My First Waxing Experience: A Mixed Bag

Hello my loves! I recently had my first-ever waxing experience at the European Wax Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the process, especially for those of you who might be considering it. 

 I went in with high hopes and a list of areas I wanted to address: my brows, nose, chin, and upper lip. Let’s dive into my experience! 

The Brow Waxing: This part of the experience was an absolute breeze. The technician used purple-colored wax on my brows, and it was quick with only light discomfort. It was also relatively cheap, less than $15 bucks, however, I got it done for free since they have a promotion for first-time customers. I also included the eyebrow tint service since my brows are not very thick and fade out towards the ends. The tinting was quick and added a darker tone to my brows. I was in and out in no time, overall my brows looked clean and perfectly shaped. I couldn’t have been happier with the results. 

Nose Hair Waxing: In addition to my brows, I decided to go all in and tackle my nose hairs too. Now, this was an interesting experience. It was slightly uncomfortable, but it was over in a flash. They used the same purple wax, but the tool they used almost looked like a lollipop (think blow pop), it was round and fit right into my nostrils. They did one nostril at a time and there was a slight wait with the tool in your nostril while the wax did its job and gripped onto the hairs. Plus, any after-pain was gone in less than a couple of hours. Surprisingly, I’m open to trying it again in the future.

The Chin and Upper Lip: Here’s where things got a bit more complicated. During my initial visit, I was told that the hair on my chin and upper lip wasn’t long enough for the wax to effectively grip, so I had to leave without getting those areas done. Disappointed but undeterred, I made a second appointment scheduled for 3 days later to give it another shot. 

The Second Attempt: On my return visit to the European Wax Center in Downtown L.A., the technician informed me that the hair had grown long enough for waxing. However, the experience was quite different from my pleasant brow waxing. Waxing the chin and upper lip was a rather painful and uncomfortable process. It seemed to take longer, and I could feel each hair being pulled from the root. It definitely wasn’t the quick and painless experience I had hoped for. Honestly, at one point I felt like my skin was coming off. The technician was lovely and kept checking in with me which helped. The pic below is right after waxing. There was definitely some pain and discomfort a few hours after the process.

At this time it has been 2 days since I got waxed and the pain is gone, but I have noticed lots of small bumps or breakout sections on my chin (see pic below). I am going to keep putting on aloe to soothe and maintain my regular skincare routine. 

In hindsight, I would hesitate to recommend chin and upper lip waxing, based on my personal experience. The discomfort and pain may not be worth it, especially when there are alternative options available that are likely less painful. 

Alternative Options: Some lovely folx on Instagram who saw my story about waxing reached out and suggested trying alternative options like threading and laser hair removal for the chin and upper lip. While I haven’t explored these options yet, I’m seriously considering them, given my experience with waxing.

Overall, my first waxing experience was a mixed bag. The brow waxing is something I am open to trying again, but the chin and upper lip areas left a lot to be desired. If you’re considering waxing for these areas I would recommend exploring other options first. Ultimately, I’m still on the fence about what to do next, but I’ll definitely be thinking twice before scheduling another chin and upper lip waxing appointment there.