Waxing in Headington, Oxford

Strip wax and hot wax: the real difference

Strip wax is spread thin and warm across the skin, a fabric strip is pressed on top, and the strip is pulled away taking the wax and the hair with it. It is fast and it covers ground, which is why it is the sensible choice for legs, arms, stomachs and backs. Because the wax bonds to the skin as well as to the hair, it can feel sharper on thin or delicate areas, and on very coarse hair it sometimes needs a second pass.

Hot wax, also called film wax, is applied warmer and thicker and then left for a few seconds to set. As it cools it shrinks slightly and wraps around each hair. The therapist lifts one edge and peels the whole piece away by hand. No strip is involved. The part that matters is that hot wax grips the hair far more than it grips the skin, so much less is pulled from the surface. That is why it suits the upper lip and chin, the underarms, the bikini line and anywhere the skin is thinner or the hair is stubborn.

Hot wax is on our list for the body as well as the face: under arms, full arms, full legs, bikini line, Brazilian, Hollywood and buttocks. Other body areas, such as stomach, back and half arms, are done with strip wax. Whichever you book, tell your therapist how your skin has reacted to waxing before, and she will say if she thinks the other wax would suit that area better.

How long your hair needs to be

Wax needs something to hold on to. As a rough guide, hair wants to be a few millimetres long, which for most people is two to three weeks of growth after a shave or a previous wax.

If it is shorter than that, the wax cannot get a grip and you will leave with patches still in place. This is far and away the most common reason a wax disappoints, and it is the easiest one to avoid. Leave it a little longer than you think you need to, and stop shaving in between, because shaving cuts the hair at the surface and leaves the root sitting there, so your next appointment is a mix of lengths rather than one even crop.

Does waxing hurt

It is sharp for a second and then it fades. We would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise.

The first wax on any area is usually the most uncomfortable one you will have. The hair is at its coarsest, the root is at its strongest, and you do not yet know what to expect. It genuinely does ease. Wax regularly and the regrowth comes back finer and falls into a more even cycle, so there is simply less to remove each time. Coming in every four to six weeks does more for comfort than anything else you can do.

Many people find they are more sensitive in the days just before a period, so book around it if you have the flexibility. If it is your first intimate wax, say so when you arrive. Your therapist will talk you through what she is doing and work in smaller sections.

Waxing prices at V&F

Every waxing service is booked as a 30-minute appointment. On strip wax, upper lips are £12, lower lips £5, chin only £8, forehead £8, sides £9, neck £10 and eyebrow shaping £11. Upper lips and chin together are £12. Full face is £30, or £36 with the neck included.

On the body, under arms is £12, half arms £18, full arms £22, top half legs or bottom half legs £22, three-quarter legs £25 and full legs £30. Half stomach or half back is £18 and full stomach with full back is £40. Buttocks are £35. Bikini line is £15, deep bikini line £25, a Brazilian wax £35 and a Hollywood £40. Full waxing is £75 and full body waxing is £140.

Hot wax has its own prices, as it is applied and lifted differently. On the face, upper lips and chin together are £16, lower lips £8, chin only £9, forehead £10, sides £14, eyebrow shaping £14, neck only £15, chin to neck £18 and full face £40. Nose hair is £5. On the body, under arms are £16, full arms £45, full legs £55, deep bikini £20, bikini line £25, a Brazilian £35, a Hollywood £45 and buttocks £25. Every hot wax price on the face is higher than its strip wax equivalent, in return for a gentler removal. On the body the gap varies by area, so compare the two lists for the area you want.

Before you come in

Arrive with clean, dry skin and nothing on the area: no oils, no heavy moisturiser, no fake tan. Exfoliate gently a day or two beforehand rather than on the morning itself.

Sun matters. Skin that has caught the sun or been burnt recently is not in a fit state to be waxed and we will usually ask you to come back another day. The same applies to a spray tan you want to keep, since waxing lifts the top layer of skin and takes the tan with it.

Some skincare and some medications change the way skin behaves during waxing. Retinoids and prescribed acids are the usual ones, and they are not the only ones. We are not able to advise on anything you have been prescribed, so please check with whoever prescribed it, and tell us what you are using when you book. Ring the salon on 01865 741333 if you would rather talk it through first.

Waxing, threading or laser

For brows and small patches of face, plenty of our regulars prefer threading. A twisted cotton thread lifts the hair out without anything being spread on the skin, and it gives a very precise line. Eyebrow shaping is £11 with strip wax, £14 with hot wax and £8 threaded, so it is worth trying each and seeing which suits you.

Waxing is not permanent. Hair comes back softer and slower than it does after shaving, but it comes back, and you will be rebooking every few weeks. If you would rather reduce growth over the longer term, laser hair removal works on a completely different principle and needs a course of sessions rather than one appointment. You also have to stop waxing while you are having it, because laser needs the hair still sitting in the follicle to work on, and waxing pulls it out.