I get questions all the time from people with sensitive skin, excessive hair, or just scared of waxing or threading but sick of shaving, and I am always asked what is best. In all honesty, it is kind of a crap shoot, and you need to figure out what is best for you BUT there are for sure pros and cons to each. So I am going to give you the scoop on each and you can decide what works best with your lifestyle, body, wallet, and life in general!
Shaving:
Is simply removing hair with the use of a blade or razor, and cutting the hair off at skin level, nothing fancy, just clean and easy! Of course there are eight million different razors on the market for men and women, some with one blade up to 5, electric razors, and some used wet and some dry….it is ridiculous how many razors there are on the market, and actually it is just mind boggling!
Pros: It is super fast, easy, and can be done pretty cheaply (if you buy cheap razors), and you can shave on your own schedule- all you need is running water.
Cons: It can also be pricey (again, razor choice related), depending on your skin type you can get razor burns (a rash that can occur from using a dull blade that can last for hours to days after shaving), razor bumps (constant inflammation of the skin- looking like bumps- from frequent shaving), and of course, you can cut yourself too!
Price:
Razors (straight blade): $10-$100
(then add in extras like lotion, new blades monthly/weekly, shaving cream, etc)
Threading:
Its an ancient Eastern technique for hair removal, where a thin twisted cotton thread is twisted over the area of unwanted hair and it plucks the hair right at the level of the follicle. Twisting of the thread, along with a skilled threader, pulls out straight lines of hair, all at the same time, and it can be relatively painless.
Pros: Because you aren’t pulling at the skin and there are no chemicals applied, there is no redness or irritation, and it can be a great option for people that have difficulty getting a great shape to their brows 🙂
Cons: You need to make sure that you see a skilled technician, if not, they can just be breaking the hairs at the skin level, and re-growth is super fast, and outside of a big city, it is really hard to find people that are good at threading and know what they are doing, plus you need to have a little hair growth to get the process started like 1/16in of hair. AND, it is usually only done on small areas likes the face, and nor for legs or other areas of unwanted hair.
Prices:
Eyebrows: $12-20
Upper lip: $6-$20
Full Face: $30-$65
Waxing:
So I have already rocked a whole blog on the ins and outs of waxing but the one thing that I didn’t really discuss is the price: Depending on what you want and where you go, the prices can be pretty high for monthly maintenance:
Prices:
eyebrows: as low as $15 up to $45
legs: as low as $50 up to $150
Brazilian bikini waxes: from $50 to $125.
So, making sure you are going somewhere reputable is the first battle, and finding the right price point is the second. OR you can just be like NurseB and wax yourself for pennies on the dollar 🙂
In the end, it depends on the person. The deciding factor can often be the aesthetic appeal, but oftentimes, it's best to see what works for you.