Please talk to me about DIY waxing...

[CallarMorvern]

I'm quite hairy, if I need to keep my legs presentable then I need to shave every day. Which is fine, but I want to give fake tan a go and have read shaving just makes it fade.
So, I've never waxed, no way on God's earth can I pay for it to be done ( I don't even pay for a hair cut), so how do I go about waxing? Tips, tricks and products...

I have done this but for pubic hair rather than legs. The problem with waxing legs is that you need to let the hair grow really quite long before it’ll be long enough to wax off, and I hate feeling like a yeti.

I’ve used hot wax and wax strips and I find the wax strips easier and less messy. I warm them first with my hairdryer, then press them down firmly and leave them there for a while before ripping them off. For smaller areas you can cut them to size but for legs just using the whole strip would probably be easier. I suggest giving it a try and seeing how it works out for you cost-wise. You will need a lot of strips to cover both your legs so it may not be much cheaper than going to a cheap salon. (If you live near Bristol I know an amazing cheap salon.)

Cotton wool or wet wipes soaked in baby oil or vegetable oil will remove any wax residue stuck to your skin afterwards.

You might also want to consider an epilator. It will be painful at first but you do get used to it, and if it works for you then it will be cheaper in the long run than home waxing.

Oh...an epilator, now there's a plan, I'll look into that. I have long muscular legs so would probably need a fair few wax strips. ( I live a long way from Bristol, where nothing is cheap!).

Do you wax in the direction of hair growth or against?

There are differing views on that but I always rip against the direction of growth.

You need to do it with conviction too. Put your weaker hand down on your skin below the wax to pull it taut, get a really firm grip on the wax or the strip with your stronger hand, and then whip it up quickly and firmly. If you do it half-heartedly it might not come off, which will be more painful and won’t remove the hair properly so you’ll have to go over the same area again.

Investing in an epilator might not be a bad idea even if you do end up going down the waxing route, because of a few hairs don’t come out, or if you miss a spot, you can get them with the epilator afterwards.

Oh and don’t forget to exfoliate to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.

Let your leg hair grow for around 10-14 days then use hot wax, is more messy but also more effective than wax strips.. you need to then exfoliate your legs a lot to stop the hairs from coming back ingrown.. my hairs are very deep rooted so this is a problem for me ...

I'm a beautitian and home waxing can be difficult doing it on yourself. But if u do go down this route, put the wax strips on and smooth down with the hair growth and then pull up firmly against the growth - make sure you pull the skin taut as you do it as it may cause bruising if not.
Also don't apply any fake tan the same day - leave it at least 24 hrs as the skin will be sensitive and the follicles will be open so they need time to close back up.
I agree with epilators but they can be more painful.

Let your leg hair grow for around 10-14 days

🙈🙈🙊 🦍🦍

I'm wavering now, it sounds erm...painful, and having to grow the hairs first...that's a lot of exercise sessions with my hair growth on show. Wondering if I can maintain a fake tan and just carry on shaving?

Seriously just pay for someone else to do it.
I speak from bitter experience.

Unless your DP is a really dab hand at waxing.

Mine isn't.

My first couple of home waxing experiences nearly put me off for life but I persevered and got quite good at it. But it is a lot of faff and I am now back to paying someone else to do it.

i've home waxed in the past ,you need to be very careful about ripping the strips off, it needs top be up and not out and you need to do it fast

Op, look at you tube and learn to thread. It doesn’t affect a fake tan. Takes 5 minutes to learn.

I've done it all my life since I was 12! I've occasionally paid someone to do it but I find it more faff than just doing it at home when it suits me.

For legs I have a roll-on machine and strips, it's really easy and takes 15 mins tops.

Bikini line is a bit more involved, I use hot wax without strips for that.

Can I hijack to ask if there's anyone who used veet etc? I never have but want to sort armpits and legs. Tips?

I think an epilator (Braun is good) is the best way.

They last forever, so cost efficient (am 45 and only on my second one, started at 18).

Don't shave for a week, then use on dry skin (not wet, and ideally no body lotion either, the drier the better)

First time hurts (like waxing does too)

But every subsequent time hurts less!

Just did mine today. Fake tan tomorrow!

I tried Veet but it irritated my skin and wasn’t very effective at getting rid of the hair.

And don’t even think about using it on your undercarriage.

Only use it on legs btw

Would not use that kind of deforestation equipment on more sensitive areas!