How to wax at home?

This post is meant not only for women, but also for men. Everyone wants a silky smooth skin. I've seen so many people, both men and women, around me busy trying various techniques to rip away their body hair!

Epilators, hair-removing creams, shaving, waxing etc. etc. Some people even going for permanent hair removal treatments. Some of the other mentioned techniques are expensive, while others have a downside. I had tried all the techniques as a teenager, except for permanent hair removal of course. But the results are temporary and didn't render a clean finish to the skin. Finally I think waxing is the best thing among the all.

I find epilators very painful. Depilatory creams cause skin irritations, they cause your skin to darken, they stink. I puked every time I used it because of it dirty chemical smell. They work only on surface-level hair only, and not on the roots. You can still see black dots on the skin, of the hair shafts.
Shaving too darkens your skin, and the hair growth later on is bushy and rough, accelerated too!
Laser hair-removal is expensive.Also I have heard about several incidents of the procedure going wrong, like burning of the skin.

I have witnessed my cousins undergoing waxing sessions at beauty-parlors in 15 minutes flat. The beauticians did it so fast that she didn't get time to say 'Ouch' and breath the pain out when her hair were being ripped. I can't imagine getting my arms waxed by a beautician. I may have a phobia for it. How hot the wax would be, or hard would she pull away the strip are the questions that haunt my mind. Then my Aunt taught me how to wax at home.

And trust me, its way easier than you think. Its not at all messy. It was time consuming initially, but after some practice I too started doing it quickly enough. First time it tool me 2 hours to wax my arms. Now its just 30 minutes, and as per my convenience. I've been doing it since last 4 years. No haste, take your own time and relax. And it fun time for girls to sit and rip each others' hair and gossip! :D Also its way cheaper than getting it done at a beauty parlor. After enough practice you should be able to wax your own hands and legs...and err...whatever you want..And also wax others' hands, legs, etc.!

Waxing works well when the length of the hair is at least 1/4th - 1/2 of an inch. If longer, the procedure will be more painful. You must trim down your hair a bit...You know what I'm talking about....Good!

Wax once and your are good for at least 4 weeks. And as you wax often, your hair growth will be thinner and slower.

Also you may find it painful, but after a couple of times of waxing you get used to it. And honestly, I don't feel much pain, so no question of getting used to the pain. I know how much hot wax and pulling is bearable for me. Also if at all it hurts I have plenty of time to shout out my pain! :p

So this is what you would need.

A] Apparatus.

All that I need....*sing-a-song* :p

1. A hot-wax tin.

2. A pack of disposable hair removal strips.

3. Wax heater.

4. A spatula to apply wax, stainless steel or wooden, anyone will do.

B] Note.

You may heat the wax in a microwave using a microwave safe bowl, or directly on the stove too. But I don't like to take such things into my kitchen, so I use a wax heater.

Prefer to set up your hair-removal lab in a corner of the room, so as not to mess up the entire place. Sit on the floor, preferably not the carpeted one, tiled one would be good, and easy to clean up later one. Put down a sheet of an old newspaper. Keep all your apparatus on it. Also the used strips later on.

Post waxing, you  may notice red bumps on your skin, which is perfectly normal. They would disappear by the next day..or may be in a few hours. If not, consult you physician.

C] Procedure.

Prepare your skin. Wipe it with a clean wet cloth and then dry it nice with another dry cloth. Make sure your skin and all the apparatus is dry.

Wax + water = Disaster!

Also, 2 important things to remember.

1. Apply wax in the direction of hair growth.

2. Pull the strip in the direction opposite to that of the hair growth.

Then apply some talcum powder. This is said to render smoothness and helps the wax to spread easily. However, I don't find it to be useful at all. So I skip this step. You may try to follow or skip this step. You too must experiment....no???

Just heat it!

Then scoop out some wax with the help of the spatula and put it into the wax-heater. You may also use a spoon for this. Switch it on and let the wax melt nicely. Stir occasionally. It will look thin and golden. This may take 7-8 minutes. In microwave it may take around 1 to 1.5 minutes.

1 2 3... Temperature Check! 

Then take a little wax  on the spatula and check for the temperature by touching it with your fingertip. If its too hot, wash your fingertip immediately. You have to take care not to burn your skin. The wax should not be cold either, it would thicken and won't spread on your skin nicely. It should be warm enough.

When it has reached the right temperature, apply a thin layer wax with the spatula onto your skin. Apply it in the direction of the hair growth. For example, if the hair grow downwards, apply the wax in the downward direction. Apply on a smaller area at first.

Put the hair remover strip on to the wax, press it against the skin, rub it up and down 3-4 times, hold your skin taut and pull! OUCH! (Optional) :p

Pull it in the opposite direction. If the hair grow downwards and you apply the wax downwards, you need to pull the strip in the upward direction. If tiny hair have not come out, do not repeat the procedure. These tiny hair can be removed by threading or tweezing later on.

Repeat the procedure for rest of the part. Then wipe it clean with a soft wet cloth or take a bath. Apply baby oil or moisturizer. Done!

The result!  :D  Nice na???

Enjoy a perfect silky smooth skin!

And yes, don't forget to clean up! Wrap the used strips in that newspaper and throw it in the dustbin. Wash the spatula with antiseptic solution and water. Dry it and keep it in a clean place. Pack the wax tin properly, keep it in a dark and dry place. Clean the wax heater with water. Be careful, not to wet the machine inside. Do not clean under a running tap. Dry it. Keep it safe.