waxing Cautions
Before waxing, test a small area of skin for any sensitivity to the wax. Waxing should not be done on persons with diabetes, or with varicose veins, moles, or warts on the site of hair removal. Wax should not be used on nipples, male genital organs, the eyelashes, inside the nose or ears, or on skin that is irritated, chapped, sunburned, or broken.
Waxing should not be done on the face of a person using Retin-A, Renova, Differin, or Accutane, as these substances weaken the skin and the skin may tear when the wax strip is pulled off.
Waxing Your Skin
Hair should be at least 1/8" long before waxing. If shorter, wait a few days longer (best results are obtained letting the hair grow for 2-3 weeks). You will need wax, cloth strips (3" by 9" for body waxing), and a small, moist towel.
Prior to starting, wash the area to be waxed with soap and water and dry well. Any makeup or lotions on the skin may prevent the wax from removing the hair.
Heating the Wax
For microwaving wax, remove the cap and place the jar of wax in the microwave oven. Heat on full power for 20 to 30 seconds (however, because each microwave is somewhat different, it is a good idea to experiment to find the best time). If you wish to use a stove top, remove the cap and place the jar of wax in a pan with gently boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir the wax well with a spatula. The wax should be soft but not runny. The ideal temperature for wax application is 40-50°C (104-122°F). Test the wax on a very small area of skin to be certain that it is not too hot.
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Applying Pain-Reducing Gels
Since waxing stings the skin, many waxers use pain-reducing gels (usually 4% lidocaine) that are specially formulated to penetrate intact skin. The pain-reducing gels are applied 30-60 minutes before waxing. The special lidocaine provides an effective numbing action during the waxing procedure. The gel is formulated so that it does not interfere with the waxing procedure or reduce the adhesion of the wax to the hair.
A moderately thick layer of lidocaine gel works best (about 0.4 grams of gel per 10 square centimeters of skin). Usually, the skin above the upper lip or eyebrow area will be sufficiently numb to perform waxing without discomfort after 30 minutes. Other areas, such as the legs or bikini areas may take longer, 45-60 minutes. The gel is often covered with occlusive plastic wraps, such as Saran Wrap, Cellophane Film, Tegaderm or Flexi-film, which promote the penetration of the anesthetic numbing agent into the skin. This wrapping is especially useful for skin areas with less skin blood supply like the legs. The longer the application time, the deeper and more complete the degree of analgesia.
The lidocaine gels should not be applied inside the eyes and contact with the eyes should be strongly avoided. If contact with the eyes does occur, flush the eyes with saline solution or with water. Before waxing, it is recommended to wipe the area with a clean, moist towelette.
A somewhat different pain-reducing gel that is used by many waxing salons is EMLA® cream. It contains a combination of 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine. It is a prescription product from Astra Pharmaceuticals costing about $40 per 1 oz. jar.
Applying and Removing Wax
Apply a very thin layer of wax in the direction of hair growth. Then smooth a cloth strip over the waxed area and remove the strip in a rapid motion against the direction of hair growth, while keeping the skin tight as possible with the other hand. Pull the cloth as close to the skin as possible. If the cloth strip is peeled off too slowly, hair will not come out properly.
Waxing Difficult Areas Hair on the upper lip and chin can be difficult to remove. To improve the removal facial hair: - Use the wax at a lower temperature than for the rest of the body - Use small cloth strips of about 3" by 1" - Use your free hand to keep the skin very tight - Spread the wax very thin - Wax very small areas at a time
Cleaning after Waxing
Wash the waxed area with a moist towel to remove excess wax. A temporary redness and soreness in the waxed area is normal. Avoid exposing the just-waxed area of skin to the sun for 12 hours. Many salons apply an anti-infection ointment after waxing.
Sources of Waxing Materials
Waxes, special heaters, and lidocaine can be obtained from many sources. Many small waxing kits are available in drug stores such as Rite-Aid. The brands of Sally Hansen (www.sallyhansen.com) and Lee Pharmaceuticals (Zip line) (www.leepharmaceuticals.com) sell low priced packages of waxing strips, waxing kits, and sugar waxes. They are priced in the $5 to $8 range and include facial and body waxes, wax trays, microwavable waxes, and wax strips.
More extensive supplies can be obtained from:
DermaScan Laboratories P.O. Box 4066 Mountain View, CA 94040 Website: www.dermascan.com Email: dermascan@dermascan.com Telephone: (800) 677-9299 This company sells a starter kit of one 12.5 Oz. wax jar, one package of 40 (9"x3") (23 cm x 8 cm) reusable cloth strips, and one SmartSpatula (with temperature indicators that change from black to green to show the temperature the wax is at, all for $26.97. They also sell a pain-reducing gel of 4% Lidocaine at $11.99 for 0.25 oz. (8 grams) or $45.95 for 1.2 oz. ( 35 grams). An electric wax warmer (110 Volts) is sold for $10.95.
Waxit sells a complete professional Waxit station for use at home or in a beauty salon. The kit which sells for $169 contains (1) a thermostatic wax bucket containing six pounds of honey colored WAXIT with spatula cleaner installed, (2) a metal bladed professional spatula, (3) a filter screen that sterilizes and filters wax, (4) a complete textbook with instructions, and (5) a Spatula for wax application.
Their address is: Richard Whittleton Jr. 2351 Drew Street Clearwater, FL 34625 Email: rewjr@bizinter.net
Depilatory Waxes (103 South River Street, Santa Cruz, California 95060, email is lavandou@cruzio.com, Fax (408) 423-8795)) sells Low Temperature Soft Waxes that are microwavable or can be used with standard wax heater, 20 oz. of wax sells for $26.00, Hard ("Hot," "No-strip") Waxes cost $40 for a 1-kg bag.
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Sugaring Instead of Waxing
This alternative to waxing comes from ancient Egypt and is popular in Arab countries. A mixture of sugar, lemon juice, and water is heated to form a syrup. The syrup is formed into a ball, flattened onto the skin, then quickly striped away. The hair is removed at the root. Sugaring is an alternative available for anyone whose skin reacts to wax with redness or bumps. Because the person applying the mixture rolls the mixture in the hands first, it can never scald the way hot wax can. Sugaring can be used to defuzz eyebrows, mustaches, bikini lines, underarms, legs, and backs. The cost for sugaring is the same as for traditional waxing, at about $65 for a full leg and $16 for an underarm.
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