Talk to me about waxing

hoffse · October 2012

OK so I know this isn't as fun as the post a few below this, and it doesn't involve etiquette, but I have some legit questions and don't really want to ask people who know me.

So the deal is, I starting working as a lawyer a couple months ago, and now instead of waking up to shave my legs I want to sleep the extra 15 or 20 min. It really does make a difference in my productivity for the day. That means my skirts are all going to waste in my closet. I have never waxed anything in my life (though I do tweeze my eyebrows), and I'm wondering - is it worth it? Does it hurt so much that shaving is really better, and I just need to force myself to wake up early? And most importantly - any tips/kits/advice for doing it at home? Yes, I'm a lawyer, but I have a mountain of student loan debt, and I'm saving for our honeymoon so I'm trying to do this on a budget, and salons don't fit into that equation very well. I also have this feeling I might want to jump ship halfway through, and salons require more of a commitment to the first attempt than I'm really willing to make at this time.

Also - waxing vs. sugaring? Should I use different kinds for different parts (ie: legs, eyebrows, etc)?

TIA

misssunshine17 · October 2012

Do you really need to shave your legs every day?? I highly doubt anyone would notice if you skipped a day or two. I've never noticed anyones leg hair.

I wax my own eyebrows with this kit below. I get them professionally done every 4-6ish months to maintain the shape.

http://www.amazon.com/GIGI-All-Purpose-Honee-Waxing/dp/B001RAN2MA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351122898&sr=8-3&keywords=gigi+kit

hoffse · October 2012

No I don't shave every day, but I always did it 2-3 times a week. Now it's like... never. That's probably TMI, but even on the weekends I'm usually travelling or working (or both), and it's just one of those things that I stopped doing once I got busy.

misssunshine17 · October 2012

I've tried waxing my legs and bikini line and honestly, the results weren't worth the pain. It didn't last nearly as long as I thought it would and hurt like a b.

samantha24p · October 2012

Honestly when it comes to my legs nair last longer then shaving and waxing.

bridalmarch · October 2012

I used to regularly wax my legs and lady parts before I stopped working. I miss it...terribly. I HATE shaving. I have really sensitive skin and I get mondo razor burn no matter what.

So, worth it? Yes.

Pain? It honestly depends. It doesn't feel like kittens licking you, but it's over quickly and a reputable place will make is as quick and painless as they possibly can. I'd like to think I have a rather high threshold for pain - I sort of love getting blood drawn, and I LOVE getting tattooed, so I might not be the best person.

I've never done it by myself because I have such wonky skin that I'd be worried about the ingredients, but I do have a friend who sugars herself and loves it.

Loopyseven · October 2012

I have never tried professional waxing, but I've tried home waxing with a couple of different products and basically didn't remove enough hair that I didn't still have to shave afterwards (cause you can't really put it back on and pull it off again to get the hair that didn't come the first time). I only ever really shaved twice a week unless I am at the beach. You could probably get away with once a week if you wear nylons or tights with your skirts.

hoffse · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_talk-to-me-about-waxing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c53b2ee5-4149-4bd0-a394-b90eb1c87f44Post:6e3057ab-34e7-47b7-afb6-bfe61210946c">Re:Talk to me about waxing</a>:
[QUOTE]I vote trying Veet or Nair. I can go a week or more without shaving after using Veet, and I have really dark leg hair so that I shave ever other day. I would NOT try waxing such a large portion at home. Eyebrows, upper lips, etc are one thing, but the pain factor makes you less effective at larger portions than having someone else do it and honestly, the one time I had my legs waxed, the hair was visible again in about a week, but wasn't long enough to <strong>wax again for another week PAST that</strong>.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

<div>OK had not considered that...</div>

thurmanpowell · October 2012

Yea, like Stage Manager said, waxing is to have less hair not no hair.

Not sure if you were thinking of brazilian waxes but those are only done every 6 to 8 weeks. you will have quite a bit of hair inbetween those.

misshart00 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_talk-to-me-about-waxing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:c53b2ee5-4149-4bd0-a394-b90eb1c87f44Post:895326f2-5d3a-42a1-bd3a-8e4433817c54">Re: Talk to me about waxing</a>:
[QUOTE]I used to regularly wax my legs and lady parts before I stopped working. I miss it...terribly. I HATE shaving. I have really sensitive skin and I get mondo razor burn no matter what. So, worth it? Yes. Pain? It honestly depends. It doesn't feel like kittens licking you, but it's over quickly and a reputable place will make is as quick and painless as they possibly can. I'd like to think I have a rather high threshold for pain - I sort of love getting blood drawn, and I LOVE getting tattooed, so I might not be the best person. I've never done it by myself because I have such wonky skin that I'd be worried about the ingredients, but I do have a friend who sugars herself and loves it.
Posted by bridalmarch[/QUOTE]

Unrelated, but have you been checked for foliculitis? I have it and it starts like really bad razor burn, but gets to where is bleeds and itches like no other. Sorry for the TMI. Just sounded familiar and shaving hurts so bad.

AdeleDazeem · October 2012

As someone else who works long hours all days of the week, have you considered showering at night? I - like - NEVER want to get up in the morning with enough time to shower. I much prefer to roll outta bed, get my tea, read the news, and relax before I start my crazyass days so I shower at night. Relaxing end to a day.

I wear lots of skirts in the summer and I shave maybe every three days? I don't even know - I shave when I start to notice it. I realize that working in a lab is more relaxed in attire than the corporate world, but even in a law firm, I assure you that no one is taking stock of your leg hair. Everyone there is just as harried and overworked as you are.

Of course now that it's getting colder, you can hide your legs in tights!

FutureMrsMDJahnke · October 2012

I used to wax myself with the professional wax. I think it worked well and I definitely have LESS hair now. But professional wax definitely works way better than anything you can buy at Target or anything like that. My mom is a hair stylist, so she would get it for me from the beauty supply store. It is kind of time consuming though! I used to turn on a movie and wax for pretty much the entire thing (though, I did more than just my legs). AND you definitely want to invest in good wax removal oil and possibly pre-wax numbing spray.

Avion22 · October 2012

Have you through about trying an epilator? Okay, it looks like a torture device, but it doesn't really hurt that bad (on legs anyway...I woldn't recommend it for underarms or bikini area!).

During the summer I use an epilator, then shave to get the little hairs the epilator doesn't get. Then a few days later I use the epilator again, then shave again. After that I'm gtg for like 10 days.

There are some epilators that are waterproof and you can use them in the shower. Might help a little bit with the pain, but honestly it doesn't hurt that badly, and is faster than waxing.

Sassenach1743 · October 2012

Why not just shower and shave at night? That's what I do...

Sometimes I work insanely long hours for weeks or months on end, with only 9 or 10 hour turn arounds between shifts, so I don't have time or sleep to spare either. The only way to get through is to shower and shave at night, before going to sleep.

As far as waxing, I leave that to the professionals. I would never attempt to wax myself. I get my eyebrows waxed regularly. I used to get Brazilians too but have fallen out of that habit, a bit expensive to maintain. The pain can be minimal if you have a true professional but it's not a picnic. I can't even imagine getting my legs waxed, seems like too much square footage and would be much more painful than the quick pull on an eyebrow, etc.

brittany634 · October 2012

I would just be careful with Nair and Veet especially if you have sensitive skin. I'm allergic to both, as well as most waxes, make sure you look at the ingredients because a rash from them is NOT fun

kaos16 · October 2012

I second (or third) showering at night. . . . it makes the morning much more relaxing. Should we presume that you are not in court often? If you are, I'd think you'd be wearing stockings, no? Personally, no matter how annoying I find it, I wear stocking to work every single day with my skirt suits. Some law offices are more lax than others, but if you are appearing in court, it seems like the professional thing to do. Although, there could be a regional difference too, I suppose.

hoffse · October 2012

No I'm a transactional lawyer so I'm never in court. In the rare instance I would go, I would wear nylons. My office is relatively casual, and I live in Birmingham so it doesn't really get cold here until like November/December. Most of the women still wear sleeveless tops with cardigans because it gets boiling in the office around mid-afternoon, and people go sleeveless to try to stay cool... and it's the very end of October. We work in one of those glass buildings that seems to collect sunlight and then radiate heat inward.

