After looking at these cute retro swimsuits, you might be inspired to hit the beach. If you're going to do that, you may want to trim your lady forest — or, like some women, you may want to lose your hair completely. As I've said before, there's no right or wrong way to groom your nether regions but if you're curious about Brazilian waxing, it can't hurt to try it. Well, actually, it can and will hurt — but that's why I've created this guide to your first time.
First of all, let's get our definition straight. A Brazilian wax removes all of the hair from front to back, usually (but not always) leaving a thin "landing strip" of hair a few inches below the belly button. Expect it to cost anywhere from $40 to $80. To find out how much pain to expect, read more.
Read these tips for a painless wax before you head to the spa, and at the very least, take Ibuprofen an hour before your appointment. At the spa, you'll be shown to the waxing room to change out of your pants or skirt (including underpants). For a more modest bikini wax, you'll sometimes get a paper thong; for a Brazilian, you'll more likely be naked from the waist down. If you're like me, you'll feel ridiculous standing around half-naked.
Your waxer will ask you to lie down on your back. That's a good time to ask any questions so that you're both clear on what you want to have removed. After that, she'll probably dust your hair and skin with baby powder, which keeps the wax from sticking to your skin. Most waxers will ask you to assist by holding your skin taut or moving your legs a certain way; some will even ask you to kneel down and stick your bottom out so she can remove all of the hairs there. After the waxing is done, the esthetician will probably tweeze any stray hairs.
As for the pain, I won't lie: It's intense, but it's also fairly brief. It usually hurts more to have the hair on your pubis removed than the hair near your vagina, so be prepared for that. Your hairlessness should last for up to four weeks, at which point you can go back in for another round of waxing.
Nuovegioie
Antik Batik
Gianvito Rossi
I don't know who these lucky girls are who can get 6 weeks out of a wax. Maybe I'm just freaky, but after two weeks, for me it's like the wax never happened.
1There is a product that they sell at the waxing salon I go to called Relax-N-Wax, which is a topical cream you apply to all areas about 30 minutes before your appointment. It does numb some of the pain, so helps a bit.
2You know, emmag, mine last about 3, then I need to go back. I WISH I could get 6 weeks out of one!
3I used to wax myself, but now I just use an electric razor. Waxing doesnt seem worth the effort.
I am confused about one thing. So you stay COMPLETELY HAIRLESS for the entire 6 weeks, or it starts to grow back slowly right away and by the 6th week it is long enough to wax again?
Because if it just starts growing back right away, it just doesnt seem worth it to me. It sounds so humiliating.
4The first wax is absolutley the worst! I was shaking it hurt so bad! But after that first wax, it's never come close to hurting that bad. So if you can stand the first one, you can totally make it. This might be TMI, but I used to get UTIs and yeast infections all the time, and since I started waxing, I have not had a single problem! It's definitely worth it!
5it grows back slowly so you are ready for another in 6 weeks. But it grows back way slower than with shaving and seems to be less coarse and thinner--there is just a lot less that grows back each time.
6here's some more tips/notes from experience:
-hydrate yourself: drinking plenty of water during the 12 hours prior to your appointment will keep your hair folicles more "open" and will ease with the hair removal. don't do anything de-hydrating prior (drink coffee, booze the night before, etc)
-take an ibuprofen about a hour before your appointment. make sure to eat something with it, since ibuprofen can be harsh on your stomach. this will cut down on any inflammation that will occur after the waxing
-trim down your hair: most salons request that hair be at least 1/4 inch long for easier waxing
-some places prefer to not have clients use numbing creams/lotions. these can make the skin oily and make the wax not grip the hair well enough.
-hair removal from the pubis DEFINITELY hurts more than any other area in that region. there's lots of nerves in that area.
hope this helps people out
7no matter how worth it this is, it sounds like A LOT of pain just thinking of it.
8My boyfriend would love me forever if I ever got a Brazilian, I just don't think I could ever do it. It just sounds too painful.
9The first is the worst. If you can afford to keep it up every 4 weeks, the pain and time is cut by about 2/3. It gets expensive though, especially for results that are not permanent. I've done laser and although it's more money upfront, I feel like I've saved money in the long run!
10Been there, loved it for about three days (Oh ye gods it hurt though).
But then I realized that the 'wax' was more like an expensive hot painful shave for me :/
I have very fine weak hair so most of the hairs broke off at the surface rather than the root being removed.
So if you have weak/fine hair, be careful >.<</p> 11
shoot, i just do it myself. SO much cheaper...even if the pain is unbearable (wah)
12Oh jesus, why oh why?!?! I've gotten on the hairless bandwagon, more than once, and sometimes I still do occasionally (even though I think there's NOTHING WRONG with a lady garden!). But to go through this amount of pain for it is ridiculous. Historians will look back on this time and say "WTF?" 100 years down the track. I prefer a high quality electric razor--no razor burn, a close shave, and no PAIN!
13I got this advice, and I haven't tried it ye, but it sounds good. Beard trimmer, with a complete shave for the bikini line. Even $40 every month would be too much time for me to waste with this. I wish more women admitted that this is a huge painful expense. Your guy will have sex with you anyway, trust, and there are easier, less painful to the wallet and nether regions to keep yourself maintained. A little hair here and there won't kill anyone!
BUT...I've never tried it, so I should at some point...
14Any of you've done the laser hair removal? I just started and the first one was exactly a walk in the park... I was just wondering what the pain level is as you get further along and have to increase the intensity of the laser?
BTW: i used to wax, yes it hurts somewhat, but the pain is short term. Right now I can't decide what hurts more, the laser or the waxing. They say the laser feels like being popped with rubber band, but to me it feels like a quick bee sting.
