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Shaving vs waxing: Which is better for your skin?
ETimes | August 18, 2025 8:39 PM CST

Every woman, once in her lifetime, has experienced the pain of waxing or the wrath of ingrown hairs after shaving her hands, legs, and underarms to gain a smooth and hairless finish. But the question each time after the process is, which is the best option? Many ask this question when looking for the best method to remove body hair. From the effect on the skin, wallet, and schedule, let’s see which of the two is a better choice for your skin.

But let’s start with understanding the difference between shaving and waxing. Shaving involves trimming the hair right from the skin level, so the root remains intact, and the hair just grows a little bit for it to break through the skin again, which takes around a few days or a week. On the other hand, waxing pulls your hair out from the root, taking longer to regrow. With waxing, you likely won’t see any growth for at least a week and even longer, depending on the growth of your hair cells.

So, let’s get down to the root of the issue and see which is better for your skin in the long term.

What are the benefits of shaving ?

Shaving is relatively convenient, as all you need is a sharp razor, shaving cream, shaving cleanser, and water. It is accessible, as you can get a good-quality razor under Rs 500, which can be used at least 5 times before replacement. In some settings, you can simply replace the blades and use your old ones like a brand new set.


Downsides of shaving

While shaving helps you achieve a sleek and smooth look instantly, it leads to skin irritation and an ingrown hair issue, which can be a nuisance for sensitive skin. It is also a time-consuming process and depends on your desired look, which can be a hassle. However, it is only a temporary solution, as the hair eventually grows back in a week with the same thickness, which is a hassle for you. So, to have a clean look with shaving at all times, you need to keep up with a weekly routine.


What are the benefits of waxing ?

When you wax consistently, your hair will likely grow back finer and sparser over time, making the hair removal sessions more swift and easy. Waxing can be less aggravating for your skin than shaving, as razor burns lead to ingrown hair. This process is always done by a professional, ensuring that the possible results can be gained with minimal effort. Plus, these professionals are also able to reach areas of your body where you cannot physically act on.


Waxing itself is an exfoliation process that removes dead skin cells, tanning, and clogged pores and helps you reveal brighter and glowing skin. While waxing can be more expensive than shaving, it is considerably cheaper than laser hair removal, where the regrowth process is also much slower than shaving. The hair removal lasts anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks, making the amount charged worth it. It depends on which type of wax you’re choosing, which mainly starts from Rs 600 and can go to around Rs 1200 or more.


Downsides of waxing

Like shaving, your skin can become inflamed, causing redness for some time, which can be dealt with by waxing aftercare. This includes the application of aloe vera gel or oil, which makes the redness fade away in an hour. Also, the process can take some time, as a full body waxing session can easily take up to 1.5 hours or sometimes 2 hours before you can see the full results.


Final verdict!

Waxing or shaving - which is better for my skin? This answer depends on the person’s unique skin type, but generally, people suggest waxing services in order to ditch ingrown hair, cuts and scrapes, and the rigorous process every week. The biggest benefits waxing can give you are the removal of tan, exfoliation, and unclogging the pores, which come with the process. It also boosts skin cell regrowth and leads to overall collagen production.

Thus, to get away from every week’s hair removal process of shaving, waxing makes your skin feel smoother, hydrated, radiant, and healthier.


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