Let’s be honest, waxing is the process in which you are pulling hair out by the roots, so it’s going to hurt a bit! But, don’t worry if you are getting it done for the first time, because it’s really not as bad as it sound and there are ways by which you can greatly reduce the pain of waxing. There is no doubt that waxing does work wonders in hair removal; it removes more hair, it doesn’t leave a shadow and it leaves your skin perfectly smooth. So, as you make yourself ready for the long sunny days on the beach, don’t avoid waxing, because you think it might hurt too much, and read these ten tips on how to make waxing less painful.
1. Take some pain killers before you get it done
Don’t put off taking pain killers until after the wax, take them before. If you take some over-the-counter pain killers, half an hour to an hour before your waxing, it will reduce the pain and it will contain the swelling afterward too.
2. Don’t drink coffee on the morning of a wax
Missing your morning pick-me-up coffee will help to lessen the pain of waxing too. The energy boosting effect of the caffeine kindles nerve endings too, which makes you even more sensitive to pain. Save the coffee until you have had the wax and it will keep away a lot of pain.
3. Go right after your period
Another tip on how to make waxing less painful is to get it done right after your period. Your period makes you more sensitive to pain, so never get waxed just before your period is due. Your body is less sensitive to pain during and just after your period, so you will feel the pain the least when you get it done in the first few days, right after your period. That’s when your pain tolerance is at its highest.
4. Avoid tension
Another useful tip on how to make waxing less painful is to try to not to become edgy and uptight during the process. It’s a natural reaction to tense up just before a wax strip is pulled, because you know it might hurt. Tensing up, though, will actually increase the pain worse, so try to take your mind off it and relax. Tensing up will pull up your muscles and make your skin tighter, so it will hurt more when the hairs are pulled.
5. Exfoliate before you go for a wax
Next good tip on how to make waxing less painful is to exfoliate your skin before you get waxing done as it will make the waxing easier and less painful. Exfoliating the area of skin that is about to be waxed will remove the dead skin that hide and trap hairs, which makes them harder to pull out. It also raises the hairs from the skin, so the wax can stick to them easier.
6. Let the hair grow in between waxes
When you shave hair, you can make it thicker more rough and more difficult to remove. If you don’t shave between waxes or, for quite a few days before a wax, it will make the process much less painful. If you are new to waxing, then be patient about it. . Once you have had waxing done a number of times, the hair that grows afterward will gradually will show less and be much finer.
7. Have a hot shower before you get a wax
Another tip on how to make waxing less painful is to have a hot shower before you go in for a wax. Warm water and steam softens the skin and opens up the pores. A long soak in the bath, then, will make it much easier for the hair to come out and it will make the whole process less excruciating.
8. Wear soft, loose fitting clothing
For the first few hours after you have had a wax, your skin will be sensitive and a little bit sore, especially, if you are have had a bikini wax. The best type of clothing to wear after getting a wax is loose fitting fabrics made of natural fibres such as cotton. Tight fitting clothes will irritate the skin and cause in growing hairs. Natural fibre fabrics are better, because man-made fibres can trap sweat and that could inflame and clog up your pores after a wax.
9. Take your mind off it
Next tip on how to make waxing less painful is not to think about it. The worse thing that you can do when you are having a wax is to watch the process, as just the same as you would when you are being given an injection, look away and try and to divert your mind. If you are doing your own waxing at home, then you could watch the TV or, if you are getting a professional wax, then try reading a magazine or talking to the beautician.
10. Use a cooling lotion
Put a light skin lotion in the refrigerator the night before you are due to go for waxing, and then you’ll have a cool, soothing, cool way of calming your skin and re-hydrate your skin when you get home.