Waxing vs laser hair removal | Face Facts Buxton

Waxing vs laser hair removal: which is right for you?

By Leighanne, Beauty Therapist at Face Facts Updated 28 May 2026

If you've been waxing for years and wondering whether laser hair removal is finally worth the investment, you're not the first client to ask. The honest answer is that one isn't better than the other. They're better for different bodies, different budgets, and different parts of the body. Here's what I tell clients at Face Facts Beauty and Body Salon in Buxton when they ask me which one to choose, after more than a decade of doing both.

How each treatment actually works

Waxing pulls the hair out at the root using warm or hot wax. The hair has to be grown out a little, around six millimetres, so the wax can grip it. Done well, you get smooth skin straight away that lasts three to six weeks. The follicle isn't damaged, so the hair grows back.

What people usually call "laser hair removal" at a salon is, technically, IPL: intense pulsed light. Both work the same way in principle. Light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair, the energy converts to heat, and the heat damages the follicle so the hair grows back finer, slower, and eventually not at all. True medical laser uses a single concentrated wavelength and is what specialist clinics use. IPL uses a broader spectrum. At Face Facts we use Lynton IPL, the same technology the NHS uses for vascular treatments. For many people the practical results are similar: a course of sessions and your hair stops coming back the way it used to.

Quick comparison

	Waxing	IPL hair reduction
Result	Smooth straight away	Permanent reduction over time
Lasts	3 to 6 weeks	Years, with occasional top-ups
Sessions	One per visit	6 to 8 in a course
Hair length needed	6mm (around 2 weeks growth)	Shaved 24 hours before
Pain	Sharp, quick	Hot elastic band flick
Cost	£15 to £45 per session	£80 to £150 per session
Best for	Short-term smoothness, single events	Long-term reduction over years
Not suitable for	Anyone wanting permanent results	Light, grey, or red hair

The real differences: pain, cost, and sessions

Does it hurt?

Honest answer: waxing hurts more in the moment, IPL is more uncomfortable than people expect. Waxing is sharp and quick, like ripping a plaster. Your skin gets used to it after a few appointments. IPL feels like a hot elastic band flicking the skin, repeated across the area. It's manageable for many people, but some areas (the bikini line, upper lip, ankles) sting more than others. Numbing cream is an option for sensitive areas if you ask in advance.

How much does it cost?

This is where the maths gets interesting. A full leg wax sits around £30 and a Brazilian around £30, so a regular waxer might spend £400 to £700 a year on legs and bikini alone. UK salons typically charge £80 to £150 per IPL session for legs depending on the salon, and a full course is six to eight sessions. You're looking at £500 to £1,200 upfront for legs, then very little for the next several years. For Face Facts specifics, our hair removal price list has every treatment with current prices.

The long-term maths usually favours IPL for anyone who'd otherwise be waxing the same area for the next 10 years. For short-term smoothness before a holiday or a wedding, waxing wins every time.

How many sessions does IPL actually take?

You'll hear "six to eight sessions" everywhere. That's broadly right, but the real answer depends on hair colour, skin tone, hormones, and the area being treated. Coarse dark hair on lighter skin responds fastest. Fine, light, grey, or red hair responds poorly to IPL because there isn't enough pigment for the light to target. Hormonal areas (face, neck, lower abdomen) often need top-ups every year or two even after a successful course. Legs and underarms tend to give the most stable long-term results.

Which is best for each area

Legs and underarms

IPL wins for anyone wanting a long-term result. The skin is robust, the hair is usually dark and coarse, and the area is large enough that the per-pulse cost is good value. If you wax your legs every four to six weeks, you'll break even on IPL in around two years and be hair-free for years after that.

Bikini, Brazilian, and Hollywood

Many clients who try IPL on the bikini line don't go back to waxing. The reduction is dramatic, and the comfort of not having to grow the hair out between treatments is the thing they mention every time. That said, waxing is still the right choice for anyone with very light hair, anyone pregnant, or anyone wanting a one-off result for a specific event. We offer both, so you don't have to commit to one path forever. Our intimate waxing options cover everything from a bikini line tidy to a Hollywood.

