# Men's experiences with facial waxing (As opposed to shaving) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673 "2006-10-24T04:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/1 "2006-10-24T04:19:10Z")
I have a problem: I’m lazy. I don’t like taking the time to shave daily, and when I can get away with it, leave the razor and shaving cream down. I’m seriously considering waxing as an alternative to shaving. The way I see it: Pros: -Relatively quick (at least compared to shaving every day, vs. waxing every week) -Longer lasting -Closer and cleaner looking (this is a big plus since I have very coarse dark facial hair, even right after shaving I have a noon o’clock shadow) Cons: -The pain, though I’m not sure how big a con this would be, since shaving after a few day’s of growth can be a bit painful -Temporary redness/blotchyness, which I imagine wouldn’t be a big deal as long as I did it at night before going to bed when nobody’s going to be there to make fun of me. -Lack of information through Google, which leads me to believe it’s not a widespread phenomena, which then leads me to believe that the cons outweigh the pros. So are there any males out there who have at least experimented with this, if not use it as an alternative to shaving? Are there any major points that I’ve overlooked that would make me reconsider? Am I just going to have to experiment on myself and open up an exposé in MPSIMS? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/2 "2006-10-24T05:32:38Z")
Waxing doesn’t work on coarse beard hairs. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/3 "2006-10-24T06:04:11Z")
I’m not a guy, but from my experiences with waxing and other kinds of facial procedures, I think that the pain factor would probably be a more serious barrier to this than you might be expecting…especially trying to pull tough hairs out of sensitive areas like the upper lip. The best thing for a lazy guy might just be to go for the Grizzly Adams look. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/4 "2006-10-24T07:24:35Z")
[QUOTE=Electronic Chaos] So are there any males out there who have at least experimented with this, if not use it as an alternative to shaving? Are there any major points that I’ve overlooked that would make me reconsider? Am I just going to have to experiment on myself and open up an exposé in MPSIMS? [/QUOTE] I have actually tried this before - only once. The pain is unbelievable, it is not as quick as you would think, the hot wax is messy, and its difficult to do on your own. Other than that it worked out quite well. If you **really** hate shaving why not have your beard removed by electrolysis. It is also painful, as well as expensive, but at least it is permanent. ---
**Author:** ![dbuzman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de0a6/32.png) [@dbuzman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbuzman)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/5 "2006-10-24T11:55:47Z")
They do make depilatory systems for facial hair. That may be closer than shaving. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/6 "2006-10-24T18:50:46Z")
My beard is so thick and coarse that I’m inclined to think waxing would remove my entire face. I wouldn’t try it for money. Even a lot of money. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/7 "2006-10-24T19:08:49Z")
I’ve switched from wet shaving to an electric razor. Not as close a shave but cuts shaving time in half. BTW does waxing actually PULL the hair roots outta you face? OUCH! Fuck that! :dubious: (Maybe I shouldn’t have used “cuts” and “shaving” in the same sentence) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/8 "2006-10-24T19:56:08Z")
This strikes me as a bad idea. I don’t have the thickest or fullest facial hair on the planet, but still, a quick examination shows that the density of hair on my face is much greater than that of my legs. There are simply more follicles per square inch. What might hurt like hell on my legs could prove to be a disaster on my face, resulting in bloody proof that my beard has a firmer attachment to my face than my skull. Besides, I like the way I look with the occasional day’s growth. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/9 "2006-10-24T20:11:37Z")
[QUOTE=Imasquare] I have actually tried this before - only once. The pain is unbelievable, it is not as quick as you would think, the hot wax is messy, and its difficult to do on your own. Other than that it worked out quite well. If you **really** hate shaving why not have your beard removed by electrolysis. It is also painful, as well as expensive, but at least it is permanent. [/QUOTE] This guy got his face permanently dipilated. See how nice it worked for him. His face is as smooth as baby girl’s behind. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/10 "2006-10-24T20:15:22Z")
[This guy](http://www.crimelibrary.com/graphics/photos/notorious_murders/famous/ramsey/John-Karr(4)200.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/11 "2006-10-24T20:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=astro] [This guy](http://www.crimelibrary.com/graphics/photos/notorious_murders/famous/ramsey/John-Karr(4)200.jpg) [/QUOTE] I dunno about the beard, but I’m creeped out by the oddly large head on a tiny stick neck with the top button done up for added effect. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/12 "2006-10-25T00:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=astro] [This guy](http://www.crimelibrary.com/graphics/photos/notorious_murders/famous/ramsey/John-Karr(4)200.jpg) [/QUOTE] He still looks like he has a 5 o’clock shadow. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/13 "2006-10-25T01:51:18Z")
