Underarm waxing? I am afraid it will be very painful. Can I get cancer?

Guest over a year ago

Hi everyone!

I have been shaving my armpits up to now, but it is quite annoying to have to do that every few days, plus it irritates the skin. Now I've heard about underarm waxing before. Although it doesn't sound very appealing, I do like the idea of longer lasting hairlessness. But won't waxing such sensitive skin damage the skin so much that you can get abnormal growth, like cancer? And isn't it terribly painful?

I am still in two minds about this. If you have had it done before, I'd like to hear from you. If you know anything about cancer risk, please let me know as well.

Thanks!

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Pickle over a year ago

I have never had my armpits waxed and I won't ever, ever do that either. It really sounds like it would bring tears to your eyes! I am happy to let it all flow.

I did read that an ingrowing hair can cause a benign tumor. Although that hair was on somebody's belly, it makes it sounds like if you get an ingrowing hair in your armpit, though it's not cancer, it's still a tumor. I think the risk of that is actually higher with shaving though. So between the two, well, it's up to you. I wouldn't fancy the pain either, personally.

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Guest over a year ago

This is a good question actually. Shaving and waxing are such normal parts of our normal beauty culture that we really don't give them much thought, but actually, both shaving and waxing open the pores, and cause little injuries, and then... if you are talking about your armpits, you put deodorant, which is often filled with things like aluminium and zinc, which is really not good if it gets into the body. So underarm waxing does increase breast cancer risk, but so does shaving. 10 times the risk compared to women who do not remove their armpit hair I read somewhere.

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Crazy-About-PINK348033 over a year ago

Here I was thinking that you were rather alarmist, but I looked it up on the internet myself, and yes, it turns out that you are right. Shaving and waxing your armpits really does have the potential to at least contribute to cancer. I had no idea!

Of course, the question that must come next is, do I really want to grow hairy armpits? Which is silly, that that should even be on my mind, but it is. And at the end of the day, we do all sorts of things that carry risk and see that as acceptable because they improve our quality of life. Case in point: driving!

In any case, lots to think about there. Thanks for sharing.

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Londongirl347945 over a year ago

Wait what??? Removing your armpit hairs INCREASES CANCER RISK? Like for real people? Count me amongst those who never know what to believe. I do learn a lot on here. About sunscreen increasing cancer risk for instance, when it has those... oxybenzones? Now I'm all paranoid though. You sure? What about veet and things like that? Is that safer? Guess not, them's got chemicals in them and stuff. I was honestly gonna come here and say underarm waxing doesn't suck that badly just get on with it, 'cause it does create lasting smoothness, but then I hear this. Now I'm confused. Not ready to quit having hair removal done, but confused anyways.

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Guest over a year ago

Wait. There are two topics here.

I've been getting waxed all over for at least 15 years and I don't have cancer. Are you sure this risk isn't being overestimated, and it's really only a theoretical thing?

As for the pain, it does cause some discomfort but you get used to it real fast and it's quick. Really, pain is not a reason not to get waxed. The lasting benefits are all worth it for a moment of discomfort. I wouldn't even call it pain. It's over quick enough and experienced estheticians won't really cause you to scream in pain.

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