15i always wanted
16one, but everyone
says it hurts a
lot so.. i think
i pass.. i think
I'll stick to my
electric shaver
Ouch! To ALL types of hair removal in my opinion. Especially this kind.
17Electric beard trimmer and razor; pubic areas are supposed to be pleasurable not painful. And to me hair is where it is for a reason, our bodies are wise; I do armpit and leg shaving only because of cultural reasons, otherwise I would let those guys grow and be happy.
18Find a good waxer and I promise it will hurt much much less!!! And in reality, it only hurts for like 5 seconds, some parts don't hurt at all!!
19Maybe I am in the minority here but I find no legitimate reason to wax all the hair off down there. Why? I don't want to look like a little girl!! I get a traditional bikini wax which is good enough for me and if I want to, I can trim it further with a pair of scissors. There is no reason to be totally hairless - the hair is there for a reason! Besides if you get a Brazilian, don't you go mad itchy when it starts to grow back?? Yikes !!!
20I'm hairless and use lots of Nair. Waxing is just not for me and I don't like that stupid little stripe.
21That picture is simply amazing
22Brazilians are AMAZING...but too expensive to keep up on a regular basis. The short pain is worth it for me, but I just cannot justify spending so much money on something that only my boyfriend and I get to enjoy for a few weeks. The electric trimmer is also a great method, so easy and certainly painless.
23iheartjustin -- yep, I do laser hair removal. I just had my 6th treatment (I go to American Laser Centers, they are everywhere and FYI Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson go to them to!) and am very happy with the results. It's expensive, and it hurts like hell, but if you're like me and shaving is just too much to keep up with and/or you're prone to painful and unsightly razor burn, it's totally worth it. Not gonna lie though, it feels like bee stings unless you have the technician put the laser on a very low setting...which won't have the same results. I choose the pain! lol
24I just trim with scissors. That's enough for me!
25Way too painful for me.
26I tried the Brazilian wax once in college and never again. It's was so painful, i could barely walk afterwards. I just use Veet hair depiliatory removal creme. It gets it ALL off
and it's cheaper too.
27ugh im doing this on tuesday and im freaking out!
28Thanks Black Velveteen, i'll try that then.
29Black Velveteen, is it safe to use Veet down there? I thought it wasn't recommended.
30i want to do the brazlian once - but i prob wouldn't do it all the time- only special occasions lol i do a normal bikini wax now and i do it often enough it doesn't even hurt that much anymore
31I am too chicken to try. My sister got one last year for her vacation and said it hurt like hell, but it was great because she didn't have to worry.
32The whole argument that the hair is there for a reason argument is true and all but how many of you let your underarm hair flow free? Lol just thinkin...
33Need some help ladies, my tour guide for my trips to Brazil has been promoted to spa manager and now I must find a replacement
Live in the bay area, any suggestions for the cautious traveler, cuz I've heard horror stories about
trips to Brazil by armature tour guides ?
34OH and BTW the lead up is more painful than the process
every 5-6 weeks and I don't
happen to get razor bumps and the husband loves em.
35uggh, I don't think I could ever do it...
36I was thinking about trying... all of this is great advice! I might take the plunge...
37It just sounds absolutely horrific- both the unnecessary pain, and the unnecessary humiliation, for what seems like very little reward- and even that only lasts a few weeks?
Yikes.
38I wouldn't be comfortable with anyone but my husband and OB/GYN looking/touching me down there. "some will even ask you to kneel down and stick your bottom out so she can remove all of the hairs there"-that sounds like some sort of painful torture! I think I'll stick to shaving myself.
39Oh come on stop complaining about the pain. The first time it hurts yes. But after that once your mind learn how to deal with the pain it's like nothing ever happened. One little trick I find that helps is that when i get it , the esthetician makes me press down on my skin after she hanks out the strip. It helps a lot.
40I have received a brazilian and the "Y" area hurts like hell!!! i dont know why it does, maybe the nerves and ovaries that are under there but goodness me! other than that they rest is a breeze especially the back you dont feel it at all!
41I'm just thinking about trying laser. It costs a lot but at least it has a semi-permanent effect in the long run. I dont think I can go through all that pain while knowing the hair will grow back after a few weeks.
42What kind of electric shaver is good? Does it get all the hair?
Currently I much prefer nair to waxing .... for a number reasons.
43Your ovaries aren't even close to there. I do it myself, it's not that bad.
44That's what I keep saying, cordata, Nair is cheap, quick and easy and definitely painless and yes, it's okay to use it down there just don't put it in your moist parts.
45Tip: after the wax, exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. I ended up with a blocked hair follicle, which got infected and filled with pus. I had to go the doctor and get prescription cortisone cream to take care of it. ew!
46I'm a huge wuss when it comes to pain. I had just a regular bikini wax once & it hurt! I haven't done it since. I would love to be hair free, though. Currently, I just use an electric trimmer. I might have to try the removal creams.
By the way, my gyno once told me that the hair is there to keep dirt out & help lessen friction between moving body parts. Sounds odd, I know. The way I see it, I'm not exactly a cave woman so the dirt factor is out & my undies can do both jobs quite nicely!
47PJPJPJ - I couldn't agree more. Keep the dirt out, please.
48It's posts like this that scare the pure piss out of me lol it sounds like your willingly stepping into a torture chamber! I'm gonna need a valium or morphine before I even consider this....
49It's posts like this that scare the pure piss out of me lol it sounds like your willingly stepping into a torture chamber! I'm gonna need a valium or morphine before I even consider this....
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