There are many different methods with which one can (let) remove body hair, all of which have certain advantages, but also disadvantages. Which of these methods is ultimately used depends mainly on individual preferences (how long the result should last, how much pain is felt, what is perceived as most pleasant subjectively, etc. ), but also on the location of the hair, the intensity of hair growth and financial means.
In principle, hair removal can be divided into methods that remove the entire hair (including its root) and methods that only cut the hair, i.e. practically only “trimming” it. Dewaxing belongs to the first group. During dewaxing, the hairs stick to the wax and are then jerkily torn out of the skin together with their roots.
Thus, a permanent depilation can be achieved, which usually lasts between two and four weeks, rarely even once up to six weeks. The hairs that grow back after the depilation are initially extremely thin, so they are less noticeable than hairs that grow back after shaving. Find detailed information on the topic: Depilation This is due to the fact that the entire hair must be regenerated by the dewaxing.
However, a big disadvantage of waxing is that in order for this method to work, the hair should be at least two millimeters long, but better at least five millimeters when the wax is applied. Since it takes some time for the hair to reach such a length, dewaxing is out of the question for many women simply because they would like to have smooth, hairless skin permanently. In addition, dewaxing is always associated with more or less severe pain.
Although most women describe that it becomes less and less painful from time to time, but completely painless, such as shaving, the dewaxing can never be, because a lot of hairs are torn out of the skin at once. People with a low pain threshold should therefore consider carefully whether this procedure is the right one for them. Moreover, because of the pain, this method is generally not suitable for hair removal from the face or bikini line.
There are two different options for the user when it comes to hair removal: Either cold or warm wax. Cold wax is more suitable if you are not yet experienced in handling wax and you want to remove the hair yourself. Finished cold wax strips are available in stores.
These strips are pressed firmly onto the skin and hair and then removed with a jerk against the direction of growth. Cold wax strips are particularly gentle on the skin, as they contain not only wax but also a rich oil, for example almond oil, which is able to care for the skin. The application of warm wax shows even more thorough and longer lasting results, but is also somewhat more complicated and should therefore only be carried out by people with experience or preferably directly by a professional.
For dewaxing with warm wax you need several things, but they are usually all contained in one package if you buy warm wax somewhere. You always need the warm wax in a jar, a wooden spatula and several strips of cloth (rarely plastic strips are used). First, the jar is heated either in a water bath or in the microwave, which makes the wax (viscous) liquid.
In this state it is then applied to the desired areas with the help of the wooden spatula. Please note that this application must be done against the direction of hair growth. Then the fabric or plastic strips are placed on the wax and pressed firmly.
After waiting for a short time, the strips are then peeled off the skin along with the wax and the hairs underneath it with a quick movement (and this time against the direction of hair growth! ), as flat as possible along the surface of the skin. To make this process a little less painful, it helps to tighten the skin a little with the free hand.
Before starting a treatment with wax, the skin must be clean and dry, which is why it is best to apply a little powder to the area of skin that will later be covered with wax, after you have thoroughly cleaned it. Deodorants, perfumes, creams, ointments or lotions, on the other hand, should not be used just before waxing, to ensure that the wax is effective. After the treatment, however, it is recommended to use a lotion or similar to cool and soothe the irritated skin a little.
In addition, the use of oils can sometimes be useful to remove the wax residues that are often still on the skin.One should only always make sure that the substances applied to the skin immediately after dewaxing do not contain alcohol, as this irritates a pre-damaged skin even more than normal and its application can therefore be very painful. If you already have a sensitive skin, you should anyway consider whether it is better to do without dewaxing altogether. Hair outgrowth also carries a risk of complications.
One of them is that it can lead to inflammation when the hair grows back. These are usually accompanied by the typical signs of inflammation, namely redness, swelling and overheating of the affected skin region and can sometimes be quite painful. In addition, it can happen that isolated hairs grow in, which also leads to pain.
