Benefits and drawbacks

Benefits and drawbacks

There are many benefits to waxing versus other forms of hair removal. It is an effective method to remove large amounts of hair at one time.^[2] It is a long-lasting method. Hair in waxed areas will not grow back for two to eight weeks. When hair is shaved or removed by depilatory cream, the hair is removed at the surface rather than the root. Within a few days, the hair can be seen at the surface. With these methods, hair tends to grow back in a rough stubble. Areas that are repeatedly waxed over long periods of time often exhibit regrowth that is softer.^[3]

There are many drawbacks of waxing as well. Waxing can be painful when the strip is removed from the skin. Although the pain is not long-lasting, it can be intense, particularly in more sensitive areas. Another drawback to waxing is the expense: waxing is usually performed by a licensed esthetician, and in some cases the cost can be very high, up to several hundred dollars depending on the area of hair removed and how many treatments are necessary. Most licensed beauty salons offer the treatment for between $12 (average eyebrow wax) and $300 (average full body wax). There are do-it-yourself waxing supplies, but they may be difficult to use on oneself on some areas on the body. Hair removal is not permanent. When removed against the direction of hair growth, the wax strip may disturb hair follicles, causing hair to begin to grow in different directions. This may cause hair growth to be more noticeable and make other methods of hair removal more difficult. Fortunately, this risk is negligible if the waxing is performed properly.

Another drawback of waxing is that some people experience ingrown hairs, red bumps, and minor bleeding. This is more likely to occur when waxing areas with thick hair, especially the first few times when follicles are strongest. While usually impossible to eliminate, ingrown hairs can be reduced by regularly exfoliating, and applying an astringent or a solution of both astringent and oil (typically baby or azulene oil).