Experts Answers: Does Waxing Hurt?

While most guests agree that waxing involves some level of pain, it’s often not as bad as you expect. Most discomfort occurs when the wax strip is removed, causing a brief moment of pain followed by minor sensitivity for 12-24 hours. However, this is quickly replaced by 3-4 weeks of flawless skin. Our Comfort Wax®—made specially for EWC—is a unique, strip-less wax designed to adhere to hair, not skin. This makes for a much more comfortable (and effective!) wax. Our Comfort Wax® also contains beeswax, an ingredient with skin-soothing properties. This makes it gentle on all hair and skin types, creating as painless a waxing process as possible.

Pain during and after a wax session depends on a few additional factors, including:

- Frequency of waxing (pain decreases with regular sessions)

- Your pain tolerance 

- The part of the body you’re getting waxed

- The length of the unwanted hair 

- If you prepared properly for your wax

- Whether you’re doing a DIY wax instead of a professional wax

The number one factor that may affect wax pain level is the experience of your Wax Specialist. Someone who knows what they’re doing can give you a great wax with as little pain as possible. At European Wax Center, Wax Specialists are trained to make your experience comfortable while providing clear consultations, expert wax services, and guidance on aftercare. 

Sensitive areas like the bikini line, chest, armpits, and face tend to be more painful due to higher nerve concentrations. Conversely, arms and legs typically experience less discomfort due to their lower sensitivity.

A Brazilian wax can be one of the more daunting types of waxing, especially if it’s your first time. This type of waxing removes unwanted hair from your bikini area, which can be more sensitive than other body parts.

It’s natural to be nervous, but our Wax Specialists will walk you through every step of the process and answer any questions you may have. If you’re ready for smooth, bathing suit-ready skin, follow our bikini waxing tips to prepare for your Brazilian wax and reduce discomfort.

A combination of preparation and aftercare can make waxing less painful. Experienced guests find their regular sessions only mildly uncomfortable, and sensitivity doesn’t last as long.

Try these pre-wax prep tips to make your wax as pain-free as possible:

- Avoid consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or caffeine. Both can cause pores to tighten, which may cause more discomfort.

- Gently exfoliate your skin 24 hours beforehand to remove dry, dead skin cells. This clears a path for hair to come out more easily.

- Schedule your wax for when your hair is about ¼ inch long (that’s roughly the length of a grain of rice). 

- Follow our waxing aftercare guide for more tips and products to use after your wax.

A final piece of advice—the anticipation is often worse than the wax itself! Apprehension is normal, but dreading the pain can make it feel worse than it really is. If you’re nervous, our number one tip is to communicate with your Wax Specialist. They’ll know all the best tips and tricks for reducing pain, and they can work with you to discover a process that helps you relax knowing it’s just one, brief moment of discomfort for weeks of gorgeous skin!

Skip the DIY wax and let the experts do the work! With a relaxing atmosphere, steady hands, and plenty of aftercare assistance, you’re sure to have a better time in one of our wax suites than you would going it alone—even if an at-home waxing kit promises to be “quick and pain-free.”

Ready to see what the EWC Wax Specialists can do for you? Contact us for a consultation about any of our wax services, including Brazilian waxing, facial hair waxing, or any other body waxing session. We’ll tell you what to expect for your first wax, how to prepare for it, and what to do (and not do) afterward. Remember—the more you wax, the less it hurts!