Ask an Esthetician: How Long Does Hair Have to be to Wax Properly?

If you’re new to the world of waxing, you probably have a bunch of questions about your upcoming appointment. One of the most important ones that you need answered is...

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 how long should hair be to wax

If you’re new to the world of waxing, you probably have a bunch of questions about your upcoming appointment. One of the most important ones that you need answered is about how long your hair needs to be before the appointment for your esthetician to effectively wax!

If your hair isn’t long enough, it becomes difficult or impossible for applied wax to remove hair from the root. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s absolutely necessary for you to grow your hair out before your appointment. No shaving allowed!

How long hair should be for waxing

The general rule of thumb of hair length for waxing is somewhere between ¼ and ½ of an inch long. For a visual representation of the length (without a ruler), you can imagine it as the same length as a grain of rice. How long that takes to grow depends on you and your hair’s rate of growth, but three weeks should be plenty of time for most people.

Length for Brazilian waxing

For those unfamiliar with Brazilian waxing, it removes all of your pubic hair, including a butt strip. Pubic hair typically grows much thicker than hair on other parts of the body, but the rule for length is the same.

If your hair is longer than ¼ of an inch, don’t try to trim it back before your appointment. You run the risk of cutting it too short, and making it difficult for your esthetician. Instead, if necessary, let your esthetician handle it during the appointment. Despite what you think, waxing won’t be any more painful if your hair is slightly longer than the appropriate length.

Length for underarm waxingquarter inch of hair

Just like other kinds of waxing, it’s recommended that your underarm hair is between ¼ and ½ of an inch prior to an underarm waxing appointment. After your first session, you’ll be able to set up your follow up booking about 4 weeks later. This allows ample time for your hair to grow back to the required length. Once every month is much better than shaving every day!

Length for leg waxing

By now, you can probably guess how long your hair needs to be for leg waxing. Yep, it’s at least a ¼ inch long! Growing out your leg hair may be a pain to those who are used to shaving regularly, but it’s worth it. The more often and consistent you are with waxing appointments, the slower and thinner your hair will grow back.

Going to a professional esthetician

You should always take the extra time to find a great esthetician in your area for waxing. At home waxing without experience has a wealth of risks and side effects you don’t want to deal with. Poor waxing technique and aftercare can lead to ingrown hairs, redness, irritation, unnecessary pain, and even slight burns.

Proper skin prep

An experienced and well-taught esthetician starts your waxing appointment by preparing your skin. First, the area that will be waxed needs to be cleansed of any dirt or sweat accumulated over the course of the day. Next, a pre-wax lotion is applied, such as WaxOne’s product. Lotions like these help to prevent redness and irritation after the wax. Also, they help the wax adhere to hair for easier removal.

Experienced waxing technique

Without an experienced, professional waxing technique, you risk negative side effects. Hyperpigmentation, redness and irritation, bumps and ingrown hairs, pain, and at worst, bleeding are risks when you wax at home.

A licensed esthetician has years of experience working with a wide variety of skin types, sensitivities, and concerns. They know the best ways of removing all the hair quickly and efficiently with the least amount of pain. Not to mention, their quality of waxing supplies is much higher than what you’ll find off of Amazon.

Great post-wax aftercare

Finally, a professional guides you through the best practices of taking care of your skin after your appointment. There are many activities that you want to avoid to prevent irritation to your freshly waxed skin. For example, many people want to get a wax prior to a beach day, or for other outdoor activities. However, waxing makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so you should plan at least two days ahead of any outdoor activity.

Additionally, waxing studios provide and sell helpful products for waxing aftercare. These products reduce ingrown hairs, help soothe and moisturize your skin, and can even make your hair grow back slower. Your esthetician will know exactly which products are right for you and your skin!

If you’re an esthetician looking for high quality, yet affordable waxing supplies, look no further than Bare Beauty Wax Supply. We offer a great rewards program for our customers to save you even more on your essential waxing supplies! Everything you need for a successful waxing studio can be ordered with a quick turnaround time, keeping your business stocked and prepared.

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