This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Guelph chapter.
Last summer I started regularly going for Brazilian waxes and then full leg waxes too. At the time I didn’t realize what a hot topic it was, but now as summer rolls around, I have people running to me with questions like I am some sort of Brazillian waxing encyclopedia. People have been throwing questions at me a hundred miles an hour. Everyone wants to know if it hurts, if it was awkward, did I have a weird rash, was it worth it? Well, I’ve compiled the answers to all those questions into a little pros and cons list for the people of the internets.
Pros
- It lasts a lot longer than shaving. Most estheticians recommended waiting 4-5 weeks between wax appointments. My hair usually doesn’t even start to grow back until three weeks after my wax.
- It saves you so much shower time. Shaving is a time-consuming task and quite frankly, a pain in the ass. Going for a wax every 4-5 weeks will save you so much shower time you’ll probably see a decrease in your water bill.
- It prevents ingrown hairs. The main reason I decided to get my legs waxed was because I’m very prone to ingrown hairs from shaving. No matter how much exfoliating I did, shaving would always leave me with ingrown hair, however after my first leg wax they were no more.
- Waxing can get to all those “hard to reach areas”. Ahem, between the cheeks.
Cons
- It hurts. Every time someone asks me if a Brazilian or leg wax hurts, I wonder if they are honestly expecting me to say no. Obviously it is going to hurt; you are ripping hair off one of the most sensitive areas of the body.
- It’s awkward. Though your esthetician will try her best to make you feel comfortable, there is still no getting passed the fact that you are spread eagle in front of a stranger.
- There is a possibility you may have a reaction. Those with sensitive skin should especially be more aware, as the wax can irritate the skin. It’s common to have some redness/bumps immediately after your wax, but it shouldn’t last longer than a few hours. If it does, the wax may have caused an irritation to your skin and it’s best to seek medical advice.
- It can be costly. A Brazilian wax can cost anywhere from $30-60, and more for hard wax.
Some more waxing tips…
- Exfoliate before you go! This will especially help ensure there are no ingrown hairs after your wax.
- Do not go within one week of your time of month. You’re much more sensitive and have a lower pain tolerance during this time; your wax will hurt a lot more!
- Don’t shave in between wax appointments. This can cause your next wax to be more painful and it’ll reduce the silky smooth feeling you should have after.
- If you’re really worried about the pain ask our esthetician to use hard wax. It is usually a little bit more expensive, but it has been known to cause less pain.
- Make sure you have 2-3 weeks of hair growth before your first appointment. If your hair isn’t long enough, it will be a lot harder to get the hair off. Some salons will even refuse to wax you if the hair is not long enough!
- Don’t just go anywhere. Take this seriously as someone is going to be putting hot wax near a sensitive area of your body. I researched different salons for at least a month before I went.