Waxing is one of the most common and traditional methods of removing hair from most of the body parts. It has been around for quite some time now and has gained popularity for being one of the most effective ways of temporary hair removal, wherein a combination of hot wax and strips of clothes are used to pull off the unwanted hairs. The hot body waxing is spread evenly over the skin and a strip of cloth is pressed on it before ripping the cloth off from the skin with a quick movement pulling along the hair and dead cells with it. As a result, you are left with a clean, hair free and smooth skin. Although mostly done in beauty salons by professionals, body waxing can also be easily done at home on most of the areas such as legs, arms, face and the bikini line region.
Before you start hair waxing at home on your own, you might need to practice a lot to ensure a smooth and clean skin. Often, many people mess up while waxing, leaving behind patches of hairs due to their inefficiency of pulling out the cloth quickly and effectively. You may also need to use the razor sometimes to clean up the broken hairs left below or on the skin surface. Some people may find it very painful while some find it tolerable. Moreover, extra sensitive skins may even suffer from skin infections from waxing.
Both hot and cold waxes are used for waxing. Hot waxes melt above the temperature of the body and thus allow easy spreading thinly over the skin. As the waxes gradually start hardening, the hairs are entrapped in them which enable the wax to remove them from the roots when the wax is ripped off with the cloth. Cold waxes come in pre-coated strips that are directly pressed on the skin and pulled back to remove the hairs. Persian waxing is the other name of cold waxing. Usually, it takes around 3 to 8 weeks for the hair to grow back. Regular body waxing facilitates reduction of hair growth.
Waxing is not recommended for those suffering from diabetes or poor circulation or varicose veins as they are more prone to infections. Areas affected by moles, pimples, sunburns, warts and rashes should not be waxed. Hair Waxing should never be done for removing hairs from nipples, eyelashes, ears, nose and male genitals. Those using medicines such as Differin, Retin-A, Accutane or Renova are not recommended to apply wax on their faces as these medications often make the skin weak and result in tearing of the skin after the removal of the wax.
Some useful body waxing tips:
- Always perform a patch test before you opt waxing for a larger area to check skin irritation or allergic reaction.
- Do not expose the waxed area to sun for at least 48 hours to avoid skin darkening.
- Use a good sun block cream on the newly waxed areas for some time.
- Do not wax until the hairs are at least 1/8 inches long.
- If your skin is over sensitive, stick to cold waxing.
- Avoid showers or wetting the hairs before waxing. This may lead the hairs to absorb water and soften them and not adhere to the wax properly.
Brazilian Bikini Wax
The Brazilian bikini wax was introduced to New York in 1987 by seven Brazilian sisters and has been a rage since then changing the fashion statement and sex appeal of women. The name ‘Brazilian Wax’, thus, derived its name from its inventors. Even before that women have been removing their pubic hair for thousands of years in Egypt, Middle East and other parts of the world and thus the advent and use of Brazilian wax has answered all the questions about the look and cleanliness of the pubic area, giving it a new dimension and appeal of its own altogether.
The basic difference between a Brazilian bikini wax and a regular bikini wax lies in the areas of application and hair removal. A regular bikini wax cleans up the extraneous hair from the bikini line or the full bikini area but it will not touch or approach near the most sensitive areas. The Brazilian wax, on the other hand, removes hair from the front, back and everything in between. Often a ‘landing strip’ may be left in the front according to the preference of the client but there are many who want everything to be removed.
It takes around half an hour (30 minutes) to complete a waxing session with Brazilian wax. The waxing process starts with the practitioner trimming down all your pubic hair to the right length. This is necessary because only a length of a quarter inch is required for the wax to grab the hairs. Next the practitioner dips a waxing stick into a pot of hot wax and spreads in evenly on the targeted area. A strip of cloth is then pressed firmly over the warm wax to ensure that the cloth, wax and the hairs stick together completely. Once the wax becomes cool, the strip of cloth is pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth, uprooting the hairs. This process is continued to clean your pubic area starting from the front and eventually moving towards the back. A soothing lotion is applied once the whole process is completed.
The process of Brazilian waxing can be as painful as is experienced with regular waxing sessions. However, the pain might seem to be more initially but it tends to get easier with regular visits to the practitioner and the body gradually adjusting with the pain factor. Often, one of the major concerns associated to Brazilian waxing is the embarrassment factor which might prevent some women from opting it. The solution to this problem is to know that a visit to the waxing practitioner is similar to a visit to a gynecologist, who know and have seen it all already. After all, it is their job and thus try and perceive it from a professional point of view.
One of the major drawbacks of Brazilian waxing is that it is not a permanent solution and cannot be done only once. You may need to attend waxing sessions every 3 to 4 weeks. Also, the hair needs to be trimmed down to a particular length before waxing and the process of waxing may lead to ingrown hairs or red bumps.
Nevertheless, these side effects are pretty minor when compared to the inexpensive and great way of looking and feeling sexier more than ever before!
Sugaring hair removal
Sugaring refers to one of the ancient practices of hair removal which is gaining popularity nowadays. The effects of body sugaring are quite similar to waxing wherein the sugar is comparatively much less warm than the wax leading to lesser possibilities of skin irritation. Moreover, the sugar, unlike wax, does not stick to the skin but only to the hairs making it much more convenient than waxing.
The process of sugaring hair removal is almost same as waxing where you need to apply a thin layer of warm sugar on the skin surface and then pull it off with the help of muslin or cotton strips. Sugaring, like waxing, also needs a specific skill and practice for performing the entire procedure accurately. According to some opinions, however, sugaring is less effective as compared to waxing in removing and cleaning unwanted hairs.
In order to perform sugaring accurately and most effectively you may follow the steps discussed below:
- Wait till your hair grows to a length of ¼ inches. In case you have longer hairs, trim them down to this length.
- Clean the hairs properly before you start sugaring by removing any oil or cream applied on them. Wash the hairs and dry well with a towel. You can apply some talcum powder to make sure that the hairs and skin are completely dry.
- Apply the paste of sugar in the hair growth direction.
- Press the cotton strip on the paste. To make it easier for holding the strip while pulling back, leave a small section at the end.
- Pull back the strip against the hair growth direction without lifting the strip away from the skin. Holding the skin firmly with one hand and pulling the strip with the other will help in removing the hairs better.
Note:
- Use a spatula to spread the paste on the skin and ensure the application of a thin layer.
- It is ideal to apply the paste on small areas at a time to ensure proper removal of the hairs, especially on sensitive areas.
- Heat the paste to a temperature that is warm to the touch and not too hot to avoid skin burns.
- Do not let the water enter into the paste if you are using hot water to heat the sugar paste container. This may lead to the spoiling of the paste as sugar paste is water soluble. Ensure that the container is sealed properly.
- Sugaring and hair inhibitors go well together. While the paste removes the hair from its root, inhibitors disable the hair follicle and slow down/prevent hair growth in future.
Sugaring is mostly used for removing unwanted hairs from legs, eyebrows, arms and the bikini area. However, it can be used on any parts of the body including genital areas. This method provides an ideal alternative for those who suffer from skin reactions, bumps and redness due to waxing. The effects of sugaring can be enjoyed for a few weeks. A standard body sugaring kit contains appropriate portions of lemon, sugar and water. You would only need to heat up the mixture and start using once it becomes thin enough for spreading it on the skin surface.