People who wax: do you prefer soft wax or hard wax?

July 3, 2024 1:49 PM

The esthetician I used to see left the spa I used to see her at and it seems like she was one of the only estheticians there who used soft wax. The other estheticians I've seen at the same spa since seem to only use hard wax... and I hate it. What is generally preferred these days, soft wax or hard wax? And why? What do YOU prefer (in terms of results, experience, etc.)?

I mostly get my lower legs, eyebrows, and a bit of facial waxing. Nothing more intimate than that, from what I gather that hard wax IS the best choice for super intimate/sensitive spots. However, the new estheticians I've seen at the spa have used hard wax for everything and I just really dislike it. I do have sensitive skin that does turn very red after waxing, but it never lasts for very long and I think this might also be why they want to use hard wax on me.

It seems to be generally praised online (just from cursory searching). I've found that it seems to take longer, doesn't last as long, etc. I asked one of the estheticians about the difference between soft vs hard wax once and she said hard wax has better results, which... is not what I've experienced! The poor results are also annoying, because it means I "have to" go more frequently.

This has led me to wonder, was my previous esthetician just old school and out of date by using soft wax? I never had any complaints about the results by her, but I haven't been satisfied with the results of hard wax. This made me turn to at home waxing, which I also hate doing.

If you get waxed, what do you prefer... soft or hard wax? If you're an esthetician should I prefer hard wax (as a client) or is soft wax still okay?

posted by VirginiaPlain to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

I've gotten brazilian waxes regularly for ~15 years. I strongly prefer hard wax, to the point that when I need to find a new place due to moving or travel I choose estheticians based on whether they state they use all or mostly hard wax.

I prefer it because it really is nicer on my specific skin, and having the netherest of my nether bits waxed with it hurts less, results in less immediate redness/irritation, and results in less medium-term irritation. I don't mind having soft/strip wax used on my upper mons, but I don't love it, either -- for me, it hurts just a little bit more, feels a little rougher on my skin. In at least one case the esthetician told me she preferred using soft/strip wax because she could do larger areas at once -- and that that's almost certainly why it hurt a little more.

Note my experience is entirely with brazilian waxes, I haven't gotten anything else waxed since I learned about the different types of wax.

Since I always check what kind of wax places use, I can tell you that there definitely still plenty of estheticians who primarily use soft/strip wax, at least in the cities I've gotten waxed in (SF Bay Area, Denver, Raleigh, and NYC).
posted by rhiannonstone at 7:43 PM on July 3

I much, much prefer soft wax. I understand the whole hard wax=more hygienic thing, but damn, it hurts! I waxed my eyebrows and lower legs for over 20 years (there's almost no leg hair anymore), along with Brazilians. The soft wax didn't hurt at all. It was the hard wax for the Brazilians that put me on the JFC Never Again list.

You should be able to tell the esthetician your preferences. If she won't follow your request, definitely go someplace else. If somebody was smart, they would come up with a business plan for Nitrous Oxide and Brazilian waxing. They would make an absolute mint.
posted by dancinglamb at 2:26 AM on July 4

My preference is for sugaring if you can find someone to do it - I find it the least painful of the options. I’ve most frequently done upper lip/brow but occasionally lower legs.
posted by A Blue Moon at 12:24 PM on July 4

I've been getting regular Brazilian waxes for the past 15 years in dozens of cities and a handful of countries. My first estheticians used soft wax, then I started seeing estheticians that use hard wax which I preferred to soft wax, then sugaring which I preferred to hard wax, and now my favourite is a type of silky hard wax that dries with a velevety, rubbery feel, which various locations call various proprietary names that I'm not totally clear on. Each person explains that they used to use the previous type of depilation, tried this one they use now, and now swear by it because they see better results. (Results in waxing means slower regrowth time, gentler on the skin, faster, and less painful.) I wouldn't say soft wax is old school as I see many places using it -- I would describe it more as a default, with increasingly more places preferring alternatives.

However, I've had long, painful, ineffective sugaring experiences and quick, clean soft wax experiences, even though I have my general preferences. I'm sure you've heard from your esthetician that everyone is different -- that combines with the fact that waxes and esthetician techniques are all different. There's a wide range in experiences and results, and it's a gamble each new time. If you've found something that works for you, it works for you! There are no "should"s in personal care.
posted by Pwoink at 11:41 AM on July 5