So, I’ve been considering waxing my legs. Has anyone attempted to wax their own legs instead of leaving it to the professionals? What were the results? What products do you recommended? Did you visit a professional the first time you had it done to get an idea as to technique, or did you just jump in and give it a try on your own?
My college roomie and I tried to wax each other’s legs, like, 30 years ago. It all wound up with tears, burnt legs, spilled wax . . . A combination of soft porn and a Laverne & Shirley episode.
I have had my legs waxed professionally once. I have had the bikini area done many times.
The thing I imagine about home waxing is that it is probably very difficult to get a good angle for a firm clean pull on some parts of your legs. half-assed pull=ouch. I haven’t tried it at home, but I also wouldn’t try it at home. IMHO, its a job best left to professionals.
Now the downside, the reason I haven’t had my legs done more is it was just too expensive. I did love the results though and I didn’t think it hurt that much. I may be wierd, but having my eyebrows waxed hurts more than my bikini area, which hurts more than legs. shrug
Eve: I just choked on my orange juice. Your description is both intriguing and frightening. 
Hello Again:So what exactly should I expect if I go to a salon? Do I change into something or should I have something (shorts?)with me? I’m utterly clueless.
I’ve never had it done at a “high-end” salon, just a mid-range type place with a liscensed “aesthetician.” hehe.
So, here’s what happens when I get my bikini waxed:
- I get there and check in. I am sent to a small private room to wait for the Licensed Aesthetician. She arrives, we make small talk.
- I take off my pants. at one place I’ve gone, I was given a cushy robe. The place I usually go, I just get undressed. The robe either a)gets in the way or B)isn’t covering you up in any meaningful way anyway.
- IMPORTANT: I wear underwear that follows the line I want them to wax to. In your case, should wear whatever you feel comfortable with, that exposes the area you wish to be waxed. If you only want to go to your knees, shorts are fine. To the top of your thighs, “boy short” type underwear or bathing suit would be cool. The whole enchilada: appropriate undies.
- I lay back on the table (the uptilted kind), the L.A. dusts the area to waxed with powder and applies wax to a section of the given area. A cloth is applied, then RIP. Repeat until area is bare.
Don’t freak out but a tiny amount of blood is normal (pinhole sized drops.) and your skin will probably get a bit red for a while after the waxing. The result is awesomely snooth though.
When the area is completed, it is wiped down with witch hazel and then some kind of lotion to soothe the skin.
When you’re feeling self-conscious, remember that L.A.'s have seen a LOT of different bodies in various levels of hairiness and should be very professional and put you at ease (kind of like a good doctor). Everything should be sanitized and sanitary. Make sure you tell them you’ve never done it before, they will explain the process (again, like a good doctor).
Let me know if there’s any part I could elaborate on.
Depends on the waxing you want. You’ll have to uncover the area that’s going to be waxed. If you’re only getting half-leg and being in your underwear makes you uncomfortable, then bring some very-short shorts. The bed where you sit/lean is wiped clean every time, usually with alcohol (disinfects and helps pick up drops of wax).
If you’re getting full-leg, you should wear your usual panties and/or the bikini/bathsuit you intend to wear. That is, if you always wear thongs, don’t choose your only “nanny panty”, and viceversa. The waxer will line the edge of the panties with paper and wax the area outside.
For self-waxing, there are some products where the wax comes in a roll-on dispenser. You have to be careful with the temperature - be sure to follow the instructions in the package. I use these for touch-ups: since I’ve been waxing for a long time, my legs have gone from “there’s a bear in my family tree” to “few hairs but coal-black,” so no need to be making the salon rich. Wax just leaves my skin SO much nicer than shaving and produces a lot less ingrown hairs, I only shave for emergencies.
Doesn’t the hair have to be an inch long or something?? I don’t think I could do that no matter how badly I wanted something waxed.
Uh? No… 3-4mm. One inch equals 25.4mm. And you can actually wax sooner, but it won’t be able to catch hairs below 0.5mm
I have a friend who has a great story about waxing. I’ll email her and ask if it’s okay to post it.
Yes, you can wax your own legs, but it’s the sort of thing where I think it’s best if you have a professional do it for you at least a few times. Then you can see how the whole operation works, what you’re aiming for, etc.
It’s kind of a hassle to do it yourself, I think. The box kits at the drug store generally aren’t very good (except for the occasional touch up), it’s only worth it if you’re going to buy a real home waxer from the beauty supply store. Of course, the plus side to having the home waxing is that you can wax something in the middle of the night, if you really need to.
I’ve been thinking about getting a bikini wax lately. Do you have to come in with everything trimmed up to a proper length (3-4 mm, I guess)? Or will they be able to work with it longer? I would hate to have it not go right because the hair is too short. How much does it cost?
