Yes, I put it to the test. I scheduled an appointment for a full-body wax (excluding bikini, of course) on my period, and subjected myself to an hour-long session of yanking, pulling, and grimacing. Voluntarily. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but I’m a little experimental that way. Evidently. But was it any different than a normal full-body wax? Yup. Bear in mind that I have quite a tolerance for pain. And I still hated every second of my period waxing experience.
What Was Waxing During My Period Like?
Look, I was riddled with pain. Because of my cramps. And the idea of wax-laden strips sloughing off the hair on my legs, hands, and underarms didn’t appeal to me either. But my birthday was around the corner, and even though I didn’t plan on going all-out this time, I wanted to prep anyway. I’d decided to cement my 22nd birthday as the epitome of self-care, and this was just one of many rituals I needed to adhere to for everything else to fall into place on D-day.
And, yeah, I dodged the idea of shaving (after months of struggling with ingrowth and inflammation) despite my hot-pink razor lounging right against the windowsill in the shower. I wasn’t about to cave. Naturally, I texted my go-to parlour-didi frantically, and she showed up soon enough armed with a handbag brimming with dreadful strips, sticky wax, and Aloe Vera. The rest is history.
It’s a fact that our skin is a little more sensitive during our periods. And, hence, more susceptible to pain. But it’s a fact I wasn’t quite acquainted with until recently — a fact that I had to verify, personally, to settle the debate on the internet. And the verdict? It’s true. It’s exceedingly uncomfortable — waxing during your periods.
I then connected with Dr Sravya Tipirneni, MD DVL AMPH, to understand the science behind this period waxing, and she broke it down for me wonderfully. Here’s what she said.
Why Getting Waxed On Your Periods Is A Bad Idea
Your Hormones Fluctuate
“It’s a personal choice to get waxed or threaded during your period. It’s simple- before and during your cycle, your hormones—testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone—fluctuate sporadically. This affects your threshold for pain. And renders your skin sensitive. That’s why you’re advised to wait for a bit before undergoing any painful procedure,” Dr Sravya quips.
Drop In Sebum Production
Your hormones are at an all-time low during your period. This leads to a drop in the production of sebum (oil) in your body, and renders your skin ineffective at retaining moisture. This intensifies the dullness of your skin. Another fact? Since the production of prostaglandin — another hormonelike substance responsible for painful cramps — increases in the body, it results in increased reactivity in the skin as well.
Cramps + Waxing = Torture
Coupled with cramps, waxing is just unpleasant. And it’s not just that. Since your skin is tender at this point in time, waxing can trigger bruising on the surface, and result in unwarranted infections, boils, and folliculitis (thankfully I didn’t contract any of those). This can be also attributed to the fact that your immunity is relatively weakened during your period. I don’t know how we pull it off, ladies, but we do.
To reiterate — waxing and threading aren’t forbidden during your period. But check in with yourself before diving right in. Remember that you can always wait for a few days instead of rushing in. Yup — lesson learned. It’s always better to wax before or after your period.
One thing to note is that removing body hair also comes down to a personal choice. You can go in for waxing, laser or shaving if it makes you feel confident and you can own your body hair in all its natural glory if that’s what you prefer!
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