Probably the largest inch for inch hairy zone for women, it’s no wonder why we opt for leg waxing to rid hair for weeks at a time. So should you go to the salon or spa, or do the lovely task yourself at home? We break it down for you.

The Costs

• At Home: Do it yourself waxing kits cost between $25 - $100. Compare waxing kit prices.
  
  
• Salon or Spa: Expect to pay $30- $55 for a half leg (ankle to knee or knee to thighs, not including bikini zone- both legs) or $45 -$100 for a full leg (ankle to thighs, not including bikini zone- both legs). That’s not counting gratuity (usually 15 - 20% of base service price) and any State tax.

Preparation

• At Home: Not only do you have to get all of the waxing supplies, but you have to heat up the wax (I recommend warm wax for leg waxing, and not the cold strips), and have enough space to wax on, wax off.
  
  
• Salon or Spa: Most aestheticians and cosmetologists are licensed to perform waxing, but that doesn’t mean they can do waxing well. If you don’t already have a preferred technician, ask friends and family who does their waxing, and make an appointment with the exact same person they referred you to see.

Time / Effort

• At Home:Leg waxing is not as easy as it looks, especially since the legs are a considerably large area. If you’re waxing your entire legs, you may want to enlist some help for the back of your upper legs. If you're new to waxing, estimate at least 2 hours for both full legs.
  
  
• Salon or Spa: Someone experienced can wax your entire legs in about an hour.

Results

• At Home: If you have never waxed before, you probably will end up breaking hairs off above or beneath the surface, and you will see the hair a lot sooner than if you removed the entire hair follicle. The tendency for missed hairs is more likely as well.
  
  

• Salon or Spa: An experience technician, who is good at their craft will have your legs smooth for weeks.

Overall I think it depends on how much money you’re willing or able to spend, and if you don’t mind doing the work at home. Hopefully, we've made that decision easier to make.

Choosing At Home

If you're planning to do your own leg waxing for a vacation or other event, first do a practice session many weeks prior, to see if you're able and willing to do the waxing. If you don't practice first and mess up, calling for a last minute professional appointment might not help. Since hair needs to be at least 1/4" long, your waxing may have resulted in broken hairs. At that point you may not qualify for a wax, and you'll have to shave.

Opting For a Professional

Book well in advance. Not only will you have a better chance of your preferred time and date, but the better technicians get booked faster. So if you wait until the last minute, you could end up with an inconvenient time, and a less experienced technician.

What Should I Expect at a Professional Leg Waxing?

Any decent salon or spa will lead you into a private room, and the technician will leave the room while you remove your pants and get under a sheet on a facial or massage bed. While the technician does your leg wax, he or she will try to keep your body covered as much as possible while waxing.