Waxing is a popular hair removal method that has been used for centuries. It is easy, affordable, and reduces hair growth after each waxing session. However, there is no denying the pain that waxing causes.
If you have thick hair or wax your armpits, the pain will be a little more intense for you. The good news is that you can make waxing less painful by following a few simple tips and tricks. So, let's see how you can make waxing less painful with a few simple tricks!
- Part 1: Why can waxing be painful?
- Part 2: Ways to make the waxing experience less painful
- Part 3: Conclusion
Why can waxing be painful?
When the wax that is stuck to the hair and skin is peeled off, the hair is forcibly removed from the roots. These hair roots are located near the nerve roots that trigger a pain response when the hair roots are disturbed. This causes a sharp and stinging sensation in the body that can last for a few seconds.
The pain felt during waxing can vary from person to person and depends on the area being waxed, hair length, skin type and pain threshold. Longer hairs are more painful to remove. Likewise, sensitive areas like the upper lip and armpits may cause more pain than others. And if you have a low pain threshold, the experience will be even more unpleasant for you!
Ways to Make Waxing Less Painful
Communicate with your beautician
It is very important to talk to your beautician about your skin problems, your pain threshold and your fears about waxing. This will allow the specialist to choose the type of wax that suits your body and give you painkillers beforehand. It will also help them identify any contraindicated skin conditions. A timely diagnosis can save you from severe pain during waxing.
Use anesthetic cream
Numbing cream is one of the most commonly used methods to perform a pain-free waxing. These creams numb the nerves responsible for transmitting pain signals to the brain, so applying a numbing agent 1-2 hours before waxing will make your waxing as comfortable as possible.
You can also use ice packs to numb the area, but they only work for a few minutes.
Take ibuprofen beforehand
Can you take ibuprofen before a Brazilian wax? It is a painkiller that belongs to the class of NSAIDs. It reduces the intensity of pain during waxing, but cannot completely numb your body.
When is the right time to take the tablet? A few minutes to half an hour before waxing is the ideal time to take a painkiller for waxing pain.
Focus on your breathing
If you want to minimize the pain of waxing without outside help, try to focus on your breathing. Breathing in and out while the esthetician applies and removes the wax can help relax your mind and body and reduce pain.
Breathe deeply as the wax is applied and breathe out as it is removed from the body.
Ensure the right hair length
Bikini waxing , especially if you do it at home, will be a very painful experience. How to do a pain-free bikini waxing at home? Apart from trying all the techniques mentioned above, you should make sure that you have the right length of hair for waxing.
Short hair is difficult for the wax to grab, while long hair is more painful to remove. Trim your hair to 0.6cm - 1.2cm before waxing to make you feel comfortable.
Moisturize the skin
Keep your skin moisturized before waxing. If your skin is well moisturized, the wax can easily stick to the hair, grab it, and remove it, making hair removal less painful. If you apply moisturizer the day of your waxing appointment, the wax may not stick to the skin properly, so you should not apply any cream or moisturizer that day. You can use it at night before going to bed.
Avoid waxing on sunburned or irritated skin
If your skin is already irritated or sunburned, waxing can make the condition worse as it strips the epidermis. So if your skin has problems such as sunburn, acne, rashes or inflammation, you should wait until it has completely healed. You can also discuss this with your esthetician and plan the appointment accordingly.
Exfoliate regularly
How to make waxing less painful without numbing cream? Regular skin care before waxing can help you with this. The most important step is exfoliation. Regular exfoliation before waxing helps to remove all dry and dead cells from the skin. This will make your skin supple and allow the wax to adhere to it easily.
In addition, the removal will be less painful. It is recommended to exfoliate 1-2 days before waxing and avoid it on the day of waxing.
Use soothing products
If the pain persists after waxing or your skin feels irritated, you can use gentle soothing agents to calm it down. For example, aloe vera gel can have a cooling effect on the skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties can help get rid of mild inflammation, while the cooling sensation reduces irritation.
You can also use ice packs, calendula extract, tea tree oil or other gentle creams.
Avoid potential irritants
Be sure to avoid any possible skin irritation after waxing. Usually, we do everything we can to reduce the pain of waxing, but we forget about proper aftercare. This makes the post-waxing experience even worse than the waxing itself.
Therefore, avoid tight clothing, strenuous activity, exfoliating immediately after waxing, using harsh skin care products and staying in the sun. All of these factors can irritate your freshly treated skin and cause discomfort.
Use distraction techniques
Nothing is working for you? How about distracting yourself with music, podcasts, or entertainment shows? If your mind is not focused on a specific thing, the experience will be especially painful. If you play music or other interesting videos instead, your mind will focus on that and forget about the pain.
Choose an alternative: Ulike IPL hair removal
Waxing and pain go hand in hand. Taking so many precautions just to avoid pain during waxing seems a bit much, right? Just replace waxing with an easier and almost painless method of hair removal, IPL hair removal.
This technique removes hair from the root, but not violently. The intense light penetrates deep into your skin and burns the hair follicles. This gives you long-lasting results without pain. Worried you can't do it at home?
Well, there are home IPL devices like the Ulike IPL Air 3 that allow you to perform a professional treatment at home. It has multiple intensity levels that allow you to customize your treatment. Plus, it comes with Sapphire Ice Cooling Technology that makes hair removal as comfortable as possible for users.
Conclusion
How to wax without pain? Use a numbing cream. This is by far the most convenient way to make waxing as painless as possible. You can also use painkillers like ibuprofen. Some factors like your hair length and skin care routine also contribute to the pain of waxing.
So before your appointment, make sure your hair length is optimal and your skin is moisturized. This will make waxing easier and more pleasant. If you still can't get used to waxing, try IPL hair removal with Ulike. You will love it because the treatment is soothing and the results are long-lasting.
