For about the cost of having my legs waxed twice* I was able to buy all the stuff needed to do it at home. I’ve done the kits before, the ones you have to microwave, but they suck. So I got the electric pot and all that good stuff. Anyone here a veteran self-waxer and have advice for me? I’ll mainly be doing my legs and underarms. I may get adventurous and do my eyebrows but I’m a little scared about that. I’d probably still pay someone to do a brazilian on special occasions–I’ve done that to myself before and it’s just incredibly difficult.
*not something I’ve ever done regularly–I shave currently, but hate the frequency and would love to just wax.
Let me tell you, I have a very high pain tolerance. I once got the fool idea to do my underarms.
It was so horribly painful (I think the hair roots to these must be in your feet) that I couldn’t even continue.
My daughter gets her underarms waxed in the summertime, but she says that it’s definitely something to build up to. She waxes her own legs, and occasionally forearms, and I’ve helped her on occasion. Cut the muslin strips fairly short, and put down lots of old towels. Wax only small areas at a time. And remember to moisturize.
Apparently, women who have no issue with a bikini wax or brazillian find underarm waxing excruitiating (a la Bad News Baboon); and vice versa.
Keep in mind OpalCat that since you’ve been shaving, the first leg wax will hurt. There’s somewhere in your cycle that’s an excellent time to wax - making it pretty much painless - and can’t remember whether it’s the beginning, middle or end.
Self-waxing, whether you have all the good gear or not is a messy pain in the arse. Literally, if you’re that way inclined. I doth my cap to you, **OpalCat **for your financial wizardry and ‘can do’ 'tude. Me? I’d rather pay someone.
I think, in general, the hardest thing about home waxing is that it is impossible to get at the right angles for optimum pulling. It’s best, IMO, to pull the skin taut before the pull. Legs are the easiest. Bikini area is next easier but can be difficult depending on how flexible you are!
The other thing is that the wax must be at a perfect temp. I think if it is too cold, it doesn’t become hard enough for the pull - it stays like taffy and won’t pull easy or if you pull anyway you will hurt the skin (you will stop when you see this happen but by then the wax is already on and you’ll have to wash it off).
I do those too but you don’t melt the wax in quantities, you just use the little scoop end of the kistka and melt a tiny bit at a time while you’re drawing on your designs.
So I may chicken out and keep shaving the underarms. I was going to have my husband help me with them because of the angle, but if it hurts that much… eeeehhhh…
I know how much the legs will hurt. I occasionally get them waxed after shaving for months so I know what to expect there. I’ve also used the microwave kits before.
Okay, whatever you do, DON’T do this over carpet or hardwood or whatever without newspaper covering it. Lay out plenty (and I do mean plenty) of newspapers. Some pots you buy tell you to do so, some don’t. Lay 'em out further than you think you need, just trust me. Have you ever been to a beauty school or academy? The floor is sticky and layered in wax. You are a novice, the same thing will happen to you.
-If it’s been awhile since you’ve last waxed, your pain threshold is low. Also, you won’t be as skilled as a professional so you’re gonna suck at first and cause yourself pain no matter what. Take 2 Advil 30 minutes beforehand and don’t wax just before or during your period.
-Get yourself a big ass mirror if you want to do your bikini line. Lean it against a wall. Get a small flashlight if the lighting in the area isn’t good, or get a lamp you can plug in near you.
-Be patient. It’s gonna take a long time to begin with. Go slowly.
-Are you using hard or soft wax? Don’t wax an area twice with soft wax! It will hurt like murder and possibly tear off the skin and cause a bruise etc.
-Have the oil and the powder nearby that you need.
-Have a variety of different sized sticks for dipping. If they’re large, break 'em in the middle. Don’t stick a used stick back in the pot, you don’t want germs. If your kit only came with one size, go to a hardware store or WalMart and get different sizes.
-Pre-cut your muslin strips to good sizes and a variety of sizes.
-Have a lined garbage can close by.
-Lay a cold wash cloth on the area afterwards to soothe the pain if needed.
Good luck!
ETA: Never seen good results with wax in a pot for eyebrows. Best to use strips for those still. YMMV of course.
When I wax and I do it right, I crank up the pot to 9 or 10 and leave it for 20 minutes or so to let everything melt. Then I crank it back down to 7 and leave it for another half hour to cool a bit. Then when I dip, I hold the stick over the pot while rotating it 'round and 'round for a count of 10. Only then do I apply.
And I constantly burn myself anyway.
Or if I don’t burn myself, I cause bruises and such, because I’ll try to wax the same area twice (like **lindsay **cautions against). I’ve been doing it for a while for the same reason as you, Opal, but clearly I’m not any better at it. But it works for me - I’m waxing my bikini line, so it’s generally not usually visible to the general public, and I heal up pretty quickly.
The best advice is in lindsay’s 4th paragraph: go slow and be patient. The few times I’ve gotten a good wax on myself is when I’ve obeyed that rule. Yes, I know, I should obey it more often. I gotta do it again this weekend - this time I’ll take my time.
In the heat of the moment I will forget my own advice. Since I’ve been eating healthier than ever, my upper lip grows absurdly fast (I have to wax it every 2 weeks). That frustration spills over and I see a few hairs and, without thinking will re-wax an area. Don’t re-wax! Or you’ll walk around for several days looking like a burn victim.
Up until recently (I started laser treatments), I regularly got Brazilians, as well as my under arms waxed. I don’t find either particularly painful, but I get them done professionally. Under no circumstances would I EVER consider doing either myself. Eesh.
If pain is a concern, pop some Advil an hour before and spray the area down with some numbing spray (I’ve never done either of these, but my more sensitive friends do before going in for waxing).
Exfoliate thoroughly the areas you want to wax, the day before. Don’t apply any lotions or oils. Right before you wax, wipe witch hazel over the area to cool and dry the area you want to wax. Apply body powder sparingly and wipe off the excess. I can’t stress enough the need to have skin as cool and dry as possible. You’ll be able to get a closer, less painful wax.
When you apply the muslin to the area with warm wax, press the muslin into the wax by rubbing vigorously. When you pull the strip, pull the strip quickly back over itself; if you pull the strip up, you will bruise your skin and not get as clean a pull as you wanted.
After the session, don’t do anything. No showering, no lotions, no powders, nothing. Remove the bits of left over wax if necessary, but leave your skin alone for as long as possible. Then you can take a shower and exfoliate again. You can apply a light coat of lotion to soothe your skin. Incidentally, be sure to exfoliate regularly so as to keep ingrown hairs to a minimum.
These are all tips I’ve followed when waxing and I’ve been rewarded with smooth, hair free legs with as few bruises and ingrown hairs as possible. Good Luck!