Waxing is not exactly the easiest hair removal method that you can do at home and one of the things you need to make sure of is the ideal hair length for waxing.
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What is The Ideal Hair Length for Waxing?
The ideal hair length for waxing is at least 1/4 inches up to 1/2 inches long.
How would you quantify that?
The best hair length for waxing is about the same length of a grain of rice in the case of the 1/4 inches hair length.
The 1/2 inches hair length can be compared to the length of basmati rice.
Ideal Length for Waxing Coarse Hair
In the beginning, especially for those with coarse hairs, it’s best to get it waxed when the hairs are a bit longer, closer to 1/2 inches.
It’s pretty logical because coarse hairs have much stronger roots, they’re more stubborn when it comes to pulling them out from their follicles.
The wax needs to properly stick to the hairs in order to remove them from the roots. A longer hair means larger sticking surface.
And it prevents them from breaking or from leading to ingrown hairs.
Once the hairs become less coarse, which can happen in time, a shorter hair length like 1/4 inches is possible.
It seems that it’s best to start waxing in the winter when it comes to the visible parts of the body, like the underarms and the legs.
There’s no need to consider that for facial hair removal because most of the hairs there are thin and easy to remove, even at home with cold facial wax strips.
Why Hair Length for Waxing Matters
Why does that matter? Why does the length of you hair matter when it comes to waxing?
There are just a couple of reasons for that:
- the hair is too short: the wax won’t be able to grab it and pull it from the root
- if the hair is too long it’s very painful but I would say that actually because a pretty inefficient hair removal method if the hair is too short
If the hairs are too short some hairs will most certainly break and also ingrown hairs can be an unfortunate result.
Some hair salons trim the hairs for their clients if the hairs are too long. But you have to make sure that it’s something included in their services and I expect that it will cost an additional fee.
Time Between Waxing Sessions for Body & Face
Given that the ideal hair length for waxing is 1/4 inches, let’s translate that into weeks. Meaning how many weeks have to pass before you can get waxed again or do the waxing again yourself.
These are average times but they can differ from person to person because some are blessed with slower hair regrowth rate.
So, on average, you need these many weeks between waxing sessions for body and face:
- face: the upper lip and the rest can be waxed once every 2 weeks, that’s how often I waxed with cold facial wax strips because my hair is all black and a bit thick even on my face
- underarms: this is another area where you can get waxed every 2 weeks
- bikini area: waxing can happen once every 3-4 weeks, I would say 3 weeks for most people
- legs: again it’s a period of 3-4 weeks before waxing sessions, most will want to wax their legs after 3 weeks of hair growth during the summer because at that point the hairs are pretty noticeable
- back area: you can have your back waxed once every 4-6 weeks
- chest hair: the same as the back area, once every 4-6 weeks but for some with more hair growth it can be necessary once every 3 weeks
What More You Need to Know About Waxing At Home
This especially applies to waxing at home because for salon waxing you just need to establish the ideal hair length for waxing so that you know when to make your appointments.
However, waxing at home comes with a bunch of complications.
For the face, the easiest method is to use cold facial wax strips. Let’s see which are the best options for the body.
Use Hard Wax
If you want to wax your body, it’s recommended to use hard wax. Hard wax is the type of wax that works for all types of hairs and for all areas – the underarms, bikini area, legs, back, chest, face.
Check out my post on the best at-home waxing kits if you want to know which are the best options.
The hard wax needs to be melted, either by using a wax warmer or in the microwave. The latter is called microwavable hard wax.
If you’re getting hard wax beads but you don’t want to get a warmer you can also use a glass jar to melt them. Place the jar in a pot with boiling water and let it sit in there until it melts.
Make sure that the wax is not too hot. You don’t want to burn your skin but it will still feel a bit uncomfortable, especially for those who don’t handle very warm things too well.
Hard wax is always applied in the direction of hair growth. It’s always best to use small strips, especially in the beginning.
Then, the wax is left to harden for a few seconds. A good wax will harden more quickly. You don’t need muslin strips for hard wax, those are reserved for the soft type, which salons use especially for the legs because it can be applied in large strips, it speeds up the session.
Once it hardens, lift a corner a bit and pull it quickly and swiftly in the opposite direction of hair growth. The secret to waxing at home is mostly in how efficiently you pull off the strip. Don’t hesitate and you’re going to be fine.
For an alternative, if you want to remove hairs by yourself at home, check out my post on sugaring.
Prevent Ingrown Hairs
Waxing is a hair removal method that can cause ingrown hairs. Just like shaving and epilation.
You need to exfoliate regularly to prevent ingrown hairs. You can use body scrubs, you can make your own scrub at home, or use exfoliating gloves or chemical exfoliators.
I definitely recommend chemical exfoliators for those who already suffer from ingrown hairs, they’re very good and pretty easy to use.
Waxing can also cause itchiness, especially in the bikini area. I recommend moisturizing the bikini area daily to prevent any irritation or itchiness. And always moisturize after a session.
Besides the ideal hair length for waxing, that’s a very short summery of what you should be aware of when it comes to this very popular hair removal method.
