Sugaring

Disclaimer: Today I am going to be blogging about something rather personal that maybe not all people will find appealing, and by all means don't read this post if you think it may make you feel uncomfortable. I will be talking about body hair removal.

I am constantly in search of new hair removal methods. I hate shaving because I have smooth, hair-free results for only one day, and it's very irritating on my skin so I can't shave every single day. I've tried nearly everything short of laser hair removal which I may invest in some day if the technology improves. It works best on people with dark hair because the laser is attracted to darker pigmentation. Being blonde, I'm kind of out of luck.

I've been waxing for some time now and have been only mildly impressed with the results. It takes a lot of work, and it really hurts. The results do last longer, which I like, but I always have an issue with ingrown hairs afterwards. It's probably because I do it on my own and I have not been formally trained on how to wax properly. I may have better luck with a professional, but I'm a poor college student. I don't have that kind of money to blow on waxing every month. Ingrown hairs are typically caused when you break the hair above or below the skin surface instead of completely removing it by the root. If you remove hair by the root, it grows back with a blunt edge rather than a jagged one that can get caught and start growing back into your skin. Ouchie. Shaving causes ingrown hairs, too, because it leaves the hair with a sharp edge. Have you ever looked at a blade of grass after the lawn has been mowed? Your hair looks like that.

One day while browsing the internet for better waxing techniques or prevention/treatment of ingrown hairs I stumbled upon something rather interesting. Apparently there is a procedure called sugaring that is less painful and just as effective as waxing. The best part is you can make the stuff at home using ingredients that everyone has in their kitchen. The other major benefits to this method are that it doesn't require cloth strips, you use it cold, it's water soluble, and you remove the product with the grain of the hair, not against. The latter technique makes it more likely that you will remove the entire hair at the root and not just break it off like typical waxing. Therefore...fewer ingrown hairs if any.

I decided that it was worth a shot and made up the concoction in my kitchen. The process is a lot like making caramel and it goes better if you actually have a candy thermometer. I accidentally ruined the first batch, but the second turned out alright. I allowed it to cool off for several hours and then gave it a whirl. I admit I was extremely shocked. I was skeptical that it would actually work, especially since I was removing it in the direction that hair grows instead of against it like typical waxing. I applied it and then ripped it off as directed. It still hurt a little but it was much less painful than waxing because it grabbed onto the hair but not my skin. Best of all, the hair was gone! I examined the used product and saw tons of little hairs sticking out and they all had the root intact! Quite frankly, it blew my mind how effective it was. I have only been able to test it so far on course hair from my underarms and bikini area, but I will soon be testing it on my legs where my hair is finer. The downside to this and all types of waxing is that your hair has to be at least 1/4 inch in length or it won't work well. I've got to give my leg hair some time to grow but I'm excited by the prospects.

If you are interested in doing your own sugaring here is how you make it: take 2 cups of regular granulated sugar and mix it with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Heat it to boiling and then reduce heat to around 240 degrees or so. This is where a candy thermometer comes in handy because you want to cook it for about 25 minutes at a "firm ball" stage. When it's finished it should be a dark amber color. Let it cool for about 15 minutes in the pot and then poor it into a Tupperware container. Put it in the fridge to cool down completely. Once it's cool you can take out a chunk (put your back into it, it's not easy to get out) and then roll or squish it into a ball. You may want to use latex gloves because the moisture from your skin can make it sticky. After you form a ball flatten it against the area you wish to remove hair. Apply against the grain. Then lift up an edge of it enough that you can get a grip on it and then quickly remove in the direction of hair growth. You can reuse the same ball of product until it becomes too sticky to work with. Just roll it back up and reapply. After you're done you can just remove any excess product still stuck to your skin with a damp washcloth.

Hopefully some of you may find this as handy as I did. I'm still just amazed that this actually works, and I'll be playing around with it for a while. If I find any better tips I'll post them.