Sugaring at home and with a beautician: what you need to know

Sugaring is a procedure for getting rid of excess vegetation using sugar caramel. This method of bioepilation was used in ancient Egypt: in those days, extra hair on a woman's body was considered something indecent. Currently, sugar depilation as a cosmetic procedure was first used about 40 years ago in the UK, and then began to rapidly gain popularity in the US and around the world.

Sugar hair removal: the essence of the procedure

The main tool is sticky sugar paste, which is applied to the skin in a thin layer. The main ingredients of the composition are sugar, water and citric acid. The consistency of the paste is somewhat reminiscent of plasticine. For shugaring, good adhesion of the paste to the skin is important: then the hairs will stick, and they can be easily pulled out.

According to the principle of action, salon or home shugaring is somewhat reminiscent of wax depilation, which not only eliminates excess vegetation, but also serves as a kind of mechanical peeling, cleansing the skin surface from dead epidermal cells. This is an added bonus of this method. 

But unlike waxing, with shugaring, the paste is applied against hair growth, and removed along with growth. It's less painful and much more effective.

Sugar depilation: pros and cons

Sugaring has quickly become popular due to the following benefits:

• Safety and naturalness. After hair removal in this way, allergic reactions do not occur, with a few exceptions. Sticky paste has body temperature (or 1-2 degrees higher), so there is no risk of getting burned.
• Few contraindications. These are allergies, tumors, thrombosis of veins in the legs, diabetes mellitus, rosacea. Also, do not choose this method during pregnancy and during menstruation. Sugaring should not be done in places where there are moles.
• Efficiency. Mechanical removal of hairs injures the follicle, as a result they become thinner, softer, lose pigment. The effect persists for 3 weeks.
• Versatility. This type of depilation is suitable for various parts of the body. The tool can be used even for sensitive skin.
• Small cost. The price directly depends on the localization of the site, the total area. It is clear that shugaring the whole body will cost more than depilation, say, of the area above the upper lip. But the cost is always lower compared to laser or photoepilation.

An additional plus for many is the absence of ingrown hairs or their minimum amount (when compared with waxing).

But there is also a minus – the first time the procedure is quite painful. But it all depends on the individual pain threshold. But with each subsequent time, depilation will be faster and with minimal pain, as the hair will become thin and easier to remove. 

Sugaring at home

The procedure can be carried out at home. Sugaring paste is sold freely. You can even cook it yourself, but you should not do it for the future, in reserve, as the composition will lose its properties.

Recipe and preparation

Basic Recipe:

• Sugar – 10 tbsp. l. without a slide.
• Filtered water – 4 tbsp. l.
• Citric acid – 0.5 tsp.
• Lemon juice – from half of the fruit.

All ingredients must be mixed in one container and put on the stove. Cook the composition under a closed lid, stirring constantly until a caramel shade appears. It will take about 7 minutes to cook. The main thing is not to digest and not to allow the sugar to burn. When the caramel has cooled to a comfortable temperature, you need to check the suitability of the paste: if it easily rolls into a ball, everything is fine. If it sticks to your hands, then you need to cook it a little more.

Features of the procedure and its sequence

If everything is clear with sugar paste, then in order to apply it correctly, everything is not so simple – you need to have experience.

Sugaring of legs, arms and other parts of the body can be done if the hairs are at least 4–5 mm long. You don't need to measure the length with a ruler, just hold your palm against the growth of the hair: if they return back to their original position, then everything should work out. It is better to do the procedure during the day, since at this time the pain threshold is higher. Before depilation, it would be nice to take a shower or bath: hot water expands the pores and reduces discomfort during the procedure.

A good paste is similar to plasticine, has a light shade and sticks to the skin. 

Sugaring at home is carried out in this way:

1. Dip your hands in the water and lightly blot them with a towel: the skin should be slightly damp.
2. Take the pasta in your hands and knead it well so that it becomes pliable. Roll it into a ball.
3. Degrease the skin in the treated area with baby powder, for example, or talc.
4. Then the paste is evenly applied to the desired area against hair growth.
5. Wait a few seconds for the mixture to solidify.
6. With a sharp movement, the composition is removed in the direction of hair growth.
7. Wash off the remaining paste with warm water. In this, shugaring compares favorably with wax, which cannot be removed with water: an oil agent is needed.
8. A special gel or lotion with a calming effect is applied to the treated area. 

Sugar depilation at home is attractive in that it is inexpensive and quite easy to perform. The main thing is to get the hang of it and correctly calculate the temperature so as not to burn the skin.

Depilation with sugar paste in the salon

When visiting a beautician, everything is much easier. The specialist will individually select the means that are best used before and after the procedure. 

In the salon, they use high-quality professional mixtures from well-known manufacturers of varying degrees of softness, selecting them depending on what needs to be done – shugaring in the nose or deep depilation. The toughest is used for the bikini area and armpits, as there are the thickest hairs. The middle one is often used for the legs, with the help of the soft one they do the shugaring of the face or hands. 

To minimize discomfort, you can ask the beautician to apply an anesthetic cream to the treatment area.

Basic Rules

The hair to be removed should not be too long, otherwise the procedure will be delayed, especially if it is deep sugaring. Long hair is best cut to the recommended length. At the first visit, it is 6–8 mm; at the second visit, the hair may be shorter, but not less than 4 mm. 

Before the procedure, it is advisable to take a shower with soap or gel, but do not use washcloths or brushes so as not to provoke microdamages or reddening of the skin. Do not use deodorant, creams, lotions in the intended depilation area. These products worsen the final result, as they create a film on the skin.  

After shugaring, it is recommended to follow simple rules that will help reduce discomfort and irritation:

• During the day you can not visit the sauna, swimming pool, beach.
• Also, do not sunbathe and go for a massage.
• After two days, it is advisable to start using a skin scrub. This helps to reduce the number of ingrown hairs.
• When depilating the armpits, the first day is not allowed to use deodorant.
• If this is female shugaring, it is better not to wear tight and tight underwear. 

Depilation is always stressful for the skin. Therefore, following these recommendations is mandatory.

Sugaring for men

It always seems that only women are concerned about the problem of unwanted body hair. But it's not. Many men also want to have a smooth body without excess hair. But the stronger sex has its own characteristics: they have denser and rougher skin, thicker hairline, the hairs themselves are thicker and tougher, and the bulbs are located deeper. Therefore, the duration of sugar depilation will be longer. The same applies to the consumption of pasta.

Men also often have a lower pain threshold, so they can hardly tolerate pain. Against the background of increased testosterone levels, hair grows faster, so you will have to visit the salon regularly. 

There are more areas for removing hair on a man's body. It:

• arms;
• legs;
• shoulders;
• breast;
• life;
• armpits
• neck;
• face;
• back;
• ears;
• buttocks;
• bikini.

Male shugaring in the bikini area is a procedure that is difficult not only in terms of implementation, but also from a psychological point of view. Therefore, it is important to get to a specialist who is a true professional in his field and knows how to create a relaxing atmosphere. 

In any case, both women and men need to pay special attention to choosing a salon in order to be satisfied with the result.