mashimaru's Full Review: Nads No Heat Hair Removal Gel
I've shaved my legs for years, and I've always hated doing it. Aside from the actual chore of shaving, my leg hair became more thick and coarse over the years as a result of shaving.
So I've come to enjoy getting my legs waxed at a salon. It does hurt to rip hair out of one's skin, especially the first time, but I’ve gotten used to it. And a benefit of waxing is that my hair grows back more slowly, and when it grew back, it was less coarse.
So salon waxing is nice - but who's got the time and money for regular wax sessions? Not me. So I've tried several home-waxing options over the years
Types of wax / What is Nad’s?
Generally, there are two types of "wax" products:
* One of them is a “hot” wax, which is an actual wax that hardens when it dries. You need to keep this wax warm while you're using it, using various means. For example: I've seen waxing kits with a plastic tub that you plug in (kind of like a mini crock-pot). Generally, this kind of wax is more difficult to use.
* The other "wax" is not a real wax, but just a sticky, sugar-based solution. This type of wax is referred to as "cold" wax or "washable" wax.
Nad’s is basically a version of this "cold" wax, as far as I can tell. You can pick up a tube of various brands of “cold” wax at most drugstores, so I'm not sure what makes Nad’s special. But I was intrigued by the infomercial, and picked up a Nad’s box at my local drugstore.
Using the Product:
The Nad’s box comes with a jar of gel, 5 cloth strips, a plastic spatula, and an "orange stick" to use on smaller areas, like your eyebrows. This costs $19.99. (There is also another kit for $29.99, which also contains a lotion and soap. I purchased this kit the first time, but I've found that you can use your own soap and lotion instead.)
Before using the product, you should wash the area with an oil-free soap.
Nad’s is a very sticky, green gel. If the weather is cool, the gel gets more dense, and becomes harder to work with. The instructions say that you can microwave it for up to 15 seconds to warm it up.
I usually microwave it for 5-10 seconds before every use, which makes it softer and easier to spread. (I guess that kind of contradicts the claim that this product requires NO HEAT, but this isn't like a hot wax product that needs to be kept heated.)
Then you spread the gel onto your skin with the plastic spatula. And then you put the cloth strip on it, and rip it off.
The clean-up is pretty easy – everything washes off very easily with some warm water. You may also want to apply a lotion, to help soothe your skin.
Does it work?
Yes, it does. It pulls out all my leg hair, and leaves my legs feeling bald and smooth.
Does it hurt?
Yes, it does! It hurts to rip chunks of your hair off. And the trauma of ripping hair out of your skin will leave behind little red spots (which fade after a day or so).
Judging by the long list of bad reviews in Epinions as of the date of this review, it seems that a lot of people were surprised at how much this hurt them. I guess the Nad’s infomercials gave the false impression that this product was somehow painless. Bad Nad’s!
The only thing I can tell you that using Nad’s doesn’t hurt any more or less than any other waxing procedure.
Should you wax?
This is a personal choice. If you wax your hair already, you might like Nad’s.
If you've never had your hair waxed before, you might want to try a professional wax first, to see how you like it, before you try Nad’s. (Having to inflict pain on yourself can hurt more than someone doing it for you.)
In any case, I would highly recommend first-timers to take it slow – start with a small patch first. And it does require some practice to get it right. (At first, I put too much gel on. But after a couple of tries, I got it right.)
Waxing can be a painful, and somewhat messy process, compared to shaving. I prefer waxing because I like the fact that my hair is less coarse, doesn’t grow back as quickly, and my legs feel less “stubbly” in general. Now that I’ve been waxing my legs for about 2 years now, my leg hair is much finer and grows back much more slowly. This is quite nice. But keep in mind that it was after 2 years of ripping the hair out on a regular basis.
In any case, I’ve found that waxing my legs just don’t hurt me anymore – it’s like a refreshing tingle, at most. I’m not sure if it’s because my hair has become thinner, and therefore easier to pull out, or if the nerves in my legs have become deadened through years of wax-abuse.
I’ve found Nad’s to be not much different than various sugar-based “cold” wax products that I’ve tried before (e.g., Sally Hansen). The only significant difference is that Nad’s comes in a tub, while others come in a tube, and Nad’s comes with re-useable cloth strips, while the other brands usually come with disposable strips.
Perhaps the Nad’s infomercial gives the impression that this is a different kind of product from traditional home-waxing products. But that's not true - this is just a version of "cold" wax - a sugar-based sticky goo that sticks to your hair and rips it out of your skin. If that's not what you're expecting, then this product isn't for you.
I don’t think Nad’s is a superior, special, must-have product, since you can probably get the same results from other brands. However, for what it is, it does the job well enough. This is my second purchase, and I will probably buy it again in the future.
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