Will Waxing Prevent Hair Growth? Expert Dermatologists Explain

As we all do not like unwanted hair, we want a permanent solution to get rid of it. However, we also want a method that is both cost-effective and permanent.  Most people like me prefer waxing over lasers because laser hair removal treatments are quite expensive. I understand that when we spend money on hair removal treatments, whether it’s waxing or laser, the main question that comes to mind is: Will waxing prevent hair growth?

The answer to this question is that waxing can change hair growth over time. It reduces hair growth but doesn’t stop it completely. Since waxing removes hair from the roots, it takes longer for the hair to grow back compared to shaving. Typically, hair regrows after 3 to 6 weeks. Moreover, waxing exfoliates your skin, leaving it smooth and silky.

Here we cover the potential side effects, benefits, and much more about waxing and its effect on hair growth. Let’s get started.

How Does Waxing Work?

Waxing is a popular hair removal method for both men and women because its effects last longer than other methods. If you’re new to waxing, you might have many questions.

On average, human hair grows about 15 centimeters a year, though this can vary by gender and race. With around 5 million hair follicles on our bodies, we have to manage a lot of hair over our lifetimes. 

While we want to keep our head hair healthy, body hair in areas like the armpits and legs often needs to be removed. So, why consider switching to waxing instead of shaving?

Waxing removes hair from the roots. Waxes have many types but the main ones are two, such as soft wax and hard wax. Soft wax is easy to use. Soft wax is applied on the skin with a spatula in the direction of hair growth. Then a strip or a hard cloth is placed over the applied wax, and after rubbing it down, the strip is pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth.

However, with hard wax, the procedure is similar to soft wax, but no strip is required. The hard wax solidifies like plastic and can be peeled off easily without a strip.

The Benefits of Waxing

•   Smooth, Long-lasting Results: Waxing provides longer-lasting results than shaving. It removes hair from the follicles and leaves your skin soft, smooth, and silky.
• Finer Regrowth: Over time, waxing can lead to finer, lighter, and softer regrowth of hair. In contrast, shaving often results in hair that feels spiky the next day.
• Less Irritation: Unlike shaving and hair removal creams, waxing is more gentle on the skin. Razors and creams can cause cuts and red bumps to the skin. Waxing products are made to minimize these issues.
•  Exfoliation: When you wax, you’re not just removing hair but also removing dead and flaky skin. Waxing exfoliates and smooths the skin, helping to maintain its freshness.
• Contrary to popular belief, waxing is not always painful: Absolutely, you can experience less pain or even no pain when using waxing in the right way. To minimize pain, hold the skin taut with one hand while quickly removing the strip with the other.
• Waxing is fast and convenient: Yes, it is. When you want to get ready at home quickly, waxing is one of the fastest ways to achieve smooth desired results in minutes. Soft waxes, such as sugar wax and finger wax, don’t need to be melted and can be used quickly on every part of your body.

Will Waxing Stop Hair Growth?

Waxing is a very convenient, safe, and painless method of hair removal. It slows hair growth as hair is removed from the roots but does not stop it completely. However, in shaving, hair is cut to the skin level and grows quickly. So, with waxing, we can enjoy soft, smooth skin for 3 to 6 weeks without any appointment.

Does Waxing Reduce Hair Growth?  Yes, we can reduce hair growth to lighter and thinner hair, but it depends upon hair type, diet, hormones, and health conditions. Waxing can cause a change in hair texture that leads to less hair growth if we follow the proper waxing schedule and avoid shaving between appointments. 

Waxing: What to Expect?

As we discussed in the method of waxing, hair is removed from the roots, and eventually, it takes longer to grow hair back. In shaving, only visible parts of hair are removed and grow quickly. That is the reason why waxing is mentioned alongside permanent methods of hair removal like laser treatments. Here we further take a look at why this method is considered as a permanent removal method.

