I Had My Pubes 'Sugared' Off To See If It Actually Hurts Much less Than Waxing

Some people will tell you sugaring is completely painless. Those people are lying. 

A few months ago, I asked 52 women to draw what their pubes look like.

No, not for my private perusing, sicko. It was for a Mamamia story aimed at normalizing all kinds of pubic hair, from all there to all gone. The results were fascinating, but one submission was particularly curious.

You see, one woman said she gets her pubes ‘sugared’.

“I get sugaring. I hadn’t heard of it before moving interstate, but I would never go back to waxing. It’s far less painful and I don’t get ingrowns – it is slightly more expensive, but this pubic hair removal is actually a relaxing experience and a good option for me as I am too fair for laser,” said woman wrote.

Naturally, I needed to know more and try it for myself.

So off I went to my nearest experienced sugaring aesthetician for a full Brazilian sugaring treatment to report back to you good folks. My pubes and I had no idea what to expect.

What is sugaring?

Sugaring is an ancient Middle Eastern form of hair removal Cleopatra herself is said to have used to tend to her bush.

It uses a natural, sticky concoction of sugar (yep, actual sugar), lemon juice and water to remove hairs from the root, and some claim it to be a completely painless alternative to waxing.

Sugaring is natural, organic, sustainable and hypoallergenic, and can be done anywhere you can get waxed – eyebrows, upper lip, face, armpits, legs, bikini line or, as I experienced, all over.

How does sugaring work?

An aesthetician will chuck a glove on and scoop out a big glob of the sugar mixture, working it into a ball between their fingers.

Then, they’ll spread the sugar ball over your bits in the opposite direction to your hair growth before letting it set slightly and pulling it up and off in the same direction your hairs grow.

If I had to compare it to something, I’d say it’s like slime or a very stretchy piece of chewed up bubble gum.

How is sugaring different to waxing?

Sugaring is pretty similar to waxing in that something warm and sticky is applied to your skin and hairs come out when it’s pulled off. The sugar wax also feels exactly like regular hot wax on your skin.

The way sugaring removes hair is different because, instead of ripping hairs out in the opposite direction like waxing does, the sugar ball pulls them out with quick, fast movements in the same direction they grow. It also pulls hair out from the root without taking skin cells off with it, making it gentler than waxing.

Another key difference is the way sugaring exfoliates the skin as well as removing hair. This = a smoother finish and less chances of getting pesky ingrown hairs in the days and weeks afterwards. And as a bonus, any leftover bits of the sugar wax can be washed off with water, so no sticking to your undies like with waxing.

Does sugaring hurt?

Some people claim sugaring is painless. I’m sure those people haven’t had their pubes sugared off.

I still felt a pinch in some areas (right on top of the pubic mound wasn’t particularly enjoyable), but I will say it’s less painful than a traditional Brazilian wax because, as mentioned above, it feels more like a pulling and pinching sensation as opposed to ripping.

If you’ve never had sugaring done before, they’ll likely spread the sugar wax all over the area and then go in with the ball. I was told it would hurt like a motherf*cker otherwise.

How much does sugaring cost?

Not all places do sugaring, but you can expect to pay a bit more compared to waxing. If you’re used to pay $60 for a XXX wax, sugaring will seem quite expensive.

For example, I paid $85 for the Brazilian sugaring treatment and the same salon charged $71 for a Brazilian wax.

My sugaring experience.

This article was republished with full permission from mamamia.com.au. You can read the original version, here.

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