However, I couldn't get over the sensation of the syrup on my skin. Even after a good wipe-down with a damp washcloth, my pits still felt like a pair of dirty plates at an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet.

The effects of sugaring last around four weeks, although any broken hairs (and there are some) will grow back more quickly. I noticed a fair number of bloodied hair follicles immediately after I'd finished, but all in all I think my skin recovered from the experience fairly quickly. Once final word of advice: if you're going to strip your underarms, you might want to consider doing it right before you go to bed or on a day when you don't have to go out into the world and rub elbows with your fellow man. Why? Because you are not going to like applying deodorant to your freshly-sugared skin. Trust me on that one.

In conclusion, if you feel compelled to tear your body hair out by the root, sugaring is the most efficient, cheapest and least crappy way to do it. As long as you can handle standing around with scalding syrup sandwiched between muslin and your skin for several minutes, you'll find the results are pretty hard to beat.