Brazilian Wax

What in the world possesses us to remove our bottoms in front of a stranger, have hot wax smoothed over our most sensitive area and have it ripped off a few seconds later in excruciating pain, all by nothing more than our own personal desire to get a Brazilian wax?

Everyone has a different reason for why they get a Brazilian wax (convenience, less irritation than shaving, etc) but what’s the real process and the difference between a bikini wax and Brazilian wax. For some of the timid out there, let’s fill you in on the process.

1) Your friendly and licensed esthetician will allow you to dress out of your clothes in a private room. She will most likely give you something to wear or drape over yourself so you are not sitting and waiting uncomfortably.

2) The esthetician will apply some sort of product, like oil or talcum powder, to the skin so the wax will remove hair – not layers of skin. Note: If the hair is longer than ¼ inch, expect you esthetician to trim the hair down so it is easier to wax.

3) Now the fun part starts. Hot wax is smoothed over a section of hair to be removed and allowed to cool for a few seconds. There are different types of wax popular for a Brazilian: strip and hard wax. Strip wax is what is used, for the most part, for eyebrow waxing and also used in that infamous waxing scene of the hit movie 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hard wax, on the other hand, hardens without the need of a strip and is pulled off when it has cooled enough to change from a liquid form to a solid (this is Chemistry at its best!). Many people prefer hard wax to strip wax but it is a personal preference. You may want to ask when you make an appointment what type of wax will be used for your own knowledge before you go in.

4) The removal: The strip/wax is pulled in the direction opposite of the hair growth in one swift, pain-free motion… Ok, so maybe not pain-free but won’t it look and feel nice when you’re done? Some people say to take an aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before to handle the pain, but you can live without it. Really, it’s not too bad.

5) This process is continued until you are as smooth as a baby’s bottom from front to back. Note: It is very important that you make a note if the esthetician is double-dipping their stick. This is very unsanitary and can cause many bacterial infections.

6) Tweezers are used to remove any hairs that tried to escape the goopy wax. Some think this is the most tedious and painful part so beware.

7) Finally, soothing lotion or oil is applied to help with redness, irritation and ingrown hairs… Whew! So that’s it! You’re done.

I know it might not have been fun, but it’s like going to the gynecologist: You are forced by yourself to go and afterward, even though you hated it, you are glad you went for your personal well-being. Plus you only have to go back every 3 to 4 weeks.

Now I know you’re wondering the difference between a Brazilian wax and a bikini. Well, the Brazilian has a few options. You can have your esthetician remove everything from everywhere, or they can leave what many call a “landing strip” or a little vertical strip of hair in the front which will be trimmed. Estheticians can get creative by giving the remaining hair a design, such as a heart. A bikini wax, however, removes hair that follows the panty line. According to some estheticians, once you go past a certain point in the front it is considered a Brazilian so you may want to ask your particular esthetician where their boundaries are.

You are now a well-educated, informed individual about Brazilian waxing so go out and have fun getting waxed! And remember to thank your esthetician no matter how painful the session is – they are just doing their job.

Vicki Taylor -- Marketing Director