6 Ways To Make Waxing Less Painful – Yes, Really

The pain of your last wax is still fresh in your memory. How has this appointment rolled around so fast!?

Whether it’s your eyebrows, your upper lip or (gulp) a full Brazilian you’re going for, waxing can be seriously ARGH-worthy.

But it doesn’t have to be. Sure, it’s never going to feel completely pain-free, but there are some things you can do to make it just a little bit more bearable.

1. Get your timing right

Made your appointment early in the AM? Best reschedule, ladypal. Our bodies are less equipped to deal with pain first thing in the morning. Push back that appointment until late afternoon. Between 3 and 5pm is when a woman’s pain threshold is at its highest.

2. Take a painkiller

Not just great at nixing a sore head; popping a painkiller 30 minutes before your wax will seriously help to reduce ouchiness when that strip is ripped off. Opt for Aspirin or Ibuprofen, which will help reduce pain and have anti-inflammatory properties too.

3. Never wax when you’re on your period

Don’t even think about making an appointment during your time of the month; you’re tolerance to pain is at an all time low from five days before, right through until the end of your cycle. Instead, wait three to four days after your period’s finished, when your tolerance to pain is at its highest.

4. Use a numbing cream

Still worried about pain? Apply a topical analgesic cream over the area you’re planning to have waxed between 30 and 45 minutes before your appointment. We recommend No Scream Cream, €17.59, by Relax and Wax.

5. Exfoliate

Make sure to get scrubbin’ in the shower the day before your wax. Why? It’ll remove dead skin cells, making it easier for the wax to grab onto the hairs and pull them out. Don’t forget to scrub again the day after to avoid getting any nasty ingrown hairs, too.

6. Ditch caffeine

It’s great for numbing our early morning groginess, but your latte habit can also make you more susceptible to pain. The same goes for any stimulant, including alcohol. Lay off both on the day of your wax for a less painful experience.

• Beauty
• waxing