You love the look and feel of your smooth skin after waxing, right? It's just the pain that you could do without. Still, if you wax regularly, you've probably decided that it beats shaving every day. While we can't completely eliminate the sensation that comes from having hair ripped out of your skin with hot wax, we can give you some tips that will make the experience as painless as possible.

1

Go to a pro instead of waxing yourself.

  1. 1
    Professional estheticians are trained to wax with minimal pain. If you try to wax yourself, you're more likely to make mistakes that could result in a more painful experience. Nervousness and hesitation also cause the whole process to be way more painful than it needs to be.[1]
  2. 2
    Choose an esthetician who uses hard wax. When you book your appointment, ask the esthetician what kind of wax they use. Hard wax is less painful and more efficient than soft wax, which needs to be removed with paper strips.[2]
    • Soft wax is the kind you'll usually get for at-home kits, which is another reason waxing will be less painful if you go to a pro.
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2

Time your appointment when your pain threshold is highest.

  1. 1
    Get waxed later in the afternoon. Your pain threshold is at its highest between 3 and 5 p.m. and at its lowest first thing in the morning. That means the same procedure will hurt less if you get it done in the afternoon.[3]
  2. 2
    Schedule your appointment in the middle of your menstrual cycle. Your pain threshold is lower during your period and often for a day or two before and after. This is especially true if you're getting waxed along the "bikini line." To keep your waxing as pain-free as possible, avoid that time of the month.[4]
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3

Let your hair grow out at least 18 in (0.32 cm).

4

Exfoliate and moisturize your skin.

  1. Use a moisturizing body scrub at least once a week and 2 days before waxing. Body scrubs remove dead skin cells that have built upon the surface of your skin. This helps the wax grip the hair more cleanly for a less painful experience.[6]
    • If your skin is dry on the day of your appointment, massage in a moisturizer in the morning before your appointment in the afternoon. Let it air dry for a few minutes to give it a chance to really soak into your skin.
    • Exfoliating and moisturizing also helps prevent ingrown hairs after waxing, which can be painful in and of themselves.[7]
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5

Drink plenty of water to stay well-hydrated.

  1. 1
    Hydrated skin is plumper so the hair is easier to remove. Staying well-hydrated is essential for healthy skin in general, but it's even more important on the day of your waxing appointment if you want to minimize pain. Drink lots of water the day of your appointment and steer clear of other beverages that have a dehydrating effect.[8]
    • Caffeine and other stimulants also make your skin more sensitive, which can increase the pain from waxing—so skip your coffee the day of your waxing appointment.[9]
  2. 2
    Don't drink alcohol before your waxing appointment. You might think a drink or two will help numb the pain, but alcohol actually has the opposite effect. Drinking dehydrates you, which makes your skin more sensitive.[10]
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6

Take an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever.

  1. 1
    Pop an anti-inflammatory about 30 minutes before your waxing. It's the inflammation that causes most of the pain from waxing, but an OTC anti-inflammatory will combat that.[11] Just be sure to take it early enough for it to start working before you get waxed.[12]
  2. 2
    Apply an anesthetic cream about 30 minutes before your appointment. Anesthetic creams are also available OTC at your local pharmacy. Rub the cream onto your skin like you would any lotion and allow your skin to absorb it.[13]
    • These creams don't work for everybody, so you might still feel some pain. But if you have a really hard time dealing with the pain from waxing, it's worth a shot.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    Does waxing cause health problems?
    Indy Chabra, MD, PhD
    Indy Chabra, MD, PhD
    Board Certified Dermatologist
    Dr. Indy Chabra is a Board Certified Dermatologist and a Board Certified Mohs Micrographic Surgeon. He is the Founding Member of DMC Dermatology & Mohs based in Tucson, Arizona. With over 15 years of experience, he provides medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology care for adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Chabra earned a BS in Chemistry and Biological Sciences and an AB in Economics from Stanford University. He also received his MD and PhD in Microbiology and Genetics from Stony Brook University. He completed his Dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh. While at UPMC, Dr. Chabra received extensive training in complex Medical Dermatology, hair and nail conditions, Pediatric Dermatology, Cosmetic Dermatology, and Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery. Dr. Chabra is a Fellow of the American Society for Mohs Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a Fellow of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Chabra also provides in-patient Dermatology consults at Tucson Medical Center.
    Indy Chabra, MD, PhD
    Board Certified Dermatologist
    Expert Answer
    Not necessarily. Although a broken down skin is more prone to getting infected by bacteria, herpes and, less commonly, yeast, these are very severe cases and most people shouldn't get that with waxing.
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About This Article

Indy Chabra, MD, PhD
Co-authored by:
Board Certified Dermatologist
This article was co-authored by Indy Chabra, MD, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Dr. Indy Chabra is a Board Certified Dermatologist and a Board Certified Mohs Micrographic Surgeon. He is the Founding Member of DMC Dermatology & Mohs based in Tucson, Arizona. With over 15 years of experience, he provides medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology care for adult and pediatric patients. Dr. Chabra earned a BS in Chemistry and Biological Sciences and an AB in Economics from Stanford University. He also received his MD and PhD in Microbiology and Genetics from Stony Brook University. He completed his Dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh. While at UPMC, Dr. Chabra received extensive training in complex Medical Dermatology, hair and nail conditions, Pediatric Dermatology, Cosmetic Dermatology, and Mohs Skin Cancer Surgery. Dr. Chabra is a Fellow of the American Society for Mohs Surgery, a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a Fellow of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Dr. Chabra also provides in-patient Dermatology consults at Tucson Medical Center. This article has been viewed 19,059 times.
4 votes - 75%
Co-authors: 6
Updated: April 24, 2022
Views: 19,059
Categories: Featured Articles | Waxing
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