Did you know that Americans spend an average of $58 a month on their hair alone? That includes haircuts, hair care, and yes, hair removal. That’s almost $700 spent just on hair every year!
But it’s not only about the money — it’s also about how much time people spend on hair-related activities. Women, for instance, spend about 1,728 hours of their entire lives on shaving alone.
If you’re one of these people, you’ve likely grown tired of all that time you put into unwanted hair removal. In this case, it’s time you consider the many advantages and benefits of waxing.
The question is, what exactly makes waxing more worth it than shaving? Why should you even switch to this hair removal method? We’ll address all these questions in this post, so be sure to keep reading!
1. No Blades Involved
A study found that from 2002 to 2010, there were 11,704 ED visits for genitourinary (GU) injuries. Of these, 335 incidents had something to do with grooming products. What’s more, shaving razors accounted for 83% of these grooming-related injuries!
A more recent analysis also found that, of those who groom down there, 25.6% suffered injuries. Three in five of these injuries were cuts, caused by none other than razors.
If you haven’t had any razor nicks, lucky you. But these studies prove that such grooming tools are risky, which is why you’d want to stop using them.
Waxing doesn’t carry the same risks, although it does come with some level of pain. Most people, however, can tolerate it, and you can take some OTC pain reliever before the job as a backup measure. Also, if you exfoliate, hydrate, and follow these other waxing tips, it’ll be even less painful.
2. Waxed Hair Takes Longer to Regrow than Shaved Strands
Scalp hair grows at a rate of 0.35 to 0.45 millimeters on a daily basis. It’s similar for body hair, except that these strands have a shorter “anagen” or active growth phase. For scalp hair, it’s between two and six years, while for body hair, it’s only 30 to 45 days.
This is why the hair on your armpits, arms, legs, and pubic area don’t grow as long as scalp hair. But unlike the hair on your crown, strands on the rest of your body are sparser and grow farther apart. That’s why their growth is much more noticeable.
Now, when you shave, you’re only “cutting off” the strands’ superficial section. That’s the part that you can see (and feel) on top of the skin. Since shaving only gets rid of the visible area, any regrowth will be noticeable and tangible.
Whereas waxing uses resin-based wax to pull out entire hair strands. Stripping off the wax correctly removes the strand from the hair follicle itself. This is the part of the hair that actually grows it by forming old cells together and pushing it out of the skin.
Since waxing removes even the hair roots, then it’ll take longer to grow back and out of the skin. This still depends on your hair and skin type, but for most people, “stubble” only appears after two to three weeks. This longer time of regrowth is one of the top reasons to wax instead of shaving.
3. The Benefits of Waxing Start Even Before the Job Itself
So long as done right, waxing benefits your skin even before the process itself. First, it promotes better skincare, since it’s best to exfoliate and hydrate prior to the wax job.
Exfoliation gets rid of dead cells that can clog pores, which then leads to brighter, glowing skin. It also boosts the effectiveness of your other skincare products, like wax, as it frees up the skin of clogs. Experts say that it also promotes epidermal regeneration, softness, and suppleness.
As you can see, prepping itself for a wax job already does your skin a lot of good. Moreover, it doesn’t involve razors, so you have lower risks for injuries.
4. Regular Waxing Can Lead to Finer, Sparser Hair
The more times you remove hair from the root itself, the weaker its hair follicle can get. This can then lead to the follicle’s reduced ability to clump up and grow dead cells out of the skin. As a result, you may notice that your often-waxed hair strands are a bit finer and sparser.
5. You Can Avoid Razor Burns and Skin Discoloration
Razor burns, caused by the friction of running a razor too close to the skin, can give rise to painful swelling. These can also cause skin discoloration, which results from inflamed skin. The more often this occurs, the more unsightly spots you can develop on the areas you often shave.
Granted, wax burns can also happen, but only if you forget to let hot wax cool down a bit before using it. Correct waxing practices, however, place less friction on the skin. With little friction between the wax strips and your skin, you can keep skin discoloration at bay.
6. Waxing Reduces the Prickly Sensation You Get After Shaving
Hair that makes its way out of the skin can feel itchy and prickly. Shaving makes this worse, as the razor cuts hair strands in an angle, giving them a sharper tip.
Waxed hair isn’t cut, so it doesn’t cause the same level if itchiness and prickliness. Plus, the strands will take longer to reach your skin’s topmost layer, so your skin will stay smooth longer.
7. Waxing is Better than Shaving But Cheaper than Laser
Laser hair removal provides the longest-lasting hair-free experience. However, it can cost you an average of $285 per session. That can go up depending on the area you want to treat, and how big that area is.
Furthermore, laser hair removal isn’t exactly “permanent”, as some tout it to be. Indeed, it inhibits the growth of hair much longer than waxing, but the hair will still grow after.
Waxing, on the other hand, starts at only $8 (brow) up to $80 dollars (Brazilian). Note that Brazilian wax services are already among the most expensive of its kind.
Ditch the Razor and Switch to Waxing Now
There you have it, your ultimate guide on the benefits of waxing and why it’s way better than shaving. Waxing isn’t only cost-effective — it’s also safer and longer-lasting than shaving. That should be enough reason for you to make the switch to wax ASAP. Ready to get more insider health and beauty tips? Then be sure to bookmark our site so you can stay updated on the latest in vanity news!