A Guide To Trimming Your Chest Hair Before Waxing It

When done correctly, waxing chest hair can produce a dazzlingly smooth result. But when done incorrectly it can lead to a painful, regretful mess. A question often asked is this. Should you trim your chest hair before waxing it?

In general, yes. But it depends on the length at which it currently stands. A ¼ inch is an ideal length when it comes to waxing chest hair.

That’s the gist of it. If you go to a professional to get your chest waxing done, you won’t have to worry about this. If you have any doubts, it’s usually best to go to a professional.

They’ll almost always offer to trim it down for you. After all, it makes their job infinitely easier. 

3 Reasons To Trim Your Chest Hair Before Waxing It

These may not be the only reasons, but in my opinion, they’re the most important ones.

1. It gives it an even, predictable length

The problem with having chest hair strands of different lengths is that the removal won’t be as effective. 

The wax strips will grip onto some hairs and not others, and ultimately this leads to the hairs being pulled less effectively. 

2. It makes the chest hair short enough

When you try to wax long chest hair, it usually won’t be the clean, swift removal you were hoping for. It will most likely just be a breakage above or below the skin surface. 

Long hair is also troublesome because it buries surrounding hairs. The wax simply can’t get hold of this buried hair at all, so they’ll remain just as they were. 

As I said before, a ¼ inch is usually a good length to work with. Most clippers and trimmers have attachment guards that’ll allow you to achieve this.

3. It prevents you from going too short

The beauty of using a clipper or trimmer is that you have complete control, as I mentioned before. You set it to a specific length and you’re done. 

By doing this, you ensure that you aren’t going too short. Going shorter than ¼ inch is usually not a good idea. You risk going so short that the wax strip just can’t get a good grip on it. 

There needs to be something for the wax strip to work with. 

The Difference Between Trimming vs Waxing Chest Hair

The main difference is that with trimming, you’re simply cutting the chest hair at a level above the surface of the skin. It doesn’t remove it at the root-level. 

It’s similar to a lawnmower cutting grass. The blade is cutting the grass above the level of the soil, but not actually removing the root of the grass itself. 

In contrast, waxing actually removes the chest hair from the root itself. This generally leads to a neater result.

Does Waxing Chest Hair Hurt?

Because you’re removing the hair at a deeper level, waxing is generally more uncomfortable than trimming. 

Some might say it was painful. But ensuring that you’re trimmed properly beforehand and moisturized well before your waxing session should reduce the discomfort you experience.  

If you go to a professional, they’ll most likely have their own methods for minimizing discomfort.

Ultimately, if you get it done by a professional, it’ll usually be a more comfortable experience. They’ll know all the tricks and their technique will be a lot better. 

The technique is important when it comes to waxing, both in terms of your comfort as well as the end result.

Conclusion

To summarize, yes, trimming chest hair is usually essential in order to wax it properly. Not too short, not too long – just right. 

Fortunately, trimmers and clippers allow for precision and accuracy. You want an even cut to allow the wax strips to get hold of it properly. 

Doing this will also allow you to see what your chest looks like after it’s been trimmed. You may well decide this is the look you want to go with and cancel that waxing session after all.