2020 has been the year of zero salon visits for most people, and while I would often wax at home anyway, a lot of you have told me on Instagram that you are finding it difficult to wax at home. So today’s post is going to be all about at-home waxing tips to get salon smooth skin at home. There are also some tips that will help extend the gap between two hair-removal sessions. Bear in mind that these are tips for body hair removal and may not be applicable to facial hair removal. Also, if you have sensitive skin then please be very careful with what wax and other products you use on your skin, and shaving might be a better alternative for you any way. Now that we have all the disclaimers out of the way, here are my at-home waxing tips for you!
1. Let The Hair Grow Out
Waxing is the most effective when your hair length is between 1 to 1.5 cm. If you have a shorter stubble then be patient and let it grow out. If your hair is much longer than this then I will recommend shaving it first and then waxing after a few days when it reaches the target length. I have also experienced that waxing hair that is 1cm long is less painful than waxing longer hair, so this tip will help in the pain department too.
2. Exfoliate Well Before Waxing
If you have any ingrown hair then you will want to bring them to the surface before waxing your body. To do this, you can use any gentle scrub the night before. Some people also use a dry brush for this purpose but I will not recommend it for sensitive skin. The idea is to use a scrub that will remove the layer of dead skin on your body so that the wax adheres better to the hair. If you already use some kind of exfoliator on your skin regularly then you may not need this step.
3. Wax in Multiple Directions
If you always notice a good amount of residual hair on your body even after waxing properly then chances are that you are not waxing in all the directions of hair growth. It is common for some hair on our arms and legs to grow more horizontally than the rest. So make sure to wax both vertically and horizontally in your problem areas.
4. Tweeze Out The Strays
We all tend to get pretty tired after a full body at-home waxing session. This is why we often tend to either ignore or shave off any stray residual hair on the body. I will recommend being a little more diligent and tweezing these out instead. What this will ensure is that those stray hair will now grow back at the same rate as the hair you waxed, thereby preventing any patches of poky hair on your skin in between your waxing cycles.
5. Use an AHA Toner To Prevent Ingrown Hair
I have always been an advocate of chemical exfoliation, and it can help prevent ingrown hair and bumps after waxing too. You can use any AHA toner that you use on your face on your body too. I will recommend doing this starting from Day 2 post the waxing session because your skin might be extra sensitive on Day 1. The Pixi Glow Tonic is a good option for this step.
Bonus At-Home Waxing Tip –
You can also look into hair growth inhibitors. These are topical creams that cut off the nutrient supply to the hair follicle, thereby retarding its growth. While they are not proven to be 100% effective against hair regrowth, they do slow it down and are often formulated using botanical elements that are not toxic to the skin. Do your research on these and invest in one only if you are convinced.
With this I conclude this post on my at-home waxing tips. However, I cannot end this post without saying that hair removal is not a necessity but a choice. Don’t ever feel compulsed to do it based on societal norms or opinions. If you like to rock those fuzzy hair then go ahead and do it gal (I have on numerous occasions too!) but if you prefer waxed legs then I do hope that these tips will help you!
Very informative and useful tips.
Thank you 🙂