How Much Should I Pay
Keep prices in mind when you’re searching for a spa. Waxes are a luxury, so they aren’t cheap, but they shouldn’t cost an extravagant amount of money either. I’ve paid as little as $35 and as much as $65 for Brazilian waxes.
If a spa charged more than $65 then I couldn’t afford a wax there, but if it was lower than $30 I’d be suspicious of the quality of service. I’m not the kind of person who needs to pay a lot for a product or service, but there are certain things I expect.
You wouldn’t expect to pay someone $2 for a really involved, professionally-done hairstyle right? That’s how I feel about cheap Brazilian waxes. A cheap price can mean that the quality of service you receive may also be cheap. You don’t want to be serviced with low-quality wax or strips.
Since Brazilian waxing will affect your skin and it will be conducted in a sensitive place on your body, you should pay the price you think it’s worth. Then again, if you go for a $15 wax and it turns out wonderfully, you shouldn’t let the low price stop you!
You should experiment and try various spas, but I recommend that you start in the middle of the price range for the places near you that have good reviews. If they charge you more, chances are that they’re investing in good wax and well-trained estheticians who know what they’re doing.
Heres What To Avoid After Getting A Brazilian Bikini Wax:
After my second wax, I learned a big lessonfriction and a fresh wax are a recipe for disaster, along with some other culprits of post-Brazilian irritation such as taking bathes, working out, exfoliating, wearing tight-fitting clothes, and pretty much everything that doesn’t allow your sensitive vagina to breathe.
If you’re nervous about your first wax or need a little extra insight on what not to do after going bare down there, we spoke to two waxing experts on how to extend your results and how best to prevent irritation.
Don’t Do An Intense Workout Right After A Wax
According to Rubin, the salt present in your sweat may irritate freshly-waxed skin and lead to infection. As such, waxing your vulva may be a good excuse to take a day or two off from the gym. Similar to the reasons why sex after a Brazilian isn’t a good idea, the friction and sweat from doing cardio exercises may also cause too much unwanted friction on your vagina.
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Grow Out Your Pubic Hair
Whatever you do before a wax, dont shave. Youll need approximately two to four weeks of growth for a successful hair removal session. Hair length should be a quarter of an inch longthats about the size of a grain of rice, says Jessie Frampton, co-founder of Fuzz Wax Bar, a chain of hair removal salons around Canada.
Depending on the salon you go to , they may or may not trim your pubes for you. If youre unsure about trimming expectations call the salon ahead of time and askdont worry, theyve heard it all before.
Wash Up Before Your Appointment
If possible, shower before your appointmentthe warmth of the water will open up the pores to allow for the hair to slide out a bit easier, says Leslie Elvidge, manager of education and quality for The Ten Spot, a chain of beauty bars across Canada. If you shower in the morning and head to your appointment within the hour, youll be good to goyour pores will close naturally after that, says Elvidge. Many salon will also provide wipes so you can freshen up pre-wax.
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Bring Your Own Tweezers
No amount of disinfecting or sterilizing should convince a woman to let communal tweezers near her nether regions. Theyâve been with more women than Joey Tribbiani, and often come into contact with bodily fluids . Make sure to bring your own set every time to avoid unwanted health risks.
Pro Tip: Ask for a hand mirror after the wax is complete, and have the technician tweeze away any lingering hairs with your pair.
Dont Book Your Appointment While You Are On Your Period
A few days before and after you have your periods, wait for a week at least and then opt for Brazilian waxing. It is obvious that the blood vessels around the region are still weak and dilated, and this could lead to hypersensitivity and sensitiveness which cannot be dealt with strongly. If you wax the area forcefully, chances are that the session would not be successful and the skin would get loose and rip off at certain parts.
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Stop Scrubbing Or Exfoliating
Cleaning is a must before waxing is done, but that doesnt mean you go full throttle and painfully scrub or exfoliate the region to remove dirt and grime. What you need is a gentle wash up and that is it. If you exfoliate or scrub, you would end up removing the upper layer of the skin and making the skin extra sensitive to touch and feel. Waxing on such surfaces would be deadly painful for sure, besides ripping the skin off the surface and expose the dermal layers to infection and bleeding. Hence, do not scrub or exfoliate at all.
What You Should Know If You’re Getting A Bikini Wax On Your Period
Imagine this scenario: It’s time for you to get another Brazilian wax. You’re probably going to the beach soon and you can’t go without trimming your bikini area. Or you’re one of those ladies who likes being hairless like a blank slate down there. But all of a sudden Aunt Flo comes for a visit! Will you still push through with your waxing session or not?
There are no specific rules about getting waxed when you’re on your period, so you’re all good to go. That is, if you’re prepared to live dangerously. A lot of technicians are okay with waxing ladies down there even if they’re on their period and don’t really care. But on the other hand, there are some who would advise women to go for a wax another day, especially, if it’s a Brazilian wax. Estheticians also, if you don’t know yet, have a right to refuse to wax you if youre on your period.
It’s not discrimination or anything. There are two reasons why they may refuse to provide a waxing service which are in your best interest: number one, your vagina is more sensitive during your period, making waxing a more painful experience than how it would feel usually. In fact, getting your vaginal area waxed during your period might be akin to torture.
Number two: Getting a bikini wax, particularly a Brazilian wax, can be unsanitary and embarrassing too. There has been a case where the littlest end of the waxing strip stuck to a tampon string and pulled out the tampon when the waxing strip was pulled off. Yikes.
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You’re Going To Take It All Off
Well, not exactly everything, just the clothes from the lower part of your body. How can the waxer remove all your pubic hair if you’re going to keep your panties on?
