In my experience, there is no singular demographic that can be pin pointed as “the kind of people who wax their body hair”. It is still generally more common for women to depilate than it is for men, however that is changing very rapidly.

According to a 2016 Mintel survey, 77% of UK women aged 16 to 24 remove their underarm hair and 85% shave their legs. Hair removal is a serious business, but also one that is currently inviting some discussion. The hashtags #bodyhair #bodyhairdontcare and the like are popular trends on social media, with pictures of women proudly displaying their glittery armpit fuzz or rainbow coloured arm hair. Even big brands such as Adidas are in on the action, with model Arvida Bystrom’s un-depliated legs gracing their 2017 ad campaign.

For those of us who choose to remove our fuzziness, waxing still remains the most popular choice. No method of hair removal is without it’s downfall, but the short term pain for long term gain of waxing has it’s devotees coming back month after month for that silky smooth result that can, eventually, leave the hair reluctant to grow back at all. Kate Winslet famously had to wear a merkin for her role in ‘The Reader’ in 2008. As she stated “it doesn’t come back quite the way it used to!” Affordable and convenient, it appeals to all age groups, and many are surprised that their pre conceived idea of how much it will hurt is, in fact, completely exaggerated!

The best results come to clients who visit on a regular basis, and who DO NOT shave in between! Many a waxing specialist has rolled their eyes at a client’s insistence that they haven’t been near a razor, but to the trained eye it is incredibly easy to spot! Hair grows in cycles, and shaving in between may mean some of the follicles are too short for the wax to grasp at the next treatment

Lagging behind the women, but catching up fast is the 46% of British men who regularly remove hair from their bodies. In addition, 57% of young males have removed hair from their intimate regions, to give that silky smoothness that has long been expected from us ladies. The trend has grown steadily in recent times, from the humble back wax before a sunny holiday, to the regular full body waxes I see in my salon on a regular basis. My demographic is very mixed indeed, from youngsters wanting that “Love Island” look right through to gentlemen in their 60s who simply prefer the cool, clean feeling of being unencumbered by body hair – it is also worth mentioning that many of their partners prefer it too!

It would be misleading of me to make out that all of my male clients come in for such grandiose manscaping! Many are the chaps who visit for a little smoothing across the shoulders, teamed with a quick nose and ear wax. All are surprised at how pain free these treatments are, and all are converts once they’ve been brave enough to try it once! The plethora of YouTube videos showing these procedures do the industry, and the clients, a grave disservice with their deliberate poor techniques and over-acting.

So what are you waiting for?! Waxing is for you, and everyone you know who’s preference is to be hair free!