What is Waxing?

• Men might have heard about waxing through a girlfriend or wife and yet not have a clue as to how it's done. Really, there's very little mystery. Waxing is most effective when performed by a certified cosmetologist and is typically done at a salon or day spa. The cosmetologist first treats the area of the body to be waxed with an alcohol-based disinfectant to make sure your skin is clean. Then she applies a thin layer of warm wax to the skin, making sure to coat the hair. A cloth or paper strip is applied to the wax and patted down firmly, then the cosmetologist quickly removes the strip. This removes hair from the root. A soothing lotion or gel is then applied to the waxed area of skin.
  
  For a large area of the body, the cosmetologist works with manageable portions of the skin, so she will have to use several strips to make sure that all of the hair is removed from your back. However, compared to other methods of hair removal, back waxing is a brief procedure and takes far less time than a single laser treatment, which takes around two hours for a large area of skin such as the back.
  
  

Benefits of Waxing

• Men who get their back waxed can expect a smooth, hair-free zone from anywhere between two weeks and two months. All of the hair does not grow back at the same time, so even when regrowth occurs, it's less obvious than had the hair been shaved or removed using a depilatory cream. Additionally, repeated waxing can damage the individual hair follicles so they don't grow back, and this might result in sparser hair growth over time.
  
  Waxing is far less costly than laser hair removal, which averages $387.50 for one treatment (with six to eight treatments required). The average cost of waxing the back ranges between $40 and $55, excluding your tip to the cosmetologist (between 10 percent and 15 percent is appropriate).
  
  

Downsides of Waxing

• If you've never had your back waxed before, a question you might have is, "Does waxing hurt?" Most women would answer in the affirmative. However, any discomfort you feel during the course of waxing is extremely brief, lasting only while the strip is removed. After your treatment, your skin might be red and tender for several hours. If you plan on going to a beach party, be sure to schedule your waxing appointment at least a couple of days before any shirts-off event.
  
  As mentioned, when hair does grow back in after waxing, it does so sporadically, with each follicle sprouting from your back at its own rate. This can be frustrating if you want your back completely hair-free in between treatments. As your lady friends can attest, waxing is most effective when all or most hair has grown back in.