Should You Wax Your Arms?

by BR Tabatha

There are certain areas of one's body that seem like spots one might naturally choose to wax. (Well, as natural as de-fuzzing areas that are naturally meant to be hairy might be.) I'm thinking legs, armpits, upper lip, outer lady lips... you get the picture. An area I never gave much thought to waxing? My arms. And yet it's a thing. Models do it. As do actresses. As well as beauty influencers who like a smooth swatching surface for their cosmetic close ups. And, if the beauty lovers I follow on the internet are any indication, its popularity amongst the general public is growing as quickly as the hair is disappearing. So what are the pros and cons of waxing one's arms? And what's the best way to go about it? 

The Pros

The most obvious pro to waxing your arms is that if you're not fond of your arm hair it's an easy way to remove it. Fast, efficient, not overly expensive, waxing will last around three to four weeks (obviously, this will change from person to person) before the hair starts to grow back.

Waxing also means you're not having to whip out your razor every few days to deal with fresh growth. Also, when your arm hair begins to grow back, it won't look as thick due to having a finer tip, rather than the blunt tipped thicker-looking hair that shaving causes.

If you're a swimmer, less hair will help with your speed in the water. And, as stated above, if you're a model/actress/beauty influencer, you may well want to wax arm hair for aesthetic purposes. 

The Cons

Waxing isn't exactly painless, so depending on your levels of tolerance you might experience some discomfort when waxing your arms.

Then there's the aftercare. You want to exfoliate your skin and moisturise regularly to guard against ingrown hairs.

You may also find your skin is more sensitive post-wax. This would be because your hair's not there for funsies, it actually protects your skin. So whe your skin is bare of hair you might find you feel the heat, cold, or even the textures of your clothing more than usual, which could cause some discomfort.

Post-wax, there's also a chance of irritation if the waxing wasn't done in the most hygenic of manners, or if your skin is prone to irritation.

There's also the between waxes period. If you're wanting to regularly de-hair your arm you'll have to wait until it's about a quarter of an inch long before you re-wax and, much like a fringe, the growing out period can be a touch annoying.

The How

Our recommendation is to see a beauty therapist to have your arms waxed. They're trained in the art of making waxing as painless as possible, as well as making it look as good as possible, and can give the best advice on aftercare.

Want to do it yourself? Make sure you follow all the instructions on your at-home waxing kit, and be sure to cleanse your arms before getting stuck in. Alternatively, if you've an epilator that can be used to remove your arm hair, or an IPL machine can work to provide longer lasting results.

At the end of the day to wax or not wax your arms is for you and you only to decide. You prefer the hairless look? By all means, go ahead. You're happy with the state of your arms as they are? Wonderful! Anyone else's opinion is a simple case of neither here nor there. You do you!

So, have you ever waxed your arms before? What was your experience, and what tips do you have to share? Have you been tempted to do the defuzz? And if so, what's stopped you from gripping and ripping? Get chatting below!