The longest of the short-term solutions, waxing is designed to grab and pull out each hair at the root for a clean, lasting finish. Traditionally, there are two different types of wax: hard, which peels off like putty; and soft and creamy, designed to be removed with a cotton muslin strip. The choice of hard vs. soft wax generally depends on the targeted area of your body. “The blue hard wax is specially formulated with certain polymers to wrap around the hair and really hold it tight, so it’s not sticking to the skin as much as it’s sticking to the hair,” says Paz Stark, founder of L.A.’s
Stark Waxing Studio.
TARGET AREA: “Hard wax is ideal for really coarse hair in smaller, sensitive parts of the body, like the underarm and bikini,” Stark explains. “For larger areas—like the back, arms, shoulders, and legs—we use a soft cream- or honey-based wax.”