How long does hair have to be to wax them? I’m sure all of you, who like waxing or who are considering waxing, have asked yourselves this question at least once. Haven’t you? When I first started waxing, it was a big dilemma for me to figure out when I should wax. Should I do it in two weeks when my hair is only around 1/5 of an inch or should I wait a little bit longer? The answer is quite simple; however, it varies for different body parts and people. I’m going to share with you a few basic ideas so you have a feeling of when it’s the right time to get rid of all that hair!

Usual Story

It’s usually advised to wax your body when your hair is anywhere between ¼ to ½ of an inch. That’s not the whole story though. It does vary from person to person and I’ll explain why.

Thick vs. Fair Hair

If you’re just starting out your waxing journey, it’s very likely that you have quite thick hair on any part of your body. When your hair is that thick, you probably need to wax them when they’re longer. In that way, wax can trap more of the hairs easier and rip them out. That pretty much means that for the first 4-5 times you’ll need to wax when your hair is as long as possible.

You won’t need to wait for so long once your hair gets fairer. When you get used to waxing, you’ll be able to rip out even the shortest hairs. At that time, the hairs with the length of ¼ of an inch, will get away quite easily. You’ll later notice that it will take them longer and longer to get to that length. Therefore, the overall idea is to wax regularly and you’ll need to do it less frequently. It’ll also just become easier.

Waxing Different Body Parts

I’ve also noticed that hairs in some parts of my body tend to be “easier” with wax than others. What I basically mean is that I can wax some of the hairs while their shorter without a problem while I struggle with others.

Armpits Wax

I’ve been waxing my armpits for quite a while. I’ve got used to the pain by now and I find the procedure pleasant. What I’ve noticed over years is that my underarm hair can be much shorter than any other hair on my body and I won’t have a problem ripping them out. I have a few ideas why it’s like that. I think I’ve been waxing my underarms for longest, therefore the hair is very fair and sparse so I have no problems getting out even the shortest hairs. It also could do with the fact that underarm skin area is relatively small, therefore it’s easier rip them out using smaller pieces of waxing strips

Bikini Wax

I haven’t been waxing bikini line for such a long time, therefore I need them to grow longer to get rid of them. It’s the most painful body part to wax too. That’s why I advise you to be more patient when it comes to it. Nobody, apart your partner, can see this area of your body. Therefore, it should be ok to let your hair grow down there. I’m sure you won’t be so willing to wax it so often anyway. The pain is not easy to bare. However, I do have a few tips to ease it. If you’re interested, scroll down a bit to find them.

Legs Wax

I’ve tried all types of hair removal methods on my legs. Waxing them isn’t my favorite way to do it since epilation is cheaper and often more effective. However, I did learn a few things during my waxing journey. One of them was that my hair needs to get quite long if I want to wax them. ½ of an inch at minimum. Otherwise, they would just stay there. Also, they would grow back so much faster than on any other part. For those who’re wondering, I have very fair hair.

Face Wax

I think face waxing is ‘’short hair’’ friendly! I’ve never had any problems waxing even the tiniest hair. They were probably even shorter than ¼ inch. If I used super small pieces of waxing strips and put warm wax on, I was always good to go. Waxing face is indeed a good way to deal with facial hair. That’s a fact. Overall, these hairs are easy to manage no matter what you use to remove them. If you'd like to remove hair in a natural way, read more here.

How to Wax Very Short Hair Less Painfully

Here are some of the things that I do to get rid of the shortest hair with less pain.

Wax Small Patches of Hair

If you choose to use smaller pieces of waxing strip and remove hair from smaller areas, it will help you both with your pain and efficiency. When you’re waxing a smaller area, the force you exert will be higher for each hair. Therefore, it will be easier to rip them out. It also appears to be less painful since it’s a smaller area of your skin that’s experiencing irritation. Burning a tip of your finger is less painful than burning your whole arm. That’s the idea. J

These are my waxing strips with some wax on already. They're too big. I usually use scissors to cut them into 4-5 smaller pieces. You get the idea. 🙂

Put Your Hand on Affected Area

Each time you wax, it’s a good idea to put your hand on the affected area to ease the pain. Skin adjusts to it easier that way because your pain receptors become numb for a second when the pain should be at its highest. Just apply force to the area as soon as your rip out that hair.

Keep the Skin Dry

The drier the skin, the easier it is to catch all the small hairs. Wax is a lipid just like oil. Therefore, if there is still some oil on your skin, wax won’t be able to trap your hairs so easily. That’s why waxing the same area twice is not a good idea since some hairs will have some wax on them already. Wax simply cannot attach to other lipids very tightly.

Here is a small video that tells you what to do when waxing armpits. The idea is more or less the same for any body part. :)

So How Long Does Hair Have to Be to Wax?

I hope you've enjoyed the post and found your answers. As you've noticed I'm mostly sharing my own story. Therefore, I'd like to hear yours. How long does your hair have to be to wax? Is it a bit different for you? Comment below! 🙂

Sources:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/a35411/waxing-facial-hair-female/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikini_waxing