How To Wax Belly Hair

Some people love their belly hair—but some don't, and find it embarrassing. If you do find it's cropping up at the wrong times, you should know that you can safely wax it away and you'll have a fuzz-free stomach for weeks. It's always best to seek out a professional, but if you're on a budget and willing to give it a try, it's not unheard of to do it at home.  

What You Need

• Wax kit
• Pre-wax cleanser
• Powder designed for waxing or corn starch
• Muslin or pellon strips
• Applicators
• Wax remover for the skin
• After wax lotion or an aloe-based gel

Waxing kits can be purchased a local beauty supply or online. Another way you could go about it is through pre-made wax strips (like these ones from Flamingo, $10), which are much less messy. However, they're also marginally less effective. You should ​have enough hair (about 1/4"), but not too much. If your hair is longer, it should be trimmed down to that length. Electric clippers are the best way to trim because they keep hair even. While scissors are always an option, it is somewhat more likely that you will make some hair too short. If the hair is too short, the wax won't be able to grasp it, and you'll have to wait for your hair to grow out.

How to Apply

Use a pre-wax cleanser, and apply a light dusting of powder. Don’t over do it on the powder, because more isn’t better. Most kits will come with a cleanser and powder. If not, any mild cleanser is fine. Preparing is just as important as doing the task, because you can get some really undesirable results. Make sure everything you wax with is clean and sanitary—including your hands. Get gloves, because wearing them makes the whole process less messy and more sanitary. Don't touch the area unnecessarily after waxing it either, because you don't want to spread bacteria around. It can lead to acne.

If you feel you need to, use a numbing product prior to waxing your belly hair. It will help alleviate some of the pain that you may experience. Remember, the more often you wax, the easier and less painful it becomes. Test the heat of the wax on the inside of your wrist. Wax that is too hot will burn, and wax that is not warm enough won't spread easily. Evenly apply wax in the direction of hair growth using an applicator (wooden stick). Don't lay it on too thick—a thin layer is perfect. Then, apply a pellon or muslin strip over the wax to remove the hair. Leave a small part of the strip on both sides up and away from any wax, so you can use it as a tab or handle. Press and firmly smooth your hand over the strip in the direction of hair growth a couple times, to ensure that the wax is attaching to hair. If you're using a pre-made wax strip, apply the strip in the same way: the direction of hair growth.

Then hold onto the end of the strip that isn't attached to the hair, pull skin taut with one hand, and remove the strip in opposite direction of hair growth with the other hand. It should only be one quick pull, but do not pull up. Pulling up can cause bruising and tearing of the skin, and you obviously don't want that, so pull at a 45-degree angle. If a little bit of wax with hair remains, simply put the strip back on the hair, and pull off. Work your way through the pain, repeating these steps across the stomach zone.

Once You're Done

Use clean tweezers to remove any stragglers. Reapplying hot wax over skin that has just been waxed can lead to a host of nasty problems from skin irritation to burns. Try not to go over a spot you already waxed. Waxing can cause red bumps, ingrown hairs and bruising afterwards, so being diligent is the right move. Apply after-wax lotion, or an aloe based lotion or gel. After that, you're done—and still alive.