Waxing vs. Sugaring: which hair-removal solution is best for you?

As waxing veterans, it’d take a special kind of something for us to venture from our hair removal go-to. Cue sugaring: the lesser known cousin of waxing, and all-natural solution to silky, smooth skin. We may be loyal waxers, but this ancient Egyptian technique is proving ever-more popular – with bookings up 155% recently – if it’s good enough for Cleopatra, it definitely deserves our attention. Here’s what we know…

By Rachel Spedding

• 1 Let’s break it down

  Dealing with a red-speckled situ down below is no fun. Fear not – both techniques should help keep them pesky ingrown hairs at bay, as regular treatments will encourage hair to grow back finer, and pop out of pores with greater ease. For sensitive-skin, sugaring is the perfect pick, with a hypoallergenic solution made up of only three natural ingredients: lemon juice, water and sugar. No harsh petrochemicals or polymers here guys and gals, just a straight up simple formula that will gently exfoliate as it’s applied. Better yet, the natural paste is soluble in water, so you can wave buh-bye to that post-wax sticky feeling that lingers once you’re home (and stuck to the sofa). A quick shower, and you’re good to go.
• 2 Time for a fix up?

  Step away from the razor. The desire for a shape up shave in between treatments is real, but hair must be a certain length for any technique to remove it effectively. So how long should we leave it? Waxing requires hair length to be around 1/4 inch for the strips to take hold – book in every 4-5 weeks. The natural ingredients used in sugaring, allow the paste to get a little deeper, so you can head for a treatment with hairs only 1/16th of an inch (that’s 7 days of hair growth, FYI), meaning you can get smoother, sooner. Treatment trips will vary depending on which area you’re sugaring – think every 4-6 weeks for legs, and 3-5 for bikini. Crack out the ruler, and get booking.
• 3 Post-treatment protocol?

  So, you’ve straddled out of downward dog – beauticians, we salute you – and the aloe vera extinguishing gel has been lathered on, now how do we nurture our nether regions to keep skin smooth and spot free? Loose fitting clothes are essential after any hair removal treatment to avoid build up of bacteria, so fold away the skinny jeans. Also, heat can aggravate freshly stripped skin, so it’s best to avoid getting warm and sweaty for 48 hours, if you get our drift… yep, no treadmill tonight.
• 4 Tempted to try?

  Loofahs at the ready, you know the drill, keep exfoliating that bod in between salon visits, and follow up with moisturiser for uber-smoothness. Brows and beyond, wherever you need to fix up your fuzz, both treatments will keep things tidy, and regular trips will encourage hair to grow back more sparsely – winning. Go on, let’s shake up the routine, break free from that ‘comfort’ zone and reap the sweet benefits of sugaring as an all-natural alternative to the holy grail wax – your skin will thank you for it.

  With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Click here to discover amazing salons in your area.