Waxing guide

Luckily there are plenty of ways waxing unwanted hair in the comfort of your own home and you can switch it up depending on your time frame, hair growth and pain-threshold. From age-old methods (like shaving) to newer advances in technology (like laser removal)

As well as being fast and convenient, waxing lasts longer than other hair removal methods as it pulls the hair from the roots. It also leaves the skin beautifully smooth with no stubble regrowth like shaving, and with results that last up to a month.

Waxing downsides

The downside is that it can be slightly painful, especially if it isn’t done correctly. But this needn’t be the case – choosing the right wax and prepping the skin properly are the key to waxing success. It’s essential to know the rules to waxing at home to avoid any bumps, rashes or bruising. Whichever area you’re waxing – be that legs, underarms or the face – here’s what you need to know:

Exfoliate 48 hours beforehand with a gentle body scrub or loofah. This will help the wax adhere to the skin and avoid ingrown hairs.

Make sure your hair is the right length; it needs to be no less than ¼ inch and no more than ¾ inch long.

Before waxing, clean and dry the area to be waxed and apply talcum powder to soak up any moisture.

Before you start, gather all of your waxing kit in one place so that you’re organised.

Try not to wax the same area more than once as this can cause a rash – tweeze off any rogue hairs.

Afterwards, soothe your skin with some aloe vera or moisturiser.

Types of waxing products

There are two main types of waxing products: wax strips and roll-on wax.

Wax strips are ready-to-use strips that enable you to remove the hair instantly without having to warm the wax beforehand. They come in different sizes and are ideal for fast results with very little mess. There are also special strips for sensitive skin types, such as Veet Cold Wax Strips for sensitive skin, which is formulated with sweet almond oil and vitamin E. The only disadvantage with wax strips is that they are not as effective on short hair as warm wax, which means you may have to re-apply and potentially cause irritation.

How to use wax strips:

Make sure your skin is dry – use talcum powder to soak up any moisture.

Firmly press the strip down in the direction of hair growth.

Check the strip is taut and pull off in one swift movement in the opposite direction of hair growth.

Repeat until you’ve removed all of the unwanted hair.

Clean off any excess wax with a wipe, or soapy water.

How to use roll on wax

Roll-on wax is the best option for achieving salon results at home. The wax needs to be heated to the instructed temperature, once it’s reached the exact temperature it can be spread over the skin. Try Veet Easy Wax Electrical Roll-on Kit – it does the hard work for you by heating the wax to the perfect temperature.

The heat from the wax then opens the hair follicles and, as it cools, it grips on to the hair, ready to be pulled in one go from the skin. The main advantage of roll-on and warm wax is that it’s so effective, it doesn’t need re-application. But on the downside, they’re messier than wax strips and can be tricky to apply on smaller areas. It also works best on hair that is 5mm long, so for shorter hair you may need to use wax strips instead.

How to wax underarms

Wax strips are perfect for the underarm as they are particularly effective on short hair. Wash and dry the area thoroughly before waxing.

How to wax legs

Wax strips or roll-on wax are both good options for the leg area. Work up the leg one strip at a time. Afterwards, moisturise your skin and try and give scented products, swimming and sunbathing a miss for 24 hours to avoid irritation. It also helps to wear loose trousers so your skin can breathe.

And finally don’t forget the following top tips

Top waxing tips

1. Make sure skin is clean and free from any moisturiser or oil at the time of hair removal. You want there to be a bit of grip to make the experience as pain-free as possible. If you self tan do it after waxing.

2. Before introducing a new product/method into your regime, always perform a skin-patch test so you’re extra certain there won’t be any nasty side effects.

3. Wax against the direction of the hair growth in a sharp, quick motion – pulling too slowly will cause bits of wax to remain on the skin and no one wants that!

4. If you have fine hairs and don’t have a waxing machine, then you can try pre-coated waxing strips. You can find these in various sizes, depending on which area you want to wax.

5. When using hot wax it can get a little bit messy, so lay down some towels and clean up any wax spillages sooner rather than later.

6. Don’t wax the same area twice. Waxing removes the top layer of skin, leaving it slightly sore. Any stray hairs left after waxing should be removed with tweezers.

7. Apply pressure to the area you have just waxed with the palm of your hand to soothe your skin.

8. Wait 24 hours before applying a moisturiser to avoid irritating the skin, and choose one with cooling ingredients, like aloe vera

9. Remove the strip in one swift movement, pulling the opposite way.

10. Use talcum powder to soak up any moisture.