When I was growing up, I always wondered how women got such silky smooth, hairless underarms. As an adult, I realized that one of the ways to do this is by getting waxed.
I had a couple of friends who waxed religiously and swore by it. Last year, they encouraged me to try it out, telling me how amazing and smooth I would be afterward. I was skeptical. All I’d heard about waxing was how painful it was, and I was never hairy enough or willing to try it. But, after all my friends’ raving, I decided to give waxing a try.
From my experiences getting waxed, I learned that waxing has some fun pros and some serious cons. Check out all the reasons you should (or should not) try waxing to help decide if it’s right for you.
PRO
Waxing provides a wonderful, baby smooth feeling once it’s done. I particularly enjoyed this feeling with my underarms, which I could never seem to get quite as smooth when shaving.
CON
Waxing is expensive. I believe you can get waxed on the cheaper side depending on where you go. But to go to a chain like European Wax Center (where I went), I was paying $65-70 to get a brazilian and my underarms waxed.
PRO
Waxing lasts far longer than shaving. I’ve had waxes last anywhere from four to twelve weeks before I needed to go back to the salon (compared to three to four days with shaving).
CON
So, here’s the thing. Waxing hurts — a lot. They say that the more you wax, the less painful it is because the hair grows back thinner and smoother. I found that this was true, but I still never got to a point where the wax did not hurt me.
PRO
A wax specialist removes hair from the places you can’t easily reach. This was my favorite thing about waxing — the brazilian removed hair from all the bits and places I could never quite get.
CON
It’s not good for those with sensitive skin. I learned this the hard way. The wax is hot (obviously) and the wax specialist can control the temperature of the wax, but only to a degree. Whenever I would go to my appointments, my skin would be so irritated from the heat of the wax. Even if the specialist turned the heat as low as she could, I was still uncomfortable.
PRO
You have to get naked to get your brazilian. Waxing is a pretty intimate experience, and having to get naked in front of strangers actually made me feel much more comfortable with being naked outside of my wax appointments.
CON
It’s a gamble as to whether it goes well. The thing about waxing is that you have to use the same specialist every time or you greatly increase the risk of pain during the appointment and ingrown hairs afterward, which happen because each specialist has a slightly different way of removing hair. Ingrown hairs might not seem like a big deal (I didn’t think they were) until you have them. They are incredibly painful and take forever to go away.
Whatever hair removal method you use (if any), remember that it's all about what makes you feel most comfortable. After waxing for a year or so, I actually chose to stop because I was having more painful experiences than beneficial ones. But, some people swear by it! So if you’re thinking about it, it’s worth giving a try.
Have you ever been waxed? Share your experiences with us!