07.26.2022

Sugaring vs Waxing: A discussion

 (Image via @SugaredandBronzed)

Because waxing is the worst…

I’ll say it – I love being hairless.  Not having to shave my bikini area, in particular, is pretty much an adult life hack. I’ll never give this up at this point.  And, let me tell you, I’ve tried a variety of hair removal methods throughout my twenties and thirties (some painless, some not so bad, some horribly painful), which is why I wanted to write today’s blog post on how to achieve smooth, glowing, and hair-free skin.

Sugaring vs Waxing

What is sugaring?

Sugaring is an ancient Egyptian hair removal method that uses a water-soluble sugar paste to extract body hair.  With sugaring, you apply the paste and then use a gentle flicking motion to remove hair in the natural direction that the hair follicle grows. This helps prevent ingrown hairs – making it perfect for those with sensitive skin like me!  The sugaring paste is made of literally just sugar, water and lemon – that’s it – all natural ingredients.  And, even cooler, the sugar paste warmer only heats sugar paste to a lukewarm temperature, unlike traditional waxing which is often heated to high temperatures and applied hot (which can cause irritation to the skin).

Additionally, unlike traditional waxing, sugaring only involves the sugar paste – no cloth strips, sticks, etc. and each ball of sugar paste is discarded after a single client.

When it comes to the length of hair growth needed to sugar, experts recommend that hair is at least 1/8″ long.  This would be about 14 days since your last shave or one month since your last sugaring or waxing session.

What is waxing?

Traditional waxing is another hair removal technique that removes hair from the root.  This hair removal method uses hot wax (that’s applied hot), along with cloth strips, to remove body hair in the opposite direction that the hair grows.  Similar to sugaring, the wax pulls hair from the root. It ensures that hair won’t grow back for at least two to four weeks.  Traditional waxing can be very painful, and also isn’t great for those with sensitive skin since the hot wax and hair removal direction can cause irritation and ingrown hairs.

Which is better?  Sugaring or waxing?

Sugaring is my favorite hair removal method; it definitely still stings a little, at least the first few times, but not nearly as bad as traditional waxing.  I also like that you get ZERO irritation from sugaring – no redness, no bumps, nothing. I got several waxes in college that left me with little blood dots after the wax. Nope.  You can even get a spray tan immediately after sugaring – that’s how non-irritating the hair removal technique is!  I’ve also noticed that the hair grows back thinner and thinner the more times you sugar – this doesn’t happen with traditional waxing.

By the way, I wanted to also mention that I also still love laser hair removal – but for those who don’t have that as an option due to cost/hair color/skin color, sugaring is the absolute best alternative that I’ve tried.  Period. End of story.

Where You Can Get Sugaring or Waxing Done

You can do sugaring or traditional waxing on tons of different areas of the body. It includes the bikini area, Brazilian wax, lip, chin, arms, underarms, thighs, chest, stomach, etc.  Pretty much anywhere hair grows, you can wax.

Sugaring & Waxing At Home

I’ve gone to my favorite spot, Sugared and Bronzed, many times and am constantly in awe at just how smooth and, more importantly, bump and irritation-free I leave – they have tons of locations across the U.S. and I can’t recommend them enough! I had their founder, Courtney Claghorn, on my podcast awhile back and she’s just absolutely brilliant at what she does.  I’m sure there are plenty of other places that do sugaring but if you’re close to an S&B, I’d definitely go there.

And, ok, so you can technically wax at home, both sugaring and traditional waxing. But I definitely don’t recommend doing so, and especially not if you’re a beginner.  I tried to give myself a bikini wax one time (with hot wax and cloth strips) and it was a horrifically painful and I just kept thinking “this isn’t something you’re supposed to do to yourself!”  If I can’t convince you otherwise, Sugared & Bronzed actually does sell their wax online and has tons of video tutorials.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! What’s your favorite hair removal method?  Tell me in the comments below.