There has got to be a better solution to this. I shave every weekday and I have a pretty thick beard. It takes me literally 1 minute or less to shave every morning with a disposable. I have each motion down and don’t even have to think about it much. Are you quick and good at shaving? To me, that is like saying that you are too lazy to brush your teeth because the amount of effort and time is about equivalent. I have no problem believing that some people are that lazy but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe your technique, strategy, or equipment isn’t right. I don’t love electric razors but some of the newer ones are pretty good and take minimal time and effort as well. There is no way that a vat of hot wax combined with the screaming is going to be easier or less of a hassle than just getting a good daily plan together and executing well. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/14 "2006-10-25T02:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=Imasquare] He still looks like he has a 5 o’clock shadow. [/QUOTE] Because, if I understand the term _depilated_ correctly, chemically removing all hair above the surface, the chemicals don’t remove what’s under the surface, so in effect it’s no different from a close shave. Skin is translucent. Dark hair under the surface of paleface will show. _E_pilation isn’t something on the internet, it means yanking the hair out by the roots. You can achieve your aim not by _en mass_ epilation via waxing, but one by one, using Revlon diamond grip tweezers. The process is extremely tedious. As for pain, good news: You can train your mind to a Zen-like state of indifference to pain if you want badly enough to carry out this task. The upper lip is the only really bad area as far as pain is concerned. The highest follicle density of all, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Cnguyen8435](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Cnguyen8435](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cnguyen8435)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/15 "2016-05-30T04:13:31Z")
You guys are worse than babies. What do you think women go through? Have you never heard of a Brazilian wax? Take some ibuprofen before you get the waxing. Use a warm damp clothe to open up your pores (hot water opens pores, cold water closes pores). Never do it at home. It’s best to have an esthetician do it. Be mindful of in grown hairs after extraction. After a few weeks, your hair will start to grow in a little finer than before but if your pores are clogged then you will get in growns. They can be guided out. As a woman, I do not like stubble from shaving. Even a clean shaved man can irritate my skin when getting close. With waxing, the hair is finer so it doesn’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/16 "2016-05-30T04:21:56Z")
> [@Cnguyen8435](#): > > You guys are worse than babies. What do you think women go through? Have you never heard of a Brazilian wax? Take some ibuprofen before you get the waxing. Use a warm damp clothe to open up your pores (hot water opens pores, cold water closes pores). Never do it at home. It’s best to have an esthetician do it. Be mindful of in grown hairs after extraction. After a few weeks, your hair will start to grow in a little finer than before but if your pores are clogged then you will get in growns. They can be guided out. As a woman, I do not like stubble from shaving. Even a clean shaved man can irritate my skin when getting close. With waxing, the hair is finer so it doesn’t hurt. This conversation ended nearly 10 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/17 "2016-05-30T17:46:50Z")
It’s not that bad just having a beard and mustache. Shaving it (blade or electric) always gave me such bad acne I gave up, and it’s fine. IMHO it’s a shame that there is so much pressure on both men and women to remove hair. Bodies are supposed to have hair. We don’t need to care that much about being beautiful, but if you do, you might take into consideration that body hair is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/18 "2016-05-31T01:41:35Z")
Have you considered laser hair removal? I don’t know why more men don’t try it. It’s permanent and works pretty well. The laser is absorbed by the darker pigments in the hair follicle and kill the follicle without causing any other kind of damage. No more shaving. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/19 "2016-05-31T02:56:45Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Have you considered laser hair removal? I don’t know why more men don’t try it. It’s permanent and works pretty well. The laser is absorbed by the darker pigments in the hair follicle and kill the follicle without causing any other kind of damage. No more shaving. Yes, but not being able to grow a beard can limit your future career choices. Becoming a pirate is right out. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673/20 "2016-05-31T18:30:34Z")
Because **Cnguyen** thought me squeamish I had my face waxed, but now wish The decision I made was to stick to the blade for now I can never be Amish [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mens-experiences-with-facial-waxing-as-opposed-to-shaving/377673.md?page=2)