Smooth Skin for 4 to 6 Weeks

After waxing, you have a long time to enjoy your fresh smooth skin. Because after wax, hair takes time to regrow from follicles to surpass the skin. This time of regrowing hair can be increased by using quality products.

More waxing means thin hair

Yes, it is true. Waxing weakens the follicles without affecting the skin’s resistance to the product and the skin becomes less sensitive to the waxing product. In this procedure, some follicles stop producing hair right after you start waxing. After some time, dealing with hair becomes easy. Also, experts say that after 8 months of regular sessions, hair will stop growing in areas where hair is already thinner.

Easy Way to Reach Difficult Areas

It is the only cost-effective and fast method that provides precision to areas like eyebrows. However, on eyebrows, you cannot get the desired shape with a razor in a single attempt.

With understanding all this, what will be the answer to this? How often should I get my waxing treatment? Although it depends on your type, generally, experts recommend a 4 to 5-week gap to get thinner and finer hair.

If you are a beginner, hair will grow after 1-2 weeks. The reason for this is that some of the hair is under the skin and the hair grows quickly, but when you become regular in your waxing sessions, it takes longer to regrow.

Pre- and Post-Waxing Care

In pre-waxing care, every beginner is curious. Is there anything I should do before my waxing appointment? The answer is simply to scrub your body with a good exfoliator. It will reduce pain and prevent sticking wax to your skin. Do this 24 hours before your waxing session.

What should I expect after my first waxing treatment?

You will have silky smooth hairless skin. Some may experience minor redness or irritation for one or two days. It may also cause a little itchiness when hair regrows.

In post-waxing care, you may wonder: How do I take care of my skin after waxing? After a wax, you need to get your body dry and clean for at least 48 hours. A few things, like strong sunlight and hot baths, are needed to avoid. After waxing 3 to 4 times, exfoliating is necessary if you want to avoid ingrown hair.

Usually, after experiencing the benefits of waxing, people take the results for granted. On the contrary, some rush to the salon as soon as they see a little hair growth. However, estheticians recommend a few things to do after waxing to maintain the best results for a longer time. Here are some tips:

Wait for the Right Hair Length: Before booking your next waxing session, make sure that your hair is ¼ to ½ inches long.

Stick to Your Schedule: It’s easy to get lazy and delay appointments, but to achieve lasting results, it’s best to wax every 3-6 weeks. If you need to wax for a special event, work with your esthetician to adjust your schedule without affecting your hair’s growth cycle too much.

Do Not Mix Other Hair Removal Methods Into Your Waxing Regime: You can use skincare products between waxing sessions, but avoid shaving as it disrupts the hair growth cycle. Other hair removal methods may cause side effects if your skin isn’t fully healed before your next wax. If you’re considering permanent hair removal, consult with your dermatologist before switching from waxing.

Potential Side Effects and Risks

Waxing can be painful, especially on sensitive skin or during your period. It requires enough hair for the wax to stick, so you might deal with stiff hair sometimes. You might experience redness, bumps, or ingrown hairs after waxing, but exfoliating a few days before can help reduce these issues. For very short hairs, consider IPL as an alternative.

Final Words

Waxing is a cost-effective, efficient and fast, painless method of removing hair. Waxing can reduce hair growth when you follow a strict schedule for waxing. During waxing, hair is plucked from the follicles. It takes time to grow back to the skin. While shaving, hair is cropped right above the skin and grows quickly.

FAQs

How long does waxing last on your legs?

While legs take longer to regrow hair than any other area of the body. Anyway, hair takes 4–6 weeks to grow back.

How Long, or Short, Should My Hair Be for Waxing?

It should be ¼ to ½ inches long before the waxing. If your hair is long, then, trim the hair.

How Often Should I Get My Waxing Treatment?

For permanent hair removal with waxing, you have to follow a strict schedule of waxing every 4 to 5 weeks. Longer hair causes trouble while waxing, and you may feel more pain.

Can I Shave Between Waxing Appointments?

It may lead to uneven and patchy skin. Also, you will not get the desired results in the long run.