Anyone who shaves their legs regularly will notice a serious difference between the seasons: while our hair grows back much more slowly in the cold and dark winter months, it is in high demand in the warm summer months. This is due to the rising temperatures and the higher UV exposure. As a result, many people in the middle of the year have to reach for the razor almost every day – unless you wax your legs. Then they usually have several stubble-free weeks ahead of them. Which methods are the most popular and what you should know about waxing is explained here.
When you shave, your hair on your legs is only cut off above the skin and can therefore grow back faster. When waxing, on the other hand, the hair and its roots are pulled out of the skin. As a result, it can take three to six weeks for hair stubble to show up. How long your legs actually remain smooth always depends on how fast your hair grows – and what growth phase your hair was in at the time of removal. Basically, you can choose between three different waxing methods:
1. Cold Wax Strips
So-called cold wax strips made of cotton or coated paper are briefly warmed between the hands, pressed vertically against the legs and after just a few seconds pulled off with a jerk – against the direction of growth. The hair is pulled out of the skin along with its roots and sticks to the wax. This results in the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
Disadvantages
The simple and quick application
Quite a painful procedure
Also suitable for other body regions (arms, armpits and bikini area).
The hairs must be at least four to five millimeters long so that they stick to the wax
The more often you wax, the more sparsely the hair grows back
The hairs can break off more easily and therefore grow back faster
After three to four treatments, all hair is removed evenly
Due to different growth cycles, individual hairs can grow back faster at first
After successful application, the legs remain stubble-free for several weeks
The cold wax strips can only be used once and end up in the garbage after use
2. Warm wax strips
An equally effective and popular method to depilate legs is warm wax. As the name suggests, the water-soluble wax is heated in a container and then applied to the skin using a wooden spatula. The heat should make it easier to remove the hair roots and therefore cause less pain. After a short waiting time, the cold warm wax strips are also pulled off with a jerk in order to get as many hairs as possible together with the roots at once. This results in the following advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages
Disadvantages
The procedure is said to be less painful
Wax that is too hot can burn the skin
Also suitable for other body regions (face, arms, armpits and bikini area).
The acquisition costs are higher than with cold wax strips
No strips of paper or cloth are needed, so there is less waste
Wax and wood spatula must be bought regularly when they have been used up
After successful application, the legs remain stubble-free for several weeks
The hairs must be at least four to five millimeters long so that they stick to the wax
3. Warm wax roller
Here, too, the wax is applied warm to the skin to remove the annoying hairs. But not with a wooden spatula: The electric warm wax device has a so-called roll-on system – i.e. the wax is smeared onto the legs with a roller in the direction of hair growth. A fleece strip is then laid over it, pressed firmly and pulled off with a jerk. According to the manufacturer, the product has been dermatologically tested and can even remove shorter hair from two millimeters in length. Your legs should then remain smooth for up to 28 days. The matching wax cartridges can be reordered.
If you are waxing your legs for the first time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
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