Wednesdays for Women – Waxing – Is Beauty Really Worth the Pain?

I love it when my legs are smooth!  Unfortunately, the hair on my legs grows pretty quickly.  Too bad my nails don’t grow that fast, but that’s another story for another day.  I went in to get my eyebrows waxed one day and the Aesthetician said she wanted to try out a new sugaring product on my legs.  We tried it, but my leg hairs weren’t long enough for the product to work.  I set a goal to not shave for the next week and a half and I stuck by it.  Yikes!  Poor Frank!

Frank was gone for about five days on a family trip and I wanted to make sure that when I saw him, I was feeling my best.  Ya know, gorgeous hair, makeup, and smooth legs.  So, I decided to get my legs waxed before I saw him.  Unfortunately, the Aesthetician who was going to use the Sugaring Product was unavailable to do my legs.  And let me tell you, the hair was out of control.  I wanted my smooth legs again!  So, I went to a local Aesthetician near Frank’s parents’ house, since I was in town visiting them.

I was so nervous about the procedure.  I had looked into have a Brazilian Wax done and had asked all sorts of questions.  However, I decided that I would try waxing my legs before attempting to conquer the scary Brazilian Waxing!  I also don’t have a high tolerance for pain, so I was even more nervous.  Plus, I am a natural redhead and have naturally fair skin, which is very sensitive.

I spoke to the Aesthetician and she told me to take an Antihistamine (Benadryl or Claritin) and some Ibuprofen prior to the waxing.  She said that the Antihistamine works well because it acts as a numbing agent for the skin.  Well, let me clarify something.  If you do decide to take both an Antihistamine and Ibuprofen, only take one of each.  Also, be sure to eat something before you take the medication and take it at least one hour prior to waxing.

My experience was more painful than it should have been, according to friends and a few Aestheticians.

1 – Hair needs to be about 1/4 inch long to wax effectively.

2 – Exfoliate the area to be waxed the day before.

3 – It is helpful to apply baby powder (or a talcum powder) before hot wax is applied.

4 – The wax should be applied in small sections, in the direction of the hair growth.  This shouldn’t be done in a back and forth motion, as you saw on the video.  Proper application is done by holding the wooden stick at a 90-degree angle and applying in a smooth, thin layer.

5 – When removing the strip, be sure it is peeled in the opposite direction of hair growth.  Do NOT pull the strip straight up, or you WILL experience pain!  Keep the strip as close to the skin as possible.  If the area stings, be sure to apply pressure immediately after the strip is removed.

6 – If waxing the bikini area, be sure that wax is not applied over the same area repeatedly.  This will cause irritation of the skin.

7 – To avoid ingrown hairs, apply a lotion containing salicylic acid.  To remove wax from the skin, use baby oil.

I definitely thought that I would leave the table with silky smooth legs, but that isn’t what happened.  I was really disappointed that I had amounts of stubble on my legs.  I was told that there are different growths of hair and that it typically takes 2 to 3 waxings to get the completely smooth effect.  I talked to many people about this and the opinions were different.  Some said they had the same experience, while others say that their legs are silky smooth every time, including the first time.  I’ve only waxed once, so I’m not sure which is accurate.  I also found that my left leg was more painful than my right leg and my ankles hurt the worst!

While I was on the table, I also braved the Bikini Wax.  Yowzas!  Although it was a different kind of pain (compared to the legs), I left with the feeling that I would NOT do it again!  And there is no way I will get a Brazilian Wax!  I’ve talked to many women and most of them only had a Brazilian Wax ONCE if they had it at all.

I think for now, I will stick to shaving.  While I may have to shave every other day, it is still more cost-effective than waxing and NO….that kind of beauty is NOT worth the pain!  So, let me ask you, is Beauty really worth the Pain?

I received no compensation for this post.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.