Does sugaring (like waxing) work really well?

I’m trying to lighten up my really dark underarms in an efficient manner. I heard that stopping shaving, exfoliating, and using lightening creams helps a lot. Since I tend to be allergic to a lot of different brands of wax (I know from having allergic reactions to getting my eyebrows waxed on different occasions) I figured sugaring would be the less toxic option. Does it work well? Does it hurt? How long does the hair in the area have to be for it to be effective?