This week, I treated myself and went on a bit of a self-care spree. I got my hair done, my nails done, and maybe most strange and new to me, I got waxed. And when I say waxed, I mean everything. I was a little scared at first. Every movie I’ve ever seen where the girl gets waxed, it usually includes her wailing in pain and walking a little bow legged after. And every article I read before my appointment assured me that there would be a lot of pain during and quite some discomfort after. I was so nervous I could hardly stand it. But I got through it, and honestly, I can’t imagine shaving again.
That being said, I think there definitely needs to be an honest list of what every girl needs to know before her first Brazilian, or even Bikini, wax.
- It is going to hurt…
But it’s really more of an in-the-moment sting. There are some parts of the waxing that will hurt more than the others. My esthetician told me that most women find the top part and inside parts closest to the *ahem* lady parts are the most painful.
- All the movies have it totally wrong…
Yes, at one point I did want to scream out. But by the time I got home from my wax appointment, I could barely remember the pain I was in at the salon. I was sore, and the area that got waxed was bright red for about an hour, but the initial pain of getting the hair ripped out of my skin was extremely temporary.
- Listen to the aftercare tips of your esthetician…
Chances are, your esthetician will give you advice on aftercare – no sweating or getting excessively hot for 24 hours, you can ice it if you want to, etc. Listen to what she says. I’m very prone to ingrown hairs, so she gave me some serum that would help me avoid getting any when the hair starts to grow back in. You want to make your post-wax experience as flawless as possible.
- Yes, it is awkward…
You’re literally naked from the waist down in a room with another woman, and you’re sitting in the butterfly position. You will feel totally exposed. Furthermore, said other woman, while she may have gloves on, is touching you, spreading hot wax on your skin, and then ripping it off. It’s weird and uncomfortable and strange.
- Because of that awkwardness, talk to your esthetician…
If she knows it’s your first wax, your esthetician will probably talk to you to make it less awkward and to distract you from the moments that she’s ripping out your hair. In the few moments of silence, it was extremely weird for me. It was less weird for me when we were talking, as unexpected as that was for me.
- Do not wear tight clothes and granny panties…
You are not going to be wanting to zip up your favorite pair of tight skinny jeans, nor are you going to want to be squeezing into your fave pair of summer shorts. It’ll hurt and compress your freshly waxed skin. I wore my favorite pair of leggings which have quite a bit of stretch to them so I wasn’t suffocating my skin, and one of my favorite pairs of cotton cheekies that are a little loose.
- Have good etiquette…
If you’re on your period, wear a tampon. Most estheticians will work around the string. Just know that your skin will be crazy sensitive when you’re on your period, so maybe wait a little while for your first wax if it is your time. And tip well. If you’re a die-hard 12% kind of girl, spring for the 20% tip – this woman was just all up in your lady business!
- You have to let the hair grow…
For the wax to really take the hair out, the hair has to be about ¼ of an inch long, which is about the size of a grain of rice, if not a little longer. For me, that means I couldn’t shave for about 2 weeks, but my hair grows in really fast and thick. For some, they can’t shave for about 3-4 weeks before their appointment. As someone who has been shaving for a while, it was strange to go so long without shaving everything.
- It will get easier over time…
The more you wax, the easier it will be (which means the less painful it’ll be). Your skin will become used to the wax, and the bulbs holding your hair in your skin will become smaller so they’ll be easier to pull out.
- You’ll feel more confident after…
If being bare down there makes you feel beautiful, then you will strut out of your wax appointment. Even though I was a tad bit tired after mine, I still felt like I was owning my stuff out there.
Yes, getting a Brazilian wax every time you need to get one instead of shaving can be costly, but it saves time, it’s a way to keep the hair away for much longer than shaving, and you’ll feel so smooth! It’s worth the few seconds of pain, and it’s so nice to not have to worry about shaving so often. Don’t be afraid of getting waxed. If anything, it’s quite a nice experience.
Featured image via Breakingpic on Pexels
