Waxing has always been the most popular method of hair removal because the wax is easily available and the procedure is very simple. But does it make sense to make waxing the first choice for hair removal?
Table of contents:- Part 1: 10 reasons why you should stop waxing
- Part 2: What should you do instead?
- Part 3: Conclusion
10 reasons why you should stop waxing
Abrasive nature
Wax is sticky and its sticky nature allows it to remove the hair when we pull the wax from our skin surface. When we apply the wax to our skin, the soft wax not only sticks to our hair but also to our skin. When pulled, it also removes the skin, so you run the risk of damaging your skin by a little carelessness. This can lead to wax burns.
When the epidermis is disturbed and some of the oils are removed from your skin, it can become dry and flaky .
Ingrown hair
The most common and painful side effect of waxing is the formation of ingrown hairs in the waxed area. If you don't apply or remove the wax properly, it can cause your hair to break off just above the surface of the skin instead of removing the hair at the root.
The broken hairs that remain in the skin begin to grow inward instead of coming out, causing painful bumps on the skin that may look like blackheads.
Risk of infections
Waxing increases the risk of bacterial and viral infections. The infections usually occur in areas where your skin is damaged, freshly injured or wounded. The most common infections are folliculitis and molluscum contagiosum. Folliculitis occurs when waxing damages your hair follicles. This gives bacteria the opportunity to enter them, infect them and form small pus-filled bumps on your skin.
Molluscum contagiosum typically occurs as a result of Brazilian waxing, which is caused by double dipping the wax stick, creating small red bumps that can spread through skin contact.
pain
Waxing is painful. Everyone has probably tried waxing their body hair at least once and the pain was unbearable at first, right? The pain comes when the hair is pulled out forcefully from the roots. It may not last long but no one can ever get used to this pain, especially those who have sensitive skin.
So what's the point of enduring all that pain when you're also dealing with ingrown hairs, painful bumps and sensitive skin just to get a temporary hair-free body?
Deterioration of the skin condition
If you already have an infection or a skin condition such as rosacea, you must stop waxing immediately. With rosacea, some of your capillaries are weak and some are broken. When you wax, the wax irritates the dilated small blood vessels (capillaries) and makes rosacea worse.
So avoid waxing if you have sensitive skin, rosacea or herpes, or if you are pregnant.
Rash and bumps
Imagine you have to go for waxing to get rid of unwanted hair on your face, legs and arms. After a short while, you notice small bumps on your skin and now you either have to cancel your appointments or wear long-sleeved clothes. But what about your face? You're worried, right?
This is what waxing can do to you. These bumps are caused by inflammatory reactions (histamine reaction) in your body in response to the forceful pulling of the hair. So waxing is something you should not do, and even if you must, you should do it a day or two before your appointments.
Allergic reaction
Some waxes contain ingredients such as pine resin, beeswax or lanolin that can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people, making it difficult to find the right wax to avoid these allergies.
Going from store to store and spending hours browsing online products until you find the right waxing will be exhausting. Plus, you'll never know if the wax you found is right for you, and if not, you've wasted your money.
Sun sensitivity
We should all get out in the sun at least once a day. What if you can't go out because you just waxed earlier that day?
As mentioned above, waxes are abrasive in nature and attack the outermost layer of your skin. As the epidermis is attacked and thins, your protective skin barrier is weakened, allowing the sun's UV rays to easily affect your skin. This causes redness, irritation and rashes on your skin.
Pimples and acne
Acne and pimples are every person's worst nightmare and waxing can make that nightmare come true. During waxing, your skin becomes sensitive and the pores open, allowing bacteria and dirt to easily enter your skin.
The invasion of microbes and the accumulation of dirt leads to pimples and eventually acne. Acne can cause you to lose your self-confidence and develop anxiety and depression.
Bleeding and scarring
Your follicles are connected to small blood vessels. When you apply the wax, the heat causes the blood vessels to dilate and increases blood flow to the area. So if you remove the hair from the root, you may experience bleeding.
Ingrown hairs and bleeding can lead to scarring. Scars can also be caused by accidents during waxing. It is best to avoid waxing, at least until you know the right technique.
What should you do instead?
While you can take some precautions to avoid waxing accidents, the safest way to continue hair removal is to replace waxing with better hair removal methods.
Shave
When you shave, you remove your hair with a razor blade and shaving cream. Using shaving cream is essential for a smooth and quick shave.
It's better than waxing in many ways. It's less painful than waxing and much cheaper. It's also less messy, so you can quickly grab your shaving kit and get started. Shaving carries the risk of ingrown hairs and razor bumps, but these can be minimized by learning the right technique, making small strokes, and shaving with sharp blades.
Depilatory creams
Depilatory creams remove your hair by softening it enough so that it can be easily wiped off when the depilatory cream is removed from the skin. It is the least unpleasant method of the shaving, waxing and depilatory cream methods.
Waxing can take a lot of time for skin preparation, wax preparation, application and removal, while depilatory creams take less than 15 minutes for easy and quick hair removal. These creams also reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.
Laser hair removal
Laser hair removal is superior to waxing for more than one reason. You get smooth skin that lasts for 2 years, so you don't have to worry about removing hair every time you go out.
It is less painful than waxing. It is very precise and much less hectic than waxing. The procedure is a bit expensive, but it is worth it because it is more effective, long-lasting, comfortable and convenient than waxing.
IPL treatment
IPL treatment works similarly to laser hair removal and produces results that last up to a year or even longer for some people. This technique uses pulsed light to target your hair and reach the hair roots. When the light reaches the hair root, it turns into heat and destroys the hair follicles. Fortunately, in addition to the salons, there are also IPL hair removal devices that you can use at home. One such device is the Ulike Sapphire Air3 device .
It allows for quick and painless hair removal with patented ice cooling technology. The device is compact, FDA approved and has an unlimited number of flashes to serve you well for more than 10 years.
So it is not wrong to say that IPL hair removal with a Ulike Sapphire Air3 handheld device is the best alternative to waxing.
Further reading: IPL Hair Removal: The Ultimate Guide
Conclusion
Waxing can be a great option for removing hair, but unfortunately, it can cause skin damage, ingrown hairs, skin burns, allergic reactions, sun sensitivity, and even infections on your skin. The worst thing that can happen to you after waxing is pimples and acne.
All these problems can be solved by replacing waxing with a better method of hair removal. These methods include shaving, using depilatory creams, laser hair removal and IPL. IPL hair removal with the Ulike Air3 device is the best of these methods because it allows you to remove hair quickly, painlessly and efficiently at home.
