Sugaring is a less painful way of removing hair than waxing
Sugaring is a less painful way of removing hair than waxing
The beginning of spring is a signal to many women like me that we better start getting our bodies prepped ready for public consumption when we finally peel off our winter layers of clothing.
For many of us this means dealing to our unwanted hair, particularly hair on our legs which we might have let grow over winter. Or even worse, have been shaving it, which as many beauty experts will tell us, is a bad idea as ideally you should keep up with regular hair removal which means that hair will eventually grow back more thinly.
Normally in the spring and summer I have legs and bikini area professionally waxed but I am really keen to try another method of hair removal growing in popularity — sugaring.
Where better to try this than The Sugaring Room in Tauranga, owned by sugaring expert Marcela Hannouche.
I am always a bit on edge before hair removal — silly really when I have been doing it for years but I hate any form of pain.
But after climbing the stairs to Marcela's beauty rooms overlooking Devonport Rd, I am immediately calmed by the welcoming soft pink ambience. I take my seat on the pink sofa with its candy cushions as Marcela greets me for the consultation. I am immediately impressed by both her warm and professional demeanour which puts me at ease.
What is sugaring? Marcela explains that it is an ancient form of her removal dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. — Cleopatra herself was believed to have her dark excess hair removed by sugaring which is basically using warm sugar and cotton strips to remove hair.
The main difference to waxing is that there is much less irritation on the skin. Firstly because of the sugar itself being 100 per cent natural and organic with no additives. Marcela makes her own sugar at home in bulk so you are assured there are no nasties at all.
Secondly because unlike wax which attaches itself to your skin, the sugar just catches on to the hair itself, meaning that there is no irritation to the skin. It also makes it much less painful than waxing which I am glad to hear.
It is important to go to a technician who has had thorough training in the sugaring technique which can take years to fully master.
Marcela herself has been doing sugaring and beauty therapy for 15 years — her Brazilian mother used it on her as a child and later taught her before she then went on to complete her professional training.
Marcela prepares the sugaring mix herself with sugar and lemons
Although the method is growing in popularity, there are limited fully trained practitioners in New Zealand — people travel to see Marcela from as far as Auckland — even Wellington!
Preparation Hair should be grown at least 10 days before the appointment, ideally a few weeks — Marcela suggests four to six weeks in between leg treatments. Hair should be at least inch and inch in length prior to appointment. Make sure the skin and hair are clean and dry — free of all scent, oil and lotion.
Sugaring is a great method for removing hair in the bikini area. On the wall Marcela has a range of options for hair removal in this area, from bikini line, to Hollywood, a triangle or full Brazilian front and back.
For the first time Brazilian, Marcela advises coming three weeks apart and you can then build up to six weeks.
As it is my first time sugaring I opt for just the legs this time
The process
I need not have worried. As I am lying there chatting away to Marcela she is already under way on the lower legs. The sugar mixture is warm without being hot like wax, so there is no risk of burning or abrasion, and it does not feel sticky or uncomfortable. As she applies it, the sugar wraps around the hair follicle and she then gently pulls it away.
It is definitely a more gentle process than the ripping feeling you get in waxing. The sugar mix is applied against the direction of hair, so when it is pulled away, the pull is in the hairs' direction compared with waxing which rips hair out in the opposite direction.
This method also means that sugaring reduces the risk of ingrowing hairs, because sugaring does not tear the follicle.
The sugaring process is also like a gentle exfoliation so afterwards, Marcela is able to remove any existing ingrowing hairs easily and painlessly. Marcela recommends that you exfoliate at home a week after treatment and also regularly moisturise. As I have been shaving I do feel it more but it is much less painful than waxing and Marcela assures that after several treatments it gets much less painful. She even has clients that fall asleep during a Brazilian!
After the treatment is finished Marcela wipes the legs clean joking otherwise I might be attracting the local ants when I return to work.
Sugaring is a less painful way of removing hair than waxing
The result
My legs feel smooth and exfoliated afterwards with no redness or irritation at all. It has been a relatively pain free and relaxing treatment. I book in for six weeks time to give some of my shorter hairs time to grow and am also tempted by the Brazilian. As Marcela says, once you try sugaring you get hooked because in my opinion both the process and result are superior to waxing and the prices are very affordable.
Marcela says this is why people love it for Brazilians, telling me once people have tried sugaring for a Brazilian, they are hooked.
"They like the fact that the area is so smooth with no irritation at all, so it is very sanitary, and gets a great result."
You can have sugaring on any part of the body. Many clients like having underarms sugared as it is a sensitive area and sugaring leaves no irritation compared to waxing underarms. The eyebrows and face area are also very popular with clients. Marcela is known as an eyebrow expert — known for her great shaping. Eyebrow and eyelash tinting are also available.
The verdict I would definitely recommend giving sugaring a go. I have been raving about it to my girlfriends ever since and looking forward to my next treatment. Looking forward to hair removal, this is a new experience! — Annemarie had sugaring treatment at The Sugaring Room, Tauranga. www.thesugaringroom.co. Text or call 021-08422700.
