Here's How to Wax Your Chin Hair at Home

Find the Right Waxing Kit

Flamingo Face Wax Kit $10.00

Shop

As you can probably guess, finding the right at-home waxing kit can make all the difference. "Look for a kit that includes everything you will need, such as a wax warmer, application sticks, as well as pre and post-care solutions," says Tobia. "Some kits will have a specific wax for your face or body, so make sure to check the package when you purchase or order your kit."

You'll also want to consider the type of wax included, whether that's hard wax or soft wax. "I personally believe that if you are not a fully trained esthetician you should use a hard wax kit to perform waxing on your face," Shays says.

Try using Flamingo's Face Wax Kit. If you're looking to create your own kit, make sure to use a kit for reference so you get all the supplies you need. "This is not an area where you can cut corners! And regardless of whether you choose a kit or buy your supplies a la carte, you’ll need a surface wax remover to clean up any spills or drips on your floor, vanity, etc.," Tobia adds.

Grow It Out

In order for the wax to grab on to the hairs, your chin hair needs to be at least a quarter of an inch long. "A good rule of thumb if you want to eyeball it, is that the chin hair should be as long as an eyelash to make the waxing most effective," Tobia explains. Now, this is pretty long for a strand of hair on your face, so if you'd rather not wait for it to grow out, you can always pluck it with a pair of tweezers. But if it's long enough, then you can wax everything pretty quickly. "Any shorter will make it difficult for the wax to grab your hair from the root," says Ismiel.

That said, the proper length of your chin hair isn't a hard and fast rule. "This is a tough one because chin hair varies based on the person. For instance, if you have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) or other hormonal issues, your chin hair can be very coarse. If this is the case you will need a good half of an inch. For finer hairs a quarter inch is fine," Shays adds.

Prep Your Skin

Make sure to pull your hair back from your face so it doesn't get in the way of the wax—or worse, get caught in your wax—Tobia warns. Wash your hands and cleanse your skin with a pre-wax cleanser, like Clean + Easy's Pre Wax Cleanser ($12), to make sure all of your makeup and natural oils are cleared before starting. Pat it dry before applying the wax.

In addition to cleansing the skin, exfoliating is also a good idea. "Exfoliate the area the day before you wax, which helps to rustle up any hair that might be stuck behind dead dry skin," Tobia says. She recommends Glo’s Refresh Facial Polish ($32) as a pre-wax exfoliant.

Keep in mind that there are certain pre-wax products you'll want to avoid. "Do not use an astringent and do not wax your chin if you are using acne medications or Accutane," warns Shays.

Make sure you're standing or sitting in front of a large mirror (not hand-held) so you can see clearly. Then test the temperature of the melted wax on your wrist before applying it to your face. It should be warm, not hot, and have the consistency of peanut butter. If it's too thick, let it get warmer and if it's too thin, let it cool down.

Apply the Wax

Finding the right waxing kit is only half the battle—you'll need to master how to properly use the kit, too. "Stand directly in front of a mirror in a well-lit room so that you can see where you are applying the wax on your face," says Tobia. "It’s also very important to test the temperature of the wax before you put it on your face—if it’s too hot, it can really burn you, and if it’s too cold, it won’t stick to your skin. So think of it like Goldilocks—not too hot and not too cold."

Apply the melted wax evenly in the direction of hair growth in small sections using a wooden applicator. "Work from the chin toward the underside of the neck in the direction of the hair growth," Tobia explains. "The wax should have the consistency of honey regardless of whether it’s hard or soft wax," Tobia says. Since your chin is curved, wax the underneath and top of the chin in different sections to remove the most hair. 

Once the wax is applied, cover it with a muslin strip. Apply the strip in the direction of hair growth, leaving a bit of leftover strip at the end like a tab. Firmly smooth the strip over the wax in the direction of the hair growth a few times. Wait until the wax has cooled.

Remove the Hair

Grab onto the end of the strip. "Stretch the skin a bit and with a quick movement to flick your wrist, remove the muslin in the opposite direction," Tobia says. Don't pull up, which might be your natural inclination. Once the strip is removed, press your hand down on your skin to help relieve some of the pain. If a little bit of wax with hair remains, simply place the strip back on the hair and pull it off again.

Repeat these steps in sections until you have removed all of the unwanted hair. But don't apply wax over the same area twice or you may burn or severely irritate your skin.

Fine-Tune Where Necessary

Tweezerman Slant Tweezer $23.00

Shop

"If you don’t have tweezers already, you should pick up a pair so that you can pluck any pesky rogue hairs that evade the wax," Tobia says. She recommends Tweezerman's Slant Tweezer.

While tweezing a few stray hairs is totally okay, you should avoid using other hair removal methods in-between waxing sessions, especially shaving. "One of the benefits of waxing is that your hair will grow back less and more thinly over time if you wax regularly. When you shave in-between waxing sessions, you will be losing any progress you made towards conditioning your hair re-growth," Ismiel explains.

Then clear away any remaining wax with wax remover (we recommend GiGi's Wax Off, $8) or baby oil. Finish up by soothing your skin and getting rid of redness with an aloe gel.