Does Sugaring Hurt? Things You Need to Know Before Starting! 

Sugaring hair removal is a technique for removing unwanted hair from the face and body. It removes hair from the roots. Regrowth from the roots can take more than 2 weeks depending upon your hair growth cycle. Thus, hairless smooth skin lasts for a month. Sounds good, right? 

But since sugaring pulls hair from the depth of your skin, it raises the concern of causing pain. 

Does sugaring hurt? It is more difficult than waxing? This article will enlighten you about the possible pain intensity caused by sugaring and some real-life experiences of people. 

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: What is Sugaring Hair Removal?
• Part 2: How Bad Does Sugaring Hurt?
• Part 3: Does Sugaring Hurt More than Waxing?
• Part 4: Less Painful Alternative: Ulike IPL Hair Removal

Part 1: What is Sugaring Hair Removal?

Sugaring hair removal is almost similar to waxing. In the process, a thick sticky mixture is applied to the hair. As you pull the mixture off the hair, it also gets removed along with the sugaring paste. Let’s comprehend the process further:

The sugaring paste is composed of sugar, lemon, and water. Mixing and heating all these ingredients, you will get an adhesive mixture that can stick to the hair effectively. The heating temperature can be set between 230-260 degrees depending upon the consistency of the paste you want. Once cooled down, you can apply it to unwanted hair on your body.

It is applied against the direction of hair growth and then removed in the same direction as the body hair grows. The paste sticks with the hair only and does not interact much with your skin making the hair removal process easier.

Benefits of Sugaring 

When waxes are easily available and do the perfect hair removal, why is sugaring preferred? Because it has the following benefits:

• The sugar mixture sticks more effectively with the hair. This ensures that all the hair is removed from the roots thus minimizing the risk of ingrown hair
• The paste is composed of gentle ingredients that reduce the chances of redness, irritation, and inflammation on the skin as hair is pulled off from the roots
• The ingredients are easily available at home so you can prepare the mixture any time
• It is more affordable as compared to the expensive waxes we usually buy from the market
• Sugaring can remove hair as short as one-sixth of an inch so you will not have to wait for long for your hair to grow completely before hair removal 

Part 2: How Bad Does Sugaring Hurt?

Sugaring is similar to waxing therefore most women are commonly concerned about the pain caused by the sugary paste. Since all the ingredients in the paste are light and easily removable, the pain caused by sugaring is very mild. Therefore, you can use the mixture even on sensitive areas. 

However, due to the difference in pain threshold from individual to individual, the experience can be slightly different for you. Here are some factors that determine the intensity of pain felt during sugaring hair removal:

• Your Skin Type: Usually people who have sensitive skin types experience more pain as compared to those with normal skin type

• The Area: The area of hair removal also determines the intensity of pain felt during the process. For instance, the upper lip, bikini line, and underarms are sensitive areas of skin. Removing the sugar paste in these areas can be more painful

• Hair on the Skin: The density of hair on your skin is directly proportional to the pain felt during hair removal. More are the hair on the skin, more will be the more pain 

• Length of Hair: It is commonly advised to trim the hair to ¼ of an inch to make hair removal easy and comfortable. Hair longer than this can be more painful to remove

• Fluctuation in Hormones: Hormonal fluctuations can also have a significant effect on pain. For instance, during the menstrual cycle, your skin is more sensitive and already irritated. Removing hair during this time can bring discomfort

Part 3: Does Sugaring Hurt More than Waxing?

Which one of these do you think will hurt less? Wax sticks to the skin while sugaring paste only sticks with the hair present on the skin. So, when the wax is pulled off, skin also gets pulled off causing pain, irritation, and occasionally redness on the waxed area. On the other hand, sugaring does not pull off the skin and only focuses the hair to be removed. 

This makes the latter less painful. Additionally, in sugaring it is removed in the same direction as hair growth. This makes the process easier and more comfortable.

Also read: Does Sugaring Hurt More Than Waxing? 

What Do Others Have to Say About This? 

Emily Rekstis writes her opinion in the SELF beauty blog that she has tried both sugaring and traditional waxing. The sugaring hair removal was done on her bikini area while she chose traditional waxing for Brazilian. After experiencing both, she preferred sugaring. In the blog, she mentions that the result of sugaring was less painful for her and the results were more cleaner and effective. On the other hand, traditional waxing gave her a regretful experience. 

A few people across the world have a slightly different opinion than this. Reddit users wrote that sugaring is certainly not less painful as compared to waxing. Your first experience with sugaring will be very painful. With time, you will get used to it. What makes it better is that you get a smoother finish and the mixture of lemon and sugar is nourishing for the skin. 

Part 4: Less Painful Alternative: Ulike IPL Hair Removal 

The level of pain caused by sugaring can vary from individual to individual. If you do not entertain the idea of going through pain for the sake of hair removal, try IPL hair removal instead. It is easier, less painful, and more affordable in the long run. 

The availability of at-home IPL devices makes hair removal even more convenient. But, before buying a hair removal device, one must ensure that it is FDA-cleared, is comfortable,  and can be used on the whole body. One such device is the Ulike Sapphire Air 3 IPL device. 

This compact handset has 3 intensity levels to treat all the areas of the body. Its advanced sapphire ice-cooling technology soothes the pain. Additionally, the device has 1 million flashes so you can use it over 20 years easily. 

Know More: How to Use Ulike Sapphire Air 3 

Conclusion 

Sugaring is a method of choice for hair removal by many women worldwide. It is gentle, less painful, and more effective than waxing as it can very small hair from the body. The level of pain felt during hair removal can vary from person to person depending upon the skin type, hair density, the length of hair, and even the hormonal fluctuations. 

Although most people have started replacing waxing with sugaring, your case can be an exception. If it is, go for IPL hair removal. This light-based method provides long-lasting and almost painless treatment thus making hair removal a breeze for everyone.