With all the new at-home hair removal tools out there, do you really need to wax away unwanted hair? We asked the experts for the pros and cons and if the age-old hair removal technique is on its way out.
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Yes
Even those at the forefront of the hair removal industry, like Dermaflash founder Dara Levy, don’t discount the presence of tried-and-true waxing. “But, waxing can be painful and cause skin irritation, folliculitis and ingrown hairs. Waxing also pulls on the skin, which damages over time,” she says. Levy also points out that while waxing removes hair, it doesn’t improve the skin. “Hair removal will continue to evolve and improve as trends come and go, but unlike waxing, Dermaflash enhances the efficacy of by erasing the barrier to penetration, while creating a flawless canvas for and skincare.”
No
According to celebrity aesthetician Veronica Barton Schwartz, despite the fact that there are several hair removal machines and devices on the market, they don’t treat hair growth on the eyebrows, the skin between the eyebrows or anywhere near the eyes. “For women who have the right skin and hair color, at-home laser hair removal lasers can be used from the cheekbone and down. If your skin is olive or dark, no laser machine is safe. If you have the patience and can tolerate a little pain, a hair removal device can save you expensive appointments at the dermatologist’s office, but it will take time,” she says. “Waxing is still the way to go. Women love the way their makeup goes on after facial waxing because it removes dead skin cells. Waxing also weakens the hair follicle and hair grows in softer each time you wax.”
South Florida waxing expert and European Wax Center national brand ambassador, Melanie Coba, explains that waxing offers consistent, guaranteed results that reduce hair texture and density over time. “Other forms of hair removal, like lasers, do not remove hair completely in the short or long term for most people. As new technologies emerge, waxing continues to be most effective both short and long term for complete hair removal. Not to mention the benefits, like exfoliation, to the skin.”
The Bottom Line
No matter how much skin-removal techniques advance in the future, you just can’t beat the benefits of waxing, which is why we can’t deny the fact that it’s probably going to stick around for the long-term.
