How to Wax Your Armpits

Co-authored by Karina Villalta

Waxing your armpits may be more painful than shaving, but it keeps your armpits hairless for 4-6 weeks. You can reduce the pain and prevent ingrown hairs from occurring by preparing your armpits and using the right kind of wax.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Get Ready to Wax

1
Prepare your underarms. You can wax your armpits without making a lot of preparations, but if you take these measures the experience will be less painful and more effective:
- Clean your underarms thoroughly. Wash them with soap or a good body wash, and scrub them a little to exfoliate the skin.^{[1]
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  Research source} If you use hot water, the hairs and surrounding skin will soften, making the hairs easier to remove.
- Trim the hair. If the hair under your arms is longer than ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm), you should trim it with a pair of barber or nail scissors until it's ¹⁄₄ inch (0.6 cm) long. This makes the waxing process less painful.
2
Wrap yourself up in an old towel. The wax is bound to spill and create a mess when you try to do it yourself, so it's best to be either naked or wrapped in something you don't mind getting impregnated with wax.

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3
Powder your underarms. Any talcum powder would do. Take a big sponge and spread the talc over the area, making sure to remove the excess powder.
4
Heat up body wax. Make sure you use wax that is intended to be used to remove leg and body hair, rather than wax intended for use on the face. Follow the instructions on the package and heat the wax in the microwave or in a wax heater. It's ready to use when it's completely melted and runny.
- If this is your first time waxing, do a test on the back of your hand, where your skin is less sensitive, to make sure the wax isn't too hot.
- Body wax kits are available at drugstores and beauty supply stores.
- Sugar wax can be used to remove hair under your armpits. It has no chemicals, or resin, or doesn't need to be heated much.
- You can make your own sugar-based body wax using the following recipe: mix 2 cups of sugar with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Heat the mixture over low heat on the stove until the sugar dissolves and becomes a sticky syrup. The mixture is now ready to use.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Apply the Wax

1
Use a waxing stick to apply wax to your armpit. Load it with a good amount of hot wax, then swipe it on your armpit in the direction of your hair growth. Continue swiping, always in the same direction, until all of the hair is covered with wax.
- Some people have hair that grows in more than one direction. If this is the case with you, you'll have to wax your armpit one section at a time.
- Do not swipe the wax in the opposite direction. Your hair strands will get tangled up and won't pull out cleanly.
2
Apply a wax strip. Take one of the paper wax strips that came with your kit. Place it over the area with the wax and swipe it once with your hand, in the direction of your hair growth, to position it in place.^{[2]
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- If you made your own sugar wax, use a clean piece of cotton cloth as a wax strip.
- Leave the edge of the strip free of the wax, so you can grasp it to pull it off.
- If you can't cover all of the wax with one strip, work one at a time.
3
Remove the strip. Grasp the strip by the free edge and pull quickly against the direction of your hair growth. The strip, wax, and hair should come right off. Repeat the process with the other armpit.
- If the wax and hair don't come off, you'll have to try again. Use a fresh wax strip.
- If the process is too painful, remove the wax with olive oil and warm water, and plan to shave instead of waxing.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Finish the Job

1
Examine your armpits in the mirror. If you see bits of remaining hair, apply more wax, smooth on a wax strip, and rip it off.^{[3]
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2
Remove excess wax with oil. Use the oil that came with your waxing kit or a bit of olive or almond oil to rub the areas you waxed. The oil will loosen the wax from your skin, making it easy to peel it off without pain.^{[4]
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3
Clean the area. Once all of the wax has been removed, wash your armpits with warm water and a mild soap. You can apply aloe if your armpits are still stinging.
- If the waxing caused you to bleed, put on a small bandage until the bleeding has subsided.
- Do not use deodorant, moisturizer, or other creams and lotions for several hours after waxing.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I pull out the strip slowly? I have long hair. I fear that it will hurt.

Community Answer

You can pull it off slowly, but it honestly hurts more to do it that way. If you rip it off quickly, the pain is over faster.
Question

Can I apply the lemon after waxing, or should I wait a few hours?

Community Answer

I think you should wait at least 24 hours to make sure your skin does not get irritated (lemon is acidic).
Question

What if I have dark armpits?

Community Answer

Lemon is actually pretty effective. Just squeeze the lemon and then dip a cotton ball and apply it to your armpits. Let it dry for a few minutes and then rinse it off with a warm water.