Why does underarm waxing hurt more than leg waxing?

Your underarms are home to more nerves and lymph nodes than other areas of your body, like your legs and face. That’s why (1) they are extra ticklish and (2) waxing them hurts more than waxing your legs.

The skin on your underarms is also a bit thinner and because it’s a part of your body that isn’t often exposed, like your hands and feet that can toughen up under the elements, the delicate skin remains sensitive.

The good news is that underarm waxing pain is very short lived and subsides extremely quickly. In fact, an underarm wax can be completed in less than 10 minutes from start to finish and the uncomfortable bit literally lasts for seconds when the strips are removed.

Waxing is also kinder on the underarms than other forms of hair removal, such as shaving, because you’ll only be doing it once every month or so when regrowth appears. Along with minor cuts and grazes, daily shaving can irritate the surface of sensitive skin, making it feel sore and uncomfortable, as well as give rise to itchy, blunt stubble. Waxing, on the other-hand, removes hair from the root so any new growth that appears is finer and softer to the touch.

One way to reduce the discomfort of underarm waxing is to book your appointment in the centre of your menstrual cycle when you’re not on your period. Remember that in the few days running up to and during your period your hormone levels can make the skin feel more sensitive and susceptible to discomfort.

If you find that your skin feels sore after your wax, apply a cold pack to the area to instantly calm redness and inflammation.