I can try shifting to showering at night - I usually don't do that because it does awful things to my hair when I wake up in the morning. I try really hard not to blow dry and straighten on the same day (to prevent friz/split ends), and when I get home at like 7:30ish I would need to probably dry it before bed and then straighten in the morning. Maybe it's worth investigating some products that will keep my hair from splitting if I'm doing both every day.

Thanks for the advice ladies - if I try it, I will go to a salon first and see a pro do it!

kaos16 · October 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_talk-to-me-about-waxing?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:c53b2ee5-4149-4bd0-a394-b90eb1c87f44Post:b8a08e7a-4aa0-4ca5-a5d7-19363e4d50ae">Re: Talk to me about waxing</a>:
[QUOTE]No I'm a transactional lawyer so I'm never in court. In the rare instance I would go, I would wear nylons. My office is relatively casual, and I live in Birmingham so it doesn't really get cold here until like November/December. Most of the women still wear sleeveless tops with cardigans because it gets boiling in the office around mid-afternoon, and people go sleeveless to try to stay cool... and it's the very end of October. We work in one of those glass buildings that seems to collect sunlight and then radiate heat inward. I can try shifting to showering at night - I usually don't do that because it does awful things to my hair when I wake up in the morning. I try really hard not to blow dry and straighten on the same day (to prevent friz/split ends), and when I get home at like 7:30ish I would need to probably dry it before bed and then straighten in the morning. Maybe it's worth investigating some products that will keep my hair from splitting if I'm doing both every day. Thanks for the advice ladies - if I try it, I will go to a salon first and see a pro do it!
Posted by hoffse[/QUOTE]

I got some stuff called Argan (?) oil I think. . . . you spray it on your hair before straightening it. . . . It seems to work really well in keeping the hair healthy

cwaggoner07 · October 2012

I second getting an epilator. I use EpiLady, and that's what my mom used growing up. It hurts a little but you really get used to it.
You get to a point where the hair is long enough and then you go to town.
I usually go over my legs over and over for an hour sitting on a towel in front of the tv (pretty image, right?) on the weekend. Then I shave the bits that were too short, and that shave will last me 10-ish days.
I paid $40 for the base model and it's SO worth it. Yeah, it's a lot of time at once, but in general if I do the epilady once or twice a month, I'm having to shave 2-3 times a month since it takes so long for the hair to grow back.

jlm9113 · October 2012

Is your law firm so formal that you need to wear a skirt suit every day? I only ask, because every one I've dealt with personally and the ones I know from friends from law school are fine wearing dress pants/blouses (unless they're going to court). So my first suggestion would be slacks if that's allowed.

If not, you should definitely be able to get by with every other day with the shaving (but you'd know better how dark/thick your leg hair is). I just know that waxing hurts like a %*&$^^. I do it for my eyebrows all the time, but I've been doing that for about 15 years so I think the nerves there have just given up:D Other areas though... yikes. If you DO absolutely have to wax your legs, look into a place that uses a Lidocaine cream on the area first. It still hurts, but it takes the edge off.

EDIT: Sorry, just saw your post about the dress code at your firm. I would absolutely wear your skirts on the days that you get around to shaving, and your slacks for the days when you're in need of shaving your legs.

lcatterton · October 2012

Has anyone ever used that No-No product that is advertised on the Telly? It's huge in other areas of the world, and I'm curious if anyone has tried it and has any opinions..?

Edit: Never mind, they are extremely expensive! haha.

elizabethriley · October 2012

Have you tried just shaving the night before? I can't shower at night due to crazy hair either, but it's really fast and easy to just sit on the side of the bathtub (or sink if you don't have a tub) and shave. It takes about 5 minutes, never longer than ten, and I don't have to worry about it in the morning.

Also, if you haven't already invested in a good razor, do it. I really like that Venus 5-blade one, and it definitely makes a difference in how long it takes. Plus, each one lasts a few months, so even though it seems relatively expensive, it doesn't add up very quickly.

I've never had luck with things like Veet or Nair and haven't tried waxing, so I have no advice for you there!

mcda04 · October 2012

I use Nair but I also shower at night so shaving isn't as dreadful. In the summer, i wake up and wash my body in the morning but i'm in and out in 5 minutes so shaving / hair removal is done at night.

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