You know what they say: Once you go Brazilian, you’ll never go back. And it’s true because once you’ve experienced that super clean smooth feel down there, nothing quite compares – certainly not trimming and certainly not shaving.
Maybe you’ve had a Brazilian wax at a salon and are thinking you want to try your own at home. Let’s face it, one can expect to pay around $60 for this service in a spa and for most people, shelling out that kind of money every 3-5 weeks is just not reasonable. Or maybe you’ve never had a Brazilian wax and want to do your own to avoid the discomfort of having to bare all to a complete stranger.
Useful Tips for Brazilian Wax:
- Avoid showering and making the hair wet prior to waxing. Hair absorbs the water making it soft and less likely to adhere well to the wax. Tough hair is easier to pull off.
- Be sure to test a small area of skin first to make sure there is no acute sensitivity or allergic reaction to pubic hair removal using waxing.
- Hair should be at least 1/8 inch long. If it isn’t wait until it reaches this length.
- Be sure to wash the skin thoroughly and dry it well beforehand to remove any lotions or oils which may prevent the wax from adhering closely to the skin.
- Heat the wax carefully so as not to overheat and thus burn the skin when applying. Test on a small area first.
- The consistency should be soft rather than runny.
- If pain and discomfort is a main concern use a pain reducing gel or cream available from pharmacists. These solutions should be applied 30 to 60 minutes before waxing so the skin is numbed beforehand.
- Apply a thin layer of wax in the direction of the hair growth and peel back with a rapid movement close to the skin.
- Do not pull up or out, rather pull back.
- Clean the skin with a warm moist towel afterwards to remove excess wax.
- Avoid wearing tight clothing over freshly waxed areas to minimize the risk of irritation and ingrown hairs. 24-48 hours after pubic hair removal waxing, exfoliate the skin (with a Loofa sponge for example) to prevent the dead skin from accumulating and causing hair to become ingrown.
- Users of Retin-A, Renova, Differin or Accutane are advised not to have waxing performed as these medications tend to weaken the skin and tearing of the skin may occur when the wax is removed.
- Do not wax over open sores, new scars, varicose veins, raised moles, or mucous membranes. Waxing should not be done on areas of skin affected by warts, pimples, moles or rashes or on skin that is irritated, chapped or suffering from sunburn. Never apply wax to peeling, broken skin or varicose veins.
- Take two Advils about 30 minutes before the appointment.
- Don’t apply any products to skin for several hours, or one day before, if possible.
- Do not go into a hot tab or swimming in the ocean right after waxing especially bikini. Heat, chlorine and salt may irritate, sting and feel uncomfortable.
- If you bleed, bruise, or have skin that tears easily, waxing may not be the ideal form of hair removal for you. Some physicians do not recommend waxing for persons suffering from diabetes or who have varicose veins or poor circulation as they are more susceptible to infection. Some clients experience a slight irritation after waxing lasting a few minutes to a day, depending on skin sensitivity.
- Plan to wax after your period. Your pain threshold is higher in the week after your period than beforehand. Think of it like this: If sappy commercials make you cry when you’re premenstrual, having wax applied to your dainty bits certainly will.
- Lose your self-consciousness. Yes, a stranger is going to see you wearing, at most, a paper thong. Don’t worry about offending her or feeling embarrassed. It’s nothing she hasn’t seen before. The less anxious you are, the less you’ll worry about pain.
- Start off slowly. Your first bikini wax is not the time to try a Brazilian. If you’re new to waxing, go with a basic bikini wax. You can always decide to remove more the next time around.
- Exfoliate. The day before you decide to wax, exfoliate in the shower. This will remove dead skin, allowing the wax to grip shorter hairs.
- Speak up. A good esthetician will work with you to make sure you’re as comfortable as you can be. I always ask my esthetician to tell me when she’s about to pull the wax off. So don’t be shy to say something if you have a low pain tolerance it’s better to speak up than to suffer in silence.
- Use hard wax. Hard wax is more gentle than soft wax, so I recommend going to a spa that uses it.
- Breathe. It can be tempting to hold your breath, but breathing in and out helps reduce the pain. Take a deep breath in when the wax goes on, then breathe out when your esthetician gives it a yank.
- Know which parts are most sensitive. You wouldn’t expect it, but having hair pulled from the lower abdomen area is more painful than it is around the vaginal opening.