What Is the Difference Between Hot & Strip Wax?

If you've found this post, you may be new to the world of waxing but don't worry, we've got you! Why do you need to know the difference between waxes, surely a wax is just a wax, right? Wrong! It is so important that you know your waxing therapist is using the best product for the area of the body that you want hair removing from - trust us, you'll thank us later. 

Strip Wax

Also referred to as 'warm wax' or 'soft wax', this is the sticky stuff that is removed with paper strips. This is the type of wax that you can often buy for home waxing from Boots or Amazon. 

Where should it be used: Legs, Arms, Back, Toes, Shoulders & Chest

The Good

There is a time and a place for strip wax - think large expanses of fine hair: arms, legs, back, chest - you get the picture. Strip wax is great because you can cover huge areas relatively quickly and the results are instant. Our strip wax gets fantastic results from hairs as short as 2mm which means long lasting results!

The Bad

The issue with this type of wax is that it always removes the top layer of skin (the Epidermis) which means that if you use it on sensitive areas with thinner skin (like the face or intimate area) you risk skin lifting, scarring and bruising. Strip wax also operates at a higher temperature so the risk of burning is also much greater. 

Hot Wax

Sometimes called 'Hard Wax' or 'strip-less wax', this type of wax usually comes in the form of a block or pellets that need to be heating in a special wax pot. Fun fact: LYCON Hot waxes come in kilo blocks as they are still hand poured at our factory in Australia. Although a lot of people think of Hot Wax as the new thing it's actually a pretty old-school method of hair removal - we've just improved it, A LOT. The way that it works is that as the patch cools down, the wax shrink-wraps around each individual hair, allowing you to get a really strong grip and remove from the root each time. We always apply a pre-waxing oil before the wax to ensure that your skin is protected. 

What it is best for: Facial waxing, Underarms, Bikini Line/Intimate Area

The Good

Hot wax feels way nicer - in fact, with Lycon Hot Wax we have managed to achieve a virtually pain-free wax! And because we always apply barrier oil, it's also a lot less traumatic to your skin, meaning less redness and irritation after your treatment. As we remove the hair from the root each time, it also means you will stay hair free for longer! 

The Bad

We are huge Hot Wax advocates but we will hold up our hands and say it - strip wax takes way less time, especially for larger areas.