Underarm Hair Removal in Singapore shave, wax or laser, and how to keep the skin calm

At a glance

Shaving, waxing or laser: the underarm comparison

All three work. The right one depends on how often you want to deal with it, your hair colour, and how your skin reacts. Results vary, and suitability is checked first for waxing and laser.

Shaving

If you shave: how to get fewer bumps

Shaving does not create pigment by itself, but nicks, razor bumps and daily scraping add irritation, and stubble just under the skin leaves a grey shadow. Technique makes a real difference. These tips follow NHS and American Academy of Dermatology guidance.

• Shave at the end of a warm shower and use a shaving gel or cream. Never dry shave.
• Use a sharp blade. Dermatologists suggest replacing a single-blade razor after five to seven shaves, and rinsing the blade after each stroke.
• Shave in the direction the hair grows, with short strokes, going over each area no more than twice. Do not stretch the skin.
• Do not shave too closely; leaving about 1 mm of stubble helps reduce ingrown hairs. An electric razor is gentler for some people.
• Skip a day when you can, then rinse and apply a cool, damp cloth afterwards.

Waxing at SkinRev Lab

Underarm waxing at SkinRev Lab: price, prep and what to expect

Underarms are in our Medium waxing band: S$38 for women and S$48 for men, GST included. The first-visit rate is S$28, once per new client, for one area at the first session. Men's rates reflect coarser hair and longer time on the bed. If you want more than one area, each is priced by its own band; underarms plus a bikini line for women is S$76.

SkinRev Lab uses warm wax, which removes each hair from the follicle. An underarm takes minutes, in a closed room with one Aesthetic Specialist. It stings briefly, more on the first visit, and usually gets easier as regrowth comes back finer. Expect some redness that settles.

Let the hair grow to about 5 mm, roughly two to three weeks, so the wax can grip. Exfoliate gently a day or two before, and skip moisturiser on the day. Tell us first if you take oral isotretinoin, use retinoids on the area, are pregnant, or have had recent laser or peels there; we would rather reschedule than lift the skin.

Laser at IN Eternity Clinic

Laser underarm hair removal: for less hair over time

Underarms are a common area for laser. At IN Eternity Clinic, our affiliated clinic, it is performed by Dr Sin Yong (MBBS Singapore, MRCS Edinburgh, MSc Practical Dermatology Cardiff) on the Lutronic Clarity II, using a 755 nm alexandrite or 1064 nm Nd:YAG wavelength chosen for your skin tone. It aims for long-term reduction, not removal of every hair, and is priced at consultation by the clinic.

It suits dark hair. Laser is also useful if razor bumps or ingrown hairs keep returning, because fewer hairs means fewer to grow back into the skin. It does not work well on white, grey, very blonde or red hair.

Stop waxing and plucking about four weeks before your first session and throughout the course; shave the day before instead. On the day, avoid hot showers, saunas, the gym and perfumed products.

Ingrown hairs

Ingrown hairs and bumps under the arms

An ingrown hair is a hair that curls back into the skin as it regrows, leaving an itchy or tender bump. Most settle within one to two weeks. Keep your hands off it, hold a warm, wet cloth on it for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day, and pause hair removal on that patch until it clears.

See a doctor if a bump becomes very painful, hot or swollen, leaks pus, or comes with a fever or feeling unwell. Painful lumps in the armpits that leak or keep coming back in the same place can be hidradenitis suppurativa, a long-term condition that needs medical care. SkinRev Lab will not wax over inflamed or broken skin.

Darkening

If your underarms have darkened

Repeated shaving and plucking, friction from tight sleeves, and reactions to deodorant or fragrance can all leave extra pigment in underarm skin, and stubble adds a grey shadow on top. Changing how you remove hair is often the first step. Waxing removes the stubble shadow; laser reduces the hair over time.

If the colour stays, SKINPINK at SkinRev Lab is a needle-free topical brightening session for the underarms: S$288 per region per session before GST, or S$88 for one region on a first visit. A course is planned at your assessment, and results vary. Avoid shaving or waxing the area for three days before each session.

Be careful with whitening creams bought online. In October 2024, HSA warned that an underarm whitening cream sold on e-commerce platforms and at a Lucky Plaza shop contained very high levels of mercury and a potent steroid. Skin that feels velvety or thickened, or darkening that spreads quickly, should be checked by a doctor first, as it can be acanthosis nigricans, often linked with insulin resistance.

Aftercare

Aftercare in Singapore heat and humidity

Freshly treated underarm skin meets sweat, friction and deodorant within hours, so the first day matters most.

• For 24 hours after waxing, skip hot showers, sauna, pool and the gym. After laser, avoid heat, the gym and perfumed products on the day.
• Wear loose, breathable sleeves, and pat the area dry rather than rubbing it.
• If you can, leave deodorant off for the rest of the day; when you restart, a fragrance-free one is kinder to irritated skin.
• From day three after a wax, exfoliate gently a few times a week to help keep ingrown hairs down. Do not scrub freshly waxed skin.
• Do not shave between waxes, and do not pick or squeeze bumps.
• Do not wax over sunburn, cuts, a rash or an inflamed bump.

Choosing and booking

Which suits you, and where to go

• Choose shaving if you want a free, daily routine and your skin tolerates it.
• Choose waxing if you want weeks of smooth skin without stubble, your hair is light or grey, or you want to try something before committing to a course.
• Choose laser if you have dark hair and are tired of regrowth, razor bumps or ingrown hairs.
• SkinRev Lab: #B1-28 CityLink Mall, 1 Raffles Link, Singapore 039393, underground between City Hall MRT (EW13/NS25) and Esplanade MRT (CC3). Daily, 11am to 8pm. WhatsApp +65 8266 9585.
• IN Eternity Clinic: 9 Scotts Road, #12-01 Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210, beside Orchard MRT. Monday to Saturday, 11am to 8pm, closed Sunday. WhatsApp +65 8815 3008, or ask us to pass your enquiry on.

Sources

References & sources

1. NHS. Ingrown hairs. NHS website.
2. American Academy of Dermatology. Razor bump remedies for men with darker skin tones.
3. NHS. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). NHS website.
4. Health Sciences Authority, Singapore. HSA Alert: "Q-Nic Care Whitening Underarm Cream" detected to contain very high levels of mercury and a potent steroid. 25 October 2024.
5. Das A, Datta D, Kassir M, et al. Acanthosis nigricans: a review. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020;19(8):1857-1865. PMID 32516476.
6. Haedersdal M, Gøtzsche PC. Laser and photoepilation for unwanted hair growth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(4):CD004684. PMID 17054211.

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