Hollywood and Brazilian waxing – what to expect

Intimate Waxing

Hollywood and Brazilian waxing is growing massively. These days, it’s almost as common as having your eyebrows waxed, and frankly, it will change your life. But it’s probably not something you want to talk about over dinner, or in the office, so it can be a very daunting experience if it’s your first time. The idea of getting naked from the waist down in front of a complete stranger so they can rip hairs out of your intimate area is not anyone’s idea of fun. However, no pain, no gain! Feeling clean and smooth without the uncomfortable shaving rash is definitely worth it, and it’s not something you should necessarily feel awkward about. After all, this is our job; maybe not something I imagined myself doing when I first went into the beauty industry, but something I now do without even thinking about how odd it might seem to someone else. As with your doctor, midwife, or gynaecologist, our attention is focussed on what we’re doing, rather than what you look like ‘down there’.

What to expect

When you first visit the salon for your waxing appointment you will be asked to fill in a short consultation form and then taken through to the treatment room where we will leave you to get undressed (seems a little unnecessary considering, but just go with it) and get comfortable on the treatment bed. Some therapists might provide you with some paper pants to wear during your treatment to conserve a little modesty, however, most prefer to do the treatment without, as they often just get in the way, and lets face it, it’s not really hiding much anyway.

The therapist will usually get you to lie with one or both legs bent and your knees out to the side. They will start by cleansing the whole area and applying a thin layer of pre wax oil. The majority of salons will use a form of hot wax for intimate waxing. There are many different brands, colours and formulas, but in essence they all work in the same way. The wax is applied fairly thickly to the area and allowed to set. Once set, the wax can be pulled off in one, without the need for strips and without leaving behind any sticky residue that you might get with a normal crème/honey/strip wax. This form of wax can also be less painful, as the pre wax oil forms a barrier between the skin and wax, meaning it only pulls out hairs and doesn’t take off layers of skin. Great for more sensitive skins, and delicate areas.

For a Hollywood wax, all hair will be removed, but if you want to leave a small strip of hair, opt for the Brazilian. Confirm with your therapist how much, if any, you would like to leave.

Once the front is hair-free, your therapist will get you to change position so that they can get to the back. I’ve found that every therapist has their own way of doing this, whether it’s on all fours or just lifting your leg in the air, none of which are particularly lady-like, but it’s usually done very quick. A layer of soothing after-wax cream will be applied all over to finish, which will calm any redness and swelling.

The level of pain experienced in your waxing treatment very much depends on the colouring, thickness and length of your hair. Some people opt to trim the hair slightly beforehand if it is very long, however if you are unsure, your therapist can do it for you.

Things to remember

Do… wear loose, comfortable underwear to put on afterwards.

Do… shower prior to your appointment.

Do… trim the hair if fairly long. If you’re not sure, leave it.

Do… make sure the hair is at least 1mm long. Too short and the hairs will not come out.

Do… lightly exfoliate between treatments to avoid ingrowing hairs.

Do… book your treatments 3-4 weeks apart. The longer you leave it the more painful it might be.

Don’t… shave between treatments. This will cause the hair to grow back thicker and therefore can be more painful.

 

 

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