Everything comes down to timing, and your hair-removal situation is no exception. While you might have a standing waxing reservation throughout the spring and summer — when you’re most likely to be showing skin — it pays to continue maintenance throughout the winter, too. That’s because sticking with a year-round waxing routine can deliver smoother skin for longer periods of time between waxes, which pays off by the time beach season begins.
How? For one, the regrowth you see post-wax is finer and thinner than the hair you had removed. There’s a good reason for it: After you wax, your hair doesn’t grow back at the same pace. It experiences different stages of the hair growth cycle; there’s the anagen (or active) phase of growth, the catagen (or transitional) phase during which hair matures, and the telogen (or resting) phase, during which hair sheds.
Waxing removes the hair completely from the hair follicle (at the root). So, when you wax hairs that are in the telogen phase, the cycle starts all over with new, super-fine hairs — leading to less noticeable regrowth. It make take a few visits for a completely smooth wax because you are transitioning your hair to be on the same growth cycle. Prepare for your wax by growing out your hair to ¼” (about the length of a sprinkle) and then for best results, maintain your wax routine every three to four weeks. Essentially, over time, waxing can weaken the hair follicles, causing thinner and finer hair and a slow-down in regrowth.
On top of that, it’s just more convenient to grow out your hair in the winter. After all, there’s no worrying about underarm stubble when sweater weather is in full force. So take this as your cue to book a full leg and underarm wax with European Wax Center, or to keep your bikini line groomed by scheduling a bikini wax.
Then, to make the most of your waxing sessions, supplement them with at-home maintenance. If you’re prone to ingrown hairs, stock up on the EWC Treat Ingrown Hair Wipes, which have salicylic and glycolic acids to gently exfoliate skin — as well as narcissus bulb extract, which can visibly slow hair regrowth between waxes. Another safe bet is the EWC Treat Ingrown Hair Serum, which is the brand’s bestselling product for a reason. It pairs glycolic acid, which sloughs away dead skin to free trapped hairs, with vitamin E and lavender oil to soothe. Dab it onto ingrowns on your underarms, legs, and along your bikini line to calm and soften skin — not to mention keep it smooth all winter. Together, they can ensure you’re not dealing with stubborn ingrowns once you’re ready to bare skin.
Another winter winner is the EWC Slow Shea Body Polish. Not only does it contain the aforementioned narcissus bulb extract, thus slowing and reducing hair thickness between waxes, but it also gently exfoliates skin with 100% biodegradable beads to keep bumps at bay. And the namesake shea butter nourishes skin, leaving it soft and smooth.
Together, both consistent waxing sessions every 3-4 weeks and at-home upkeep means that you won’t have to grow in hair for a full-body wax situation once the temperatures rise, and they all but guarantee smoother, bump- and ingrown-free skin. And, even better: The effort you make now means that hair will be at its thinnest, finest, and least noticeable by the time warm weather rolls around — meaning you can spend less time on the waxing table and more by the pool.
