Shaving is a rather inefficient method of removing unwanted hair from the body. Depending on how fast your hair grows, you could end up shaving daily just to keep up with the growth. Fortunately, there is an alternative to shaving. Many people find waxing to be a better option for several reasons.
1. You can’t cut yourself with waxing
One of the main complaints with shaving is the fact that you are working with sharp razor blades and nicks are not uncommon. Cutting yourself is never desirable, but it can be even worse in certain areas, such as the neck, under the arms and in the groin area. You run the risk of infection if you cut yourself while shaving. If you use your blades several times, it can increase the risk of inflammation and harmful bacteria. Moreover, cuts take a long time to heal and you might feel discomfort for quite a long period of time. Plus, they look unaesthetic and you’ll have to wear a long skirt and jeans in summer, waiting for your imperfections to disappear.
When you opt for waxing, you can forget about those painful cuts. While this hair removal method is a little bit painful, you won’t feel any pain in a few procedures. The slight irritation and redness will disappear the next day and you will enjoy your smooth and flawless legs for over 3 weeks! However, don’t wax any part of your body at home, as you can burn your skin.
2. Waxing lasts longer
Since wax pulls the hair out by the root, it takes much longer for it to grow back. Even if you usually have to shave every day to keep growth down, waxing will give you up to two weeks of bare skin. This is also better for your skin, since it can become very irritated when you shave on a daily basis.
3. Hair grows back thinner
A big advantage of waxing is that hair comes back thinner and lighter than it does with shaving. If you continue with the hair removal method long enough, you will eventually have barely noticeable hair in areas that have been waxed. The point is that constant waxing makes your hair follicles weaker and less viable. Where shaving can give the appearance of thicker hair, due to the blunt ends of the hair shaft, waxing has the opposite effect.
One of the disadvantages of waxing is that you should wait until your hair is long enough to wax. It’s recommended to let the hair grow to at least ¼ inch so that the wax can grab the hair and pull it out.
4. The pain decreases the more you wax
The very idea of waxing sounds painful. It involves putting hot wax on your body and then ripping it off while yanking hair out by the roots. It sounds painful, but you will find that if you keep it up, you will gradually lose the pain response.
5. Waxing leaves your skin smooth
Many waxes now come with moisturizers in them. These help soften the skin just before hair removal. Not only do waxes include moisturizing lotions, they are also more likely to leave the area smooth because the entire hair is pulled out. There will be no more stubble immediately after removal.
6. Waxing is faster than shaving
It can take a while to shave, particularly if you are struggling to get rid of hair in an awkward place. While anyone can shave, you run the risk of being unable to get a good angle.
7. Using wax helps drain toxins from your body
When you use wax to eliminate hair from your legs, you open a hole between lymph areas and the skin’s surface, via the hair follicle. Drainage may occur. You will see liquid pooling on the skin when this happens. It can be rinsed away or wiped with a damp cloth. The drainage will stop once the tissue closes the hole again.
8. You can use the wax that works best for your skin
If you have sensitive skin, shaving will usually cause more problems. However, if you wax, you can choose hypo-allergenic waxes. Look for soy or sugar based options to reduce the possibility of irritation. Pre-coated wax cloths can also reduce irritation since they have just the right amount of wax applied.
9. Repeated wax treatments can eventually result in permanent hair removal
While it will take years to reach the point where you no longer need to wax, repeated waxing will slow hair growth. Even if you never get to the point where your hair stops growing altogether, you can expect to wax less often the longer you stick with it. For those who want to slim down their beauty routine, this is a big plus.
10. Ingrown hairs are less likely with waxing
When you shave, you cut the hair off at skin level or just below it. The end of the hair is blunt and can become trapped under the skin, where it begins growing sideways or in circles. Ingrown hairs often form painful infections. Problems are more likely to occur in certain areas, such as the neck and the bikini area. Waxing, however, removes the entire hair shaft, right down to the root. The new hair is thinner and tapered at the end, which means it is less likely to get trapped under the top layer of the skin.
While some people will always swear by shaving, waxing is a great method of hair removal. You can wax yourself at home, or make an appointment at a salon to have a professional do it for you. The end result is smooth, hairless skin for far longer than if you shaved the hair. Waxing also helps keep your skin healthier. Shaving can cause uncomfortable bumps and rashes, particularly when used to remove hair too frequently. For this reason, many people are turning to alternative methods of hair removal. Do you have any other reasons to wax instead of shave?