Face: upper lip, chin, sides

IPL works on the lip and chin if the hair is dark enough, but face hair is often hormonal and rarely disappears completely. Many clients find threading or facial waxing more practical and predictable on smaller facial areas. We offer both at the salon and we'll tell you honestly which is the better fit for your hair before you book.

Whole-area combinations

For clients wanting smooth all over for an event, our waxing combinations (full leg plus bikini plus underarms in one appointment) tend to be the right choice. For longer-term hair reduction, our IPL hair reduction service lets you build a treatment plan tailored to the areas that matter most to you.

Preparation, aftercare, and who shouldn't have IPL

You can't wax and IPL at the same time. IPL needs the hair root in place so the light can find pigment to target. Wax pulls the root out. If you've been waxing, you need to grow out and switch to shaving in between IPL sessions. Shaving doesn't disturb the follicle, so the root stays where the IPL can reach it.

The 48-hour rule for waxing is real and simple. No hot baths, no sauna, no sunbed, no gym, no fake tan, and no swimming for 48 hours after a wax. The pores are open and the skin is sensitised. After IPL the rules are similar but stricter on sun: no direct sun on the treated area for at least two weeks, and SPF 50 on any part of the body that's been treated for the duration of the course.

IPL isn't right for everyone. If your hair is white, grey, very blonde, or very red, IPL has nothing to target and you'll be wasting money. If your skin is darker (Fitzpatrick V or VI on the skin tone scale), standard IPL carries a higher risk of pigmentation changes, and you need specialist equipment we don't offer. If you're pregnant, on photosensitising medication, or have recently had certain skin treatments, we'll postpone until it's safe. Every IPL course at Face Facts starts with a consultation and patch test so we can be honest with you about what to expect before you commit.

The verdict: which should you book?

Book waxing if you want smooth skin right now, you wax once or twice a year for events, your hair is too light or fine for IPL, or you're pregnant. Book IPL if you're waxing the same area every four to six weeks, your hair is dark enough to be a good target, and the long-term maths makes sense for your budget. If you're not sure, book a consultation. Most clients leave with a clearer plan than they came in with, and there's no obligation to book a course on the day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch from waxing to laser hair removal?

Yes, and many clients do. You'll need to stop waxing around four weeks before your first IPL session so the hair root has time to re-anchor in the follicle. In between IPL sessions you shave rather than wax, because shaving doesn't disturb the root. After your course is finished, you can go back to occasional waxing or threading for any stray hairs.

How long do the results of IPL hair removal last?

After a full course of six to eight sessions, the majority of the targeted hair will not regrow. Some people need an annual top-up, especially in hormonal areas like the face and lower abdomen. Hair that does return is usually finer and lighter than before. Legs and underarms tend to give the longest-lasting results.

Is IPL the same as laser hair removal?

Both use light energy to disable the hair follicle, but they're not identical. True laser uses a single concentrated wavelength. IPL uses a broader spectrum of light. In practice the results across a wide range of skin tones are comparable, and IPL is what nearly every UK salon means when they advertise "laser hair removal".

Can I have IPL if my skin is darker?

Standard IPL works best on lighter skin tones with dark hair. If your skin tone is Fitzpatrick IV or above, you'll usually need a system designed for darker skin (typically an Nd:YAG laser at a specialist clinic, rather than standard salon IPL). We'll always tell you honestly if your skin tone isn't suitable for our system rather than risk pigmentation changes.

What if I've shaved or waxed recently, can I still book?

For waxing, your hair needs to be at least six millimetres long, which is usually two to three weeks of growth. For IPL, you should shave the area 24 hours before your session so the energy targets the root rather than burning surface hair. Don't wax, pluck, or epilate for four weeks before an IPL session.

Ready to book?

Not sure which one is right for you? Book a free consultation at Face Facts and we'll talk you through both options, look at your hair and skin type, and give you a straight answer. Our full hair removal menu, including waxing, IPL, electrolysis, and threading, is on our hair removal page, or call us on 01298 79480.

Leighanne is a beauty therapist at Face Facts Beauty and Body Salon in Buxton, with over a decade of experience in waxing and IPL. Meet the rest of the team.