Here is an interesting photo (click on the picture to enlarge) from the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. It is living proof that waxing is much more effective at removing hair than shaving.
Trying to decide on waxing vs. shaving? Try electrolysis for permanent hair removal. Find a wealth of information on laser hair removal for your face or bikini line at HairRemovalForum.com.
Waxing Scientific
The
authors in the study shaved one leg and waxed the other. Then they watched the hair growth over 9 days. You can clearly see that the waxed side has much less hair than the shaved. I suppose we all knew that though. But The Beauty Brains always like to give a little publicity to real science being done in the cosmetic industry.
Can you imagine the person who’s job it is to take pictures and count the hairs on a volunteer’s legs? God I love science!
Loading ...
{ 8 trackbacks }
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Regardless – the convenience, lack of pain, and not having waiting for regrowth make shaving better for the areas where you really want to be hairless (legs and armpits). I waxed for years and then just decided to stop suffering.
Here is yet another reason why waxing out-rules shaving.
Although shaving is painless, fast and less expencive, you may be putting your self through your life of long, thick, fast growing hair. As i am 13 and started waxing last year, i have discovered that when you first wax, most girls are saying NO WAY, IT KILLS! and they give up and go back to shaving. Well, it doesnt hurt when you can have perfect legs! Knowing that every time you wax you hair takes about 4 weeks to grow back, each hair gradually stops growing becuase you are pulling out the root of the hair. Where as shaving takes 1-2 days to grow back and gets thicker and grows with MORE hair on your legs.
Please take my advice as i have gotten it from a beautician who knows most about these kinds of things.
Thanks.
Regards,
Steph Rinaldi
Stef,
Thanks for your comments. Waxing may work better for most people (it certainly lasts longer) but it is just not true that shaving will make your hair grow back thicker or faster. This is a myth, despite what beauticians might tell you.
You should always question the source of your information. For example, a beautician makes money off of people who wax but they don’t make anything off of people who shave. This could be motivation enough to propagate the myths about the “evils” of shaving.
I have heard that, contrary to popular belief, waxing actually causes hair to grow back thicker and more coarse because the root is damaged over and over… So, though the waxed hair takes longer to grow back, it will be more thick and coarse than shaved hairs. Any insight on this, has anyone heard anything about this from a reputable source?
Sarah,
There is no proof that waxing will make hair thicker. If this were true, salons would start offering waxing services for people with bald heads.
You should always start out waxing in my opinion. When you shave, your poures get bigger which makes it hurt more when you shave. My frinds shaved and then started waxing and it hurt them more than me because I hadn’t shaved yet.
hey im so confused! do u guys reccomend shaving the stomach…ye i am REALLY hairy!
waxing hurts, but the results are worth it, since shaving, my armpit hair has got thicker, when you wax, the hair becomes more fine. as a qualified beautician who does not lie to people, i know this.
Im 12 and am really hairy and want to shave but am having second thoughts and am having second thoughts about waxing too because the way there describing it semms like it really hurts. Plus my mom just got her eyebrows waxed for the first time and you should have seen her reaction i swear she was about to cry so i cant imagine what waxing my legs would fell like, so can someone help me?
Samantha sweetie it is really painful but the results are great. i shave my legs and armpits but considering waxing them as they grow back rapidly. I wax my eyebrows, first time i did it i wanted to cry but believe me with time it gets better… I don’t feel that much pain anymore (sometimes i don’t even feel the pain) and i only do it once every 3rd week. I peomise you @ the end of the day it’s worth it
Waxing leaves hair thinner. I’ve tried shaving in a large spot on my leg about 6 years ago and it’s still semi-thick there, not nearly as thick as it had been when i first shaved it though. Shaving is disgusting and produces man-like hairy legs which waxing is easy to get used to especially since you don’t have to do it everyday. Which, of course, means convenience on trips and over-night stays.
im 14 and i have really hairy arms and legs! i tried using a machine that is a bit like a mechanicl plucker but it hurts like hell, so i left it but then went to shaving. But what i noticed is that the part that i shaved when the hair grew back, it was shorter then the plucked hair.
Ha, I found this experiment today after I started my own experiment yesterday. I am not going to count every hair on my leg though, just go by sight and feel. This will be the first time I ever waxed my legs and it is actually the shin area up to my knees.
Shaving is less expensive and less painful, but I remember when I first started shaving when I was 12, 13, I got some pretty good cuts and got a hold of a dull razar and it sure stung.
Waxing is more expensive even if you do it at home yourself and yes it can be painful. It typically lasts longer. You do have to have a good pain tolerance for it. If you must, take a tylenol, ibuprofen or whatever an hour before. After the first and second time of ripping the wax off, it seemed to get easier for me. I would rip it off fast. Seemed less painful. Only thing, I have waxed facial hair in the past and it doesn’t last 6 to 8 weeks like that box says. For me it grows back the next week.
What it boils down to is what do you want to do.
I first shaved when I got hair on my legs, and the hair only got worse. Sure, it’s less expensive and more convenient, but it only makes your legs hairier.
Once my mom started waxing my legs for me, it got better. The hair’s thinner and there’s less there when it grows back. My mom’s been waxing her whole life and barely has any hair on her legs, EVER. The pain isn’t so bad after a while, and if you relax or laugh while it’s being done, it really doesn’t hurt.
Just wanted to thank everyone on their info. I googled my question, and found a bunch of amazing answers. Very appreciated! But just one more question, if anyone knows please reply to this. Is there anywhere on your body that you shouldn’t wax for any specific reason? Because, myself, I’m a very hairy lady haha, as much as I don’t like to admit it, and it makes me less attractive.. or that’s how I see it anyways. Some areas that are bad on me are my stomach, back, bum:S, and well.. those are the major parts. And I know everyone has hair all over their body, whether it be thick or thin, dark or light, but mine is thick and dark, not too pretty of a sight. Anyways, if anyone knows, please do reply. Thank you:)!
Caitlin.