Summer is Coming: Make Your Threading & Sugaring Appointments

Get ready–summer is around the corner. This means bathing suits, graduation parties, barbecues, weddings and sundresses—an entire slew of events and attire that require you to bare a bit more and look your best. And before panic sets in, we offer this simple tip: Beauty prep by booking a threading or sugaring appointment at your nearest spa.

Why Threading and Sugaring, You Ask?

Here’s the deal. We know Taylor Swift recently revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she shaves her legs every day (which resulted in a minor Twitter eruption), but really, who has the time-slash-want for shaving? Then there’s laser hair removal, which provides longer-lasting results but isn’t necessarily budget friendly or recommended for everyone (pregnant women and redheads come to mind). And waxing can be nowhere near ouch-less. So if shaving, lasers or waxing aren’t for you, we advise turning to other depilation methods that are just as popular. Read on as we get to the root of these hair removal techniques.

Threading: Why It’s Popular

Threading utilizes one single piece of equipment: a very strong string. The esthetician ropes unwanted hair with the thread and pulls it from the hair follicle using a swift twisting, rolling motion.  Estheticians typically use threading to remove brow and facial hair.

• Threading is considered to be less painful than waxing (or even tweezing), but remember, everybody’s pain tolerance is different. In our experience, it depends upon your esthetician; while we don’t find threading to be particularly painful, perhaps uncomfortable might be a better word.
• It’s a quick process (a definite plus).
• Precision—the process rids all unwanted hairs at once (even the miniscule ones that are difficult to tweeze or that you [ugh] notice once your wax appointment is over). The result: defined, beautifully shaped eyebrows or elimination of unwanted facial hair.
• It’s hygienic. The thread is thrown out after each use. And, apart from the cleaning product that may be swiped across your brows prior to treatment, the only thing touching your skin? The string. Which is a good segue to our next bullet point:
• Less chance of allergic reaction or irritation to the skin

Good to Know

• Threading takes skill so go to a trained esthetician only.
• You can typically go about four weeks between threading appointments.
• Threaded hair growth not only becomes finer over time, but it becomes stunted.
• Aloe vera or rosewater are good antidotes should you experience any redness following a threading appointment.

Sugaring: Why It’s Popular

Middle Eastern waxing, or sugaring, is another age-old beauty method to eliminate unwelcome hair (Cleopatra was said to be a fan). Rather than a piece of thread, the esthetician uses a natural (yay!), sugary, sticky paste or gel to help you get smooth.  Sugaring can remove unwanted hair on your face or body.

• The chemical-free and natural paste—a combo of sugar, water, lemon juice (sometimes honey)—means it’s excellent for sensitive skin.
• Hair is removed at the root in the same direction that it grows (therefore, less chance of annoying ingrown hairs).
• Hair becomes weaker and diminishes over time.
• Hygiene comes into play once again—unlike waxing treatments, sugaring is devoid of double dipping in the wax pot.
• Simple clean up: Give the wax residue left behind from waxing appointments the brush off—sugar paste is water soluble and easily wipes off.
• Results can last up to six weeks.

Good to Know

• Sugaring takes longer than a traditional wax, so ensure enough time in your schedule.
• Is sugaring more painful than a traditional wax? The jury’s still out on this one—some say yes, others say no.

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