Bald is in! Bikini Wax 101

Getting a bikini or Brazilian wax for the first time can be both intimidating and overwhelming, but there’s no reason to be worried! Armed with just a few key pieces of information, your first bikini area waxing experience will be a smooth one—pun intended 🙂

Pick a Professional

The number one most important piece of advice before getting a wax is to make sure you go to a licensed esthetician who has been trained in proper hair removal techniques. Any uncomfortable feelings will be eased by you knowing your esthetician is a professional with safe and precise technique and zero judgment.

Choose Your Style

Before your waxing appointment, you should decide how much hair you want removed. At Michelle Yvonne Beauty, I offer three types of waxing services: the Bikini, French Bikini and Brazilian wax. With the Bikini wax, only the hair along the bikini line, top and inner thigh area is removed. The French Bikini wax removes more hair, going slightly higher on both sides of the bikini line. For an entirely bare wax, choose the Brazilian where everything is removed, including the hair on the labia and buttocks. Even with the Brazilian, many women choose to leave a small patch of hair or “landing strip” above the vulva.

The First Will Be the Worst

Yes, waxing is painful, but you’ll be fine! Everybody’s pain tolerance is different, but the good news is that waxing does get easier the more times you do it. If you wax every 3-4 weeks, you will have less hair to remove, making it less painful. Because women are more sensitive during their period, it is advised they not wax 5 days prior and 5 days after. Pregnancy can also make that area more sensitive.

Prep for Success

Allow 3 weeks of growth from your last shave and 4 weeks from your last wax. Hair has to be at least ¼ inches long for a proper wax. If your hair is too long, however, it will need to be trimmed.

DO: Wear lose clothing to your waxing appointment. Tight clothing can irritate your skin after waxing, causing ingrown hairs to develop.

DON’T: Drink alcohol or caffