They say that beauty is pain, but if you’re someone with a low-agony threshold, you’re not just going to take that lying down.
The sensitive among us like to know how much pain exactly, and whether the results really outweigh the ouchy process.
Recently, Fragrance Direct asked its 55,000 Instagram followers what they think hurts the most when it comes to beauty. Below, we’ve outlined the results (from least painful to most painful) so you can a. avoid them at all costs or b. know that you can tackle any treatment if you’ve made it through number one.
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10. Teeth whitening
Good news for those after that Hollywood smile – teeth whitening comes in as the least painful on the list. Go forth and sparkle.
Not keen on the dentist? Try these at-home teeth whitening toothpastes.
9. Eyebrow threading
When done by an experienced professional, eyebrow threading is not only a precise way to remove hair, but essentially painless too.
8. Microblading
Microblading may come with an uncomfortable feeling of scraping against the skin, but it seems to be a decent exchange for pretty-permanent brows.
Here’s everything to know about microblading eyebrows.
7. Laser skin treatment
Going for something a little more tech-advanced at your next facial will dial up the discomfort a tad. Depending on the treatment, most laser-like skin therapies present as a bearable warmth on the skin.
6. Acid peel
Acid peels are known to cause a slight stinging sensation on the skin. This is why they should only be done in a professional environment.
Here’s everything to know about a salicylic acid peel.
5. Eyebrow plucking
It seems all that eyebrow plucking in the 90s has left us scarred in more ways than one. If you’re going to try DIY brow shaping, make sure you’ve got the right set of tools and a steady hand, holding the skin taught to reduce pain.
bh recommends: UBU Tweeze Louise – Combination Tip Tweezer
4. Dermal fillers
The pain will vary depending on where on the face you get dermal filllers, but overall it falls pretty high up the scale at number four.
3. Eyeliner tattooing
We can’t imagine having a blade near your eyeball would be comfortable, but if you’ve tried and think otherwise, let us know!
2. Bikini wax
It seems that ripping hair from our vaginas is still not a favourite weekend activity, but there are certainly ways to prep for your next Brazilian to make it less painful.
1. Epilating
Well, there you go. Turns out we’re not so hot on the electrical plucking device. Although, if the last time you tried one was pre-2000s we wouldn’t dicsount the more modern machines just as quick.
bh recommends: Remington Smooth & Silky Cordless Wet/Dry Epilator – EP7031AU
I spoke to a dentist about teeth whitening and concluded that it's probably unsuitable for me for a variety of reasons.
threading and epilating hurt the most for me
Not something I'd be keen to do. Threading sounds very painful.
Some of these I wouldn’t have expected to see on this list!
Most painful for me happened recently when I decided to epilate my underarms – never again!