What to Expect From a Brazilian Wax

Summer is just around the corner, and women everywhere are planning vacations to the beach or a nice Summer cruise in the Pacific. Wearing a bikini during Summer activities can require a lot of personal maintenance, which is why many women seek professional hair-removal, such as laser hair removal or, with increasing popularity, a Brazilian wax.

A Brazilian wax is much different from other hair removal options; as this waxing concentrates on the back, front, and everything in between in the bikini area. Those who prefer getting a Brazilian wax will typically still have a “landing strip” in the front, while everything else becomes smooth and hairless. The Brazilian wax is quickly becoming the most popular form of bikini hair removal for women in America.

What to Expect From a Brazilian Wax

A Brazilian wax involves the application of hot wax to any hair in the bikini area. The waxer will usually first apply talcum powder to the areas in which you want your hair removed to help prevent the wax from sticking to your skin. Then hot wax is spread onto the hair with a wooden spoon, and a piece of cloth is smoothed over it until the wax cools, allowing the cloth, wax, and hair to stick to one another. Finally, your waxer pulls the strip opposite the direction of hair growth to seamlessly remove the hair in the bikini and buttocks regions by the roots.

Important Considerations

According to Shalaine Howell, an esthetician at Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics in Spokane, there are a few things women should know before they seek a Brazilian wax.

“The hair has to be a quarter-inch long; so if you shave, you have to wait ten to twelve days for the hair to grow out,” she said. “I also always ask clients, if they are on their periods or if they are about to start, to avoid (waxing) for five to seven days, because it makes them uncomfortable and it makes the procedure a little more intolerable.”

Howell also says patients who are on prescription blood thinners or the anti-acne drug, Accutane should not get waxed until they’ve been off these medications for at least six to eight months.

“These medications affect the liver by thinning the blood and the skin; and so if you put that wax over the skin, you have the chance of ripping skin off,” she said.

As long as you consider any factors that might make your waxing experience unpleasant, getting a Brazilian wax could make this bikini season a more freeing and comfortable venture.