When you think of beauty, self-care, and skincare routines, a significant focus of it is on the face. But, as pretty as your face may be, many women feel self-conscious about unwanted facial hair. For centuries women have been using various methods to remove or disguise it. One of the oldest methods is waxing, and since waxing is still popular today, there must be some merit to it!
There are so many myths surrounding waxing, particularly waxing the face, so whether you’re considering upper lip or eyebrow waxing or if you want to take the plunge and wax your entire face, let’s debunk some myths, so you know what to expect.
Waxing is Safe
Waxing is safe if you go to a reputable therapist who knows what they’re doing. Therapists are trained at waxing and learn the proper technique to peel the wax off without ripping your skin off.
If you plan on waxing yourself at home, you must do a patch test first to ensure that you aren’t allergic. When heating the wax, make sure not to overheat, as this will burn your skin. Also, follow the directions closely to avoid tearing your skin.
Another consideration is medication. It’s best not to wax your face if you’ve been applying topical treatments that contain Retin-A and Differin, as these thin the skin making it more prone to tearing when the hair is waxed. Also, avoid waxing if you’re on oral medication like Accutane or antibiotics to treat acne. These medicines make the skin super sensitive and are more likely to rip when waxed.
If you’re concerned about facial hair on any of these medicines, using other hair-removal methods like shaving or threading would be safer.
Waxing Won’t Cause Your Hair to Grow Back Thicker
A common misconception is that when you wax, your hair grows back thicker and darker, which of course, would be disastrous, especially on your face. This is not the case! It’s the opposite. When you wax, your hair root is pulled out from its follicle, damaging it. Each time you wax, the follicle is further damaged and weakened, so after waxing for some time, you notice that the hair grows back thinner and may be quite sparse.
Regrowth Takes a Few Weeks
Since waxing entails pulling hair out from the root, it takes longer to grow back compared to other hair removal methods like shaving, where the hair is only removed from the skin’s surface, and the root is still intact.
The rate at which hair will regrow after waxing varies between people since everyone’s body is different, but you can usually only see regrowth after about four to six weeks.
Waxing May Cause Redness and Irritation
Everyone reacts differently to waxing. Compared to the skin on your body, the skin on your face is usually quite delicate, so it may become red and irritated after waxing. This mat lasts for a few minutes or up to twelve hours.
If you’re going to an event, it’s best to schedule your wax for the day before to give your skin enough time to recover. This is especially true if you’ve never waxed before or are going to a different salon. Salons typically use different waxes, and there is no telling how your skin will react. For example, you may not have any problems with fruit wax, but chocolate wax may irritate your skin, or one brand of soft wax may be fine, but another brand makes your skin red.
If your skin is red and irritated after a wax, you can soothe it by applying coconut oil or aloe vera, which should help reduce the irritation.
Expect to Feel Pain at First
There is no getting around it – waxing is painful since you’re pulling your hairs out by the roots, but the pain only lasts a few minutes, and if the therapist peels the wax off quickly, it’s more of a discomfort than pain.
The first few sessions will be more painful; the pain lessens after each time you wax since the follicle weakens and the hair becomes easier to remove. After waxing regularly, it isn’t that painful at all.
Final Thoughts
Waxing is a good option if you’re weighing hair removal methods to get rid of unwanted facial hair. While it may be painful initially, the hairs become easier to remove over time, and you should see less hair growth. It also takes several weeks for the hair to grow back, making it a convenient method.
References
- Goodhousekeeping: 10 Things Dermatologists Say You Need to Know Before Waxing Your Face
- Healthline: What Are the Side Effects of Waxing Your Face?
- Healthshots: Should you or shouldn’t you wax your face, that is the question. And we answer it here
- Garciaweightloss: 10 Things to Know Before Getting Your Face Waxed
- Beautyimageusa: 6 Pros and Cons of Waxing Facial Hair
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