Waxing vs. Shaving: What Is the Best Method for Hair Removal?
To wax or to shave? This common question runs through the minds of millions of people in the United States every single day. These two methods are certainly the most popular for removing unwanted hair. But which is better? At a simple glance, shaving might seem like the most effective way to remove hair due to it being inexpensive, fast, and convenient. All you need is a razor, some shaving cream and you’re good to go! However, when comparing the pros and cons for both methods, shaving is just taking the easy way out!
What is Shaving?
Shaving is a method used to remove hair in which a razor is used to trim the hair right where it exits the skin but not at the root. It is the most widely used method to remove hair around the world. Shaving with a quality razor allows hair to be removed in a way that it is not visible on the skin’s surface.
Typically, men use razors to shave their facial hair and women shave to remove hair all over their body. Shaving lightly exfoliates the skin by picking up shedding skin in the process of removing hair.
What is Waxing?
Waxing is a method of removing hair where wax is heated and applied on the area containing unwanted hair. After the wax is applied, it is then pulled quickly, removing hair follicles at the root.
The most popular types of hair removal wax are soft wax and hard wax. Soft wax is a traditional form of wax that requires wax removal strips that are placed over the wax and then pulled to remove the wax from the skin. As the strip is pulled, the wax removes the hair at the follicle. When waxing large areas of the body, multiple strips should be used.
Waxing with hard wax has become increasingly popular in recent times since no strips are required to pull the wax. Instead, the wax is applied and pulled by gripping the edge of the wax. Waxing also exfoliates the skin by picking up dead skin cells. Compared to shaving, waxing exfoliates the skin much more and leaves it looking and feeling smoother!
Frequency of Shaving & Waxing
Shaving is a short-term method for removing hair due to the fact that the hair is cut close to the skin’s surface but not at the root. How many times you have to shave varies from person to person. Typically, people shave every 2-4 days although some people may find themselves needing to shave every day.
Waxing, on the other hand, is considered to be a semi-permanent hair removal method since it removes hair from the root. This allows you to remain hair-free for a lot longer compared to shaving. You can be hairless after waxing form 1-3 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows.
Because hair takes longer to grow back when waxed as opposed to shaved, it allows you to spend less time worrying about needing to shave, and more time being productive with other things. This is especially important for busy professionals, moms, dads, and anyone that doesn't want to be held back by having to shave every other day.
If you wake up late one day and don’t have time to shave your legs, you may have to reconsider your entire outfit for the day. If your legs are waxed, it doesn’t matter what time you woke up since your shower doesn’t need to consist of spending extra time shaving!
Time Spent Shaving & Waxing
People usually shave during their shower and generally spend about 10-15 minutes shaving their entire body. This may not seem like a very long time but if you find yourself shaving every day or every or every other day, you will see that you are actually spending quite a bit of time shaving.
Waxing cannot be done in the shower and the amount of time needed to wax varies depending on the sensitivity of your skin and the type of wax session being done. Although it takes longer to get waxed than to shave, you may only need to do wax every few weeks! If you wax on a consistent basis, it will take longer for your hair to grow back and your hair may also grow back thinner than before! This will result in faster sessions and will save you more time.
Cost of Shaving vs. Waxing
Shaving is considered cheaper than waxing because all that is needed is a razor blade and shaving cream. Some people even use soap as an alternative to shaving cream to save more money. If you are on a budget, then shaving is the best option for you because it gets the job done and can be done anywhere at any time.
Getting professionally waxed is the way to go if you want the absolute best results possible for your skin. Nothing beats getting waxed by a skilled esthetician that specializes in hair removal waxing. However, getting professionally waxed every few weeks is also the priciest option although it is definitely worth it if superior results are your concern.
Verdict
Shaving and waxing are the two main methods used for removing unwanted hair and both have their respective strengths. When taking a close look at the pros and cons of shaving and waxing though we can see that waxing is the overall best method to remove hair if you want the very best results. Waxing puts an end to ugly razor bumps, itchiness, and hyperpigmentation that causes areas of the body to turn darker than the rest.
Sure, shaving can save you when there is an unexpected party or event that you want to attend, but after reading the benefits of waxing, it is clear why estheticians and other skin professionals recommend waxing over shaving. Shaving is the easy way out, but waxing is the best!