I’ve tried it at home, with great results the first time, and utter failure the other times. Same product, same process. Weird.
I’ve been waxing my own legs and bikini area for years. I waxed a friend’s legs first, and that was enough practice for me to be able to do it myself. I’ve always had problems with shaving (really sensitive skin - I was at the point where I had this special shaving lotion, and had to use a new triple blade every time, and could only shave once a week, and yadda yadda) and finally I said “screw this, I’m going to try waxing.”
The wax I use, after trying several products, is super easy to use. No need for special fabric strips or anything like that. The ingredients are 3 - no fancy chemicals or sugar or whatever. Just rosin, beeswax, glycerine (IIRC).
Basically, about every 3-4 weeks (more often in the summer b/c the hair grows faster), I get some SurgiWax (the kind for just general body hair) and I nuke it for a minute. I stir it around with the little wooden stick that comes with it. I get bottomless (my boyfriend likes this part), spread out some newspaper on the floor and sit on it, and when the wax is of a certain consistency (not too liquidy or it will burn, not too sludgy or it will set too fast) I spread some on in the direction of hair growth. I tend to do several patches at once, but for a first-timer I’d recommend doing only one patch at a time. The patch of wax should be maybe an inch or two wide and 3-4 inches long. I wait 20-30 seconds, pat it to see if it’s still sticky, and if it isn’t, I pull up the bottom of the strip just a little to get a grip on it and then pull straight backward (not up) against the direction of hair growth. The used wax goes in a plastic grocery bag so the cats won’t eat it/play with it. I push a bit on the skin with my hand in the spot I just waxed and that cuts down on the amount of pain. Repeat over entire lower legs/knees and bikini area, heating up the remaining wax as necessary. After I’m all done, I rub some lotion or massage oil into my legs/bikini area and that helps get the stray bits of wax off. The next day I shave off any hairs I missed. The only parts of my legs that I have a hard time with are the backs of my calves, because the hair grows in a weird direction and it’s hard to get good leverage. Sometimes I have my boyfriend help me with that.
Honestly, it’s really not all that difficult, and to do my legs doesn’t even hurt anymore. The bikini area still hurts, though. The hair needs to be about half a centimeter long and once you start waxing the hair will grow in more sparsely (because different follicles grow on different timetables. If you waited, say, 6 months between waxings, that would be a different story and the leg hair would probably all be grown back). It costs me about $5-6 for the tub of wax and takes about an hour. Plus my legs stay hair-free for over two weeks, way longer than with shaving, and they are a little tender for a couple of hours as opposed to constantly when I used to shave.
Thanks for all the advice and descriptions everyone!
The hair above the knee is much finer and more sparse than that below the knee - will it be harder to wax?
Nah. The first couple times I did it it was " special occasion" thing as opposed to a regular maintenence plan. So I arrived in all my un tamed glory, as it were. I don’t think it can be too long. If needed, they will trim it with scissors to a more managable length.
Mine cost about $35 at a mid-range salon in a Midwestern university town. I tip the nice lady $10 so she’ll remember me fondly between visits.
Worth every penny I’d say.
Thanks, HelloAgain!
This is why I love the internet. I’ve been wanting to try waxing for a while, but was too embarrassed to ask that question of the aesthetician. Anonomity is a wonderful thing.
I really like having the bikini wax done. It began several years ago as Special Occasions, and now I think I’ll just do it every couple months, more during the summer.
Less successful were my lower legs (calves), done twice, awhile back, two different salons. I think I have problem hair.
My legs have different swatches of hair growing different directions, the waxing just seemed rather arduous, and there were too many hairs left behind.
Never a problem with the bikini wax though.
Pain. And the hair didn’t go away.
Unlike other body part self-waxing (which has been painful at times, but pain for a purpose), leg waxing had all the costs and none of the benefits.
I’ve never waxed my legs, but I did have an *Epilady * once. I managed to do most of one leg before the pain absolutely became unbearable. A few weeks after that, every time I got goosebumps, I had excrutiating pain because a hundred hairs grew back in INGROWN, under my skin. I wound up having to pick them out individually using a needle.
I don’t know if this would happen with waxing, but it’s worth keeping in mind as a possibility. Nobody ever warned me it might happen.
I have an Epilady stashed somewhere in the deepest recesses of my wardrobe. I’m cringing right now with the remembered pain. I’d rather have legs hairier’n a gorilla than go through that again.
Self-waxing was never a great success with me. Messy, time-consuming, painful and left too many hairs intact. I’ve been having my legs waxed for about 15 years. I only get it done twice a year now. A lot of the hair which used to grow there just gave up trying, after a while.