To wax or not to wax, that is the question. Whether it is easier in
the mind to risk the screams and tears of having
so many hairs removed at the same time to gain
the long term pleasure of thinner, softer hairs that
don't turn reappear as stuble by the very next day...
Waxing is an eye opening form of hair removal, some people swear by
it, others start to cry at the thought of pulling out just one hair.
Compared to shaving it does have
some advantages that make it worth all the stress to devotees:
Waxing lasts longer - shaving typically needs to be done every few
days to keep the body stuble free, whereas waxing can leave you slinky
smooth for several weeks at a time
Waxing can soften your hair growth - whilst people
often fear their hair getting worse through shaving, waxing is known
to reduce the strength
of hair growth, leaving it finer, sparser and softer when it does
return
Waxing doesn't make stuble - You'll never be like rubbing up against
a piece of sandpaper if you wax as it never creates stuble
On top of that waxing is relatively cheap these days. In the past, waxing
was something that had to be performed in a salon environment but these
days you can get great quality home waxing kits that allow you to remove
the fur all in the comfort your own home. So if you are particularly
squeamish, have a drink and give it a go!
Waxing works by coating a layer of warm wax over the skin. If you get
burned, you know you've overheated it because it's not the heat that
we're looking for. The heat - often created by microwaving your wax -
is just to make the wax soft enough to smear on. Stir it a bit first
and test to see if it is at a comfortable temperature before applying.
Before it dries, you smear on top of it an absorbant cloth and after
giving
it
a moment
to
set you pull it away as fast as you can. Resisting the obvious temptation
to flinch not only gives a better result, it also hurts less.
Most people find they acclimatise to waxing after a few sessions and
any pain becomes lessened as the hairs become softer. Male hair is generally
going to be thicker than female hair, both in the density of coverage
and the toughness of individual hairs. Whether you're a big strong boy
or you cry like a girl, give it a four or five sessions to see the hair
really thin down and become softer and you will find the hair removal
process is getting easier.
Incidentally, people who complain of sensitive skin are often better
off waxing than shaving. Waxing is less likely to cause red marks and
razor rash as it removes the hair by the bulb as opposed to cutting away
what's visible above the skin. When you do that, the hair grows back
out but can, with sensitive skinned people, cause the in grown hairs
(hairs trapped beneath the skin) that are commonly called shaving rash.
On the subject of sensitive skin, only women and those who've had significant
permanent
hair removal on the face, should ever consider waxing their face.
Even then think carefully and only use a product specially formulated
for the face. I still shudder to this day when I think of what a totally
straight male friend of mine did because he hated shaving so much. Let's
put it this way, he could've been an extra from a horror movie afterwards
and nowdays he's strictly a razor man!