To wax or not to wax

Back wax treatment

Although things like back wax treatments and full body waxes only became popular in the 20th century, people have been waxing unwanted body hair since Cleopatra ruled ancient Egypt. While we might not use the same beeswax and sugar concoctions that the pharaoh used, hair removal techniques have remained relatively the same over time. The real question is, do the pros of waxing certain body parts out way the cons?

General Pros of Waxing

  • Time Frame

    One of the main pros of waxing is that it takes between four and six weeks for hair to regrow. Unlike shaving, waxing is a form of semi-permanent hair removal, and thus the treatment only has to be done roughly once a month rather than every few days. This saves time and removes the pressure associated with remembering to shave.

  • Softer Hair

    One of the worst parts of shaving is that stubbly feeling you get as the hairs start to grow back, which is one of the reasons waxing has become to popular. After a wax hairs grow back soft and fine due to follicle damage, and thus waxing prevents the formation of bristle-like hairs. This decrease in hair growth also means that you can go longer without waxing.

  • It’s Easy

    Waxing involves little effort on your part. Instead of sitting at home for ages trying to shave off those pesky hairs, all you need to do is make your way to a spa or salon and let your esthetician do all the work. It’s as simple as that!

General Cons of Waxing

  • It Hurts

    There is no way to get around the fact that waxing hurts. Don’t forget that your hairs are tough and will try their best to stay stuck in your skin. There is good news though – as the follicles are damaged over time it usually becomes less and less painful for hairs to be removed, which means that the first time will most probably be the worst.

  • Ingrown Hairs

    One of the biggest cons of waxing is that it makes you more prone to developing ingrown hairs, which can be painful and unpleasant to look at. The best way to prevent ingrown hairs is to properly exfoliate the waxed area in order to promote hair growth and ensure that new hairs are not trapped underneath the skin as they grow.

Back Waxes

Back hair usually affects men more than women, and can be cause for embarrassment in public areas such as the beach or gym. Nowadays lots of men opt to wax their backs, or go even further and add a ‘Manzilian’ wax.

  • Pros: You don’t have to go through the embarrassment of asking someone to shave your back for you, or apply hair removal creams. This is very beneficial if you live alone, as you won’t be able to reach every part of your back.
  • Cons: It’s a larger area, so it will hurt more.

Facial Waxes

Facial waxes aren’t limited to eyebrows and upper lips – more and more men are ditching their razors and waxing off their facial hair instead.

  • Pros: You won’t have stubbly hair on your face! Plus, waxing is the perfect way to shape your eyebrows as an esthetician can simply use a brow stencil to ensure a flawless look.
  • Cons: Waxing will leave your face slightly red and irritated for a few hours, so going out in public can be difficult.

Bikini Waxes

Taking off your pants in front of a stranger can be awkward at first whether you are a man or a woman, but remember, your esthetician has seen it all before. Nowadays millions of people wax their nether regions.

  • Pros: Everything goes. When you shave down there it can be difficult to get every hair simply because you can’t see them all. Plus, you won’t get horrible shaving cuts in your sensitive areas when waxing.
  • Cons: You have to let the hair grow out before you can wax again, so you’ll be hairy down there every now and then.

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