Laser Hair Removal VS Waxing – What’s Better and Why?

Women today live in the golden age of beauty. Everything you’d ever need to make yourself beautiful is within reach. Do you want to go from blonde to brunette? Go to the salon. Do you fancy getting a sweet tan in the middle of December? Pay a visit to the tanning salon. These days, the options are endless when it comes to beautification.

Take hair removal, for example. If you have time on your hands, you can pluck your eyebrows or shave your legs at home. If you want a fuss-free service, you can go to the waxing salon and have a technician rip those unwanted hairs for you. Or if you want to minimize these trips to the salon, you can opt for laser hair removal.

You might be wondering – is it better to have your hair waxed every few weeks or so, or just go for the laser hair procedure? The answer to this varies from woman to woman.

There are undeniable pros and cons to each procedure, and this article will help you choose the best option for you.

The Pros of Waxing – Why It Might Be Better Than Laser

If you have time on your hands, and if you have a high tolerance for pain, going for weekly visits to the salon for your waxing sessions might not be such a bad idea.

Waxing is definitely cheaper than laser hair procedures, and it is more accessible. Almost every salon offers this service, and there are even some nail salons and spas that offer this service as well. You would only need to choose whether you prefer cold or hot wax (but this is an entirely different topic).

Despite the pain factor, it is actually less scary getting waxed because women are already familiar with it. You just spread wax all over the hair, get a strip, then pull swiftly. In contrast, there are so many questions that linger with laser hair procedures: Is it safe? What will it do to my skin? How is the treatment getting rid of the hair, exactly?

However, waxing is not the perfect option for every woman. Those with super sensitive skin might even bleed every time they get waxed. Some might develop allergies or rashes after the procedure if the wax applied is not ideal for their skin type.

The Pros Of Laser – Why It Might Be Better Than Waxing

Laser hair removal is a godsend for many women who are just way too busy to make regular trips to the salon. It is also ideal for women who have no patience shaving or waxing their hair themselves. If you consider yourself one of them, then it’s high time you think about investing in laser hair procedures.

It is certainly less painful than waxing, and women who’ve undergone laser hair removals report that it simply feels like tiny pinpricks on the skin. The intensity of the pain really depends on the texture of the hair and the skin, but all in all, it’s considerably tolerable.

There are different kinds of laser hair removal treatments, ranging from diode to IPL. Diode makes the hair thinner, while IPL kills the hair itself so it does not come back.

The one big downside? Laser hair procedures are pretty expensive. Complete hair removal cannot be achieved in just one visit, so you would need to religiously return every month or a month and a half to make sure the hair stays away. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you’d generally need to come back around five to 10 times before you can see effective results.

It is not enough to just get a laser hair treatment and be done away with everything else, because the after-care is quite important too.

In waxing, women purchase exfoliating scrubs to avoid ingrown hairs or anti-inflammatory gels to soothe aggravated skin. The same goes for laser hair removal, only the specialty creams offered by dermatologists or clinics might be a bit more expensive.

There is another downside to laser hair treatments that many women generally don’t talk about. After getting the laser done, the hairs would inevitably grow back, right? However, you cannot pluck or get them waxed. It is also advisable not to shave either. You need to let the hairs grow and stay put until your next treatment.

If you’re having the laser done on your armpit hairs, you need to steer clear of sleeveless tops. Avoid raising your hands in class, or doing any sports activities that require you to show off your armpits. If it’s the legs, say goodbye to mini dresses for the meantime. If you really must show off your legs, then you can trim the hairs a bit. But never, ever do anything to the roots because it would negatively affect the laser procedure. If you do, then it would be like going back to square one.

If you get your laser hair removal done in the afternoon, you would be advised not to take a bath or shower until the day after. You would need to give the treated skin a breather too from all of the products you constantly put on it, such as lotions or perfumes. If it’s the armpits, then say goodbye to deodorants for the meantime. At the very least, you’d need to hold off putting anything on it for three days.

Even if you follow everything to a T does not guarantee that the hair would stay away forever. If you’re one of the lucky ones, then maybe the unwanted hairs would stay away for years. Or if the hairs do grow back, it would be so thin it’s barely noticeable.

But if your hairs are just too thick or relentless, the clinics that offer these procedures suggest that you go back for post-treatments at least once or twice a year to ensure the longevity of the laser procedure. Still, this beats the nagging need to get waxed every time there is a special event.