This is pretty much common sense, but most people who get a Brazilian wax for the first time can’t help feeling all exposed and awkward during their first time. Yes, it’s terrifying like your other first time, but once you get used to it, you’ll be taking your pants off even without your waxer telling you to do so.
Plus, there’s no need to worry because waxers are very professional. They won’t cringe at the sight of your forest-like pubic hair.
Look Up A Place Online
My second suggestion is to search for spas online and read customer reviews. Most spas have a website with a page that says “meet the staff” or something similar. Research the facility, its staff, its prices, and its list of services.
Find their head esthetician and see what kind of experience they haveâhaving a lot of experience is a good sign. Also, note that I keep using the word “esthetician,” which is the title of someone who went to school to learn how to care for skin and hair. You’ll want to go to someone with that title to get the best quality of service and expertise.
As far as online reviews, you should take them with a grain of salt. One horrible review could mean that either the reviewer or the esthetician was having an off day. On the other hand, a great review could be from a friend of the esthetician. It’s best to find a spot that has both a lot of stars and a lot of reviews.
Since spas also have other services, there may not be any reviews that are specifically about waxing, but don’t be discouraged if that’s the case. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything one way or the other. Like I said, a lot of stars and a lot of reviews in general are still a good thing when determining whether or not to patronize a spa. Also, not every spa has a website. In that case, it’s up to you to decide if you want to give it a shot or not.
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Leftover Hairs Will Be Plucked
Most of the time, there are hairs left behind that can’t be removed through waxing, probably because they are still too short to be waxed. That’s when your waxer might start plucking them off with or without asking you first. This can also sting, especially when she starts tweezing those hairs on your inner labia.
It is a good thing to ask your waxer beforehand if she is going to pluck those individual hairs so that you are prepared for it. You may also opt not to get them tweezed and just leave them be for your next waxing session.
How Do You Care For Your Freshly
“It’s important to exfoliate every other day because you need to get that dead skin off the surface or it will get trapped into the hair follicles and block the hair from growing out. This is how ingrown hairs are created,” she said as she applied an ingrown hair serum to my skin. “Avoid any sweaty activities, sun exposure, public pools, or jacuzzi, having sex, and showering with very hot water after getting a wax.”
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What Is Brazilian Wax Etiquette
Basic Brazilian wax etiquette may seem like common sense for one person but a complete surprise to another. Things like cleaning up before the appointment, not coming in straight from the gym, not having one too many cocktails before waxing, and others are ways clients can keep the experience for themselves and their estheticians a pleasant one.
Lets break these down.
Dont Exfoliate For At Least 2 Days
Exfoliating your lady parts for the next two days wouldnt be advised.
Firstly, the skin is weak and sensitive from all the waxing done.
Second, the pores are yet to shut and come back to normalcy.
Third, you dont want any form of infection, wear and tear, inflammation and itchiness to happen.
So wait for two days and then use a mild body wash and an exfoliant to exfoliate with.
Here were the various tips on post care when Brazilian waxing is done. Now let us take a look at the major tips to consider if this is your first time getting Brazilian waxing.
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Take A Bath One Hour Before
The same way a facialist steams clients before extractions, you can boost your Brazilian by taking a hot bath one hour before an appointment. The warmth will open up pores and soften hairs until they glide effortlessly from their follicles. Okay, maybe thatâs bit of an exaggeration â but it definitely helps the process.
Pro Tip: Pre-wax tub time isnât the appropriate occasion for exfoliation. Give yourself a scrub 24-48 hours before and after a wax, but never the day of.
What Is Brazilian Wax Positioning
To begin the Brazilian wax, you will most often lay flat on your back with your knees bent and legs open and out, like a butterfly position. This will allow all of the front to be waxed and the bikini line creases. If modifications are needed, one leg will be left in this position while waxing with the other straight on the table, switching to the next leg in the butterfly position for the opposite side waxing.
In order to wax the butt strip, there are multiple positions to achieve this, and each esthetician may do the waxing differently.
Some positions can include lying flat on your stomach with your hands reaching back to spread the cheeks for easy access to the esthetician, lying on your side with one leg tucked into your stomach and your hand reaching back to spread one cheek, or lying on your back with your knees tucked into a back roll.
If you know your client has never had a Brazilian wax with you before, be sure to fully explain all positions they will be in from start to finish. This will ease their anxiety and prevent embarrassment because they already know what they will need to do.
Click here for a visual guide on bikini wax shapes.
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How Should You Prepare For A Brazilian Or Bikini Wax Appointment
First things first – make sure your hair is actually long enough to be waxed. “It’s a good idea to stop shaving at least five days prior to your waxing reservation,” said Petak. “Don’t worry, your hair can never be too long to come see us.”
24 to 48 hours before your appointment, exfoliate the area with a scrub that doesn’t leave a film or residue on the skin. You should also moisturize the area for a few days leading up to your service to keep the skin and hair soft, but don’t moisturize the day right before or the day of your treatment.
On the day of your appointment, drink plenty of water to keep you and your skin hydrated. “If your skin is too dry, your hair is more prone to breakage at the root when removed,” said Grupenmager. You should also avoid alcohol and caffeine if possible.
“It may seem like a good idea to have a drink to calm the nerves, but alcohol thins the blood which actually causes a more painful experience,” said Petak. “Caffeine leads to more skin sensitivity and also can up the pain during a wax.” If you’re concerned about the pain, you can take a painkiller like ibuprofen ahead of time.
Another tip for lowering the pain: stick with it. “Once your hair growth is in a pattern, it will be easier to remove, but if you’re not maintaining your waxes, it could be more uncomfortable,” said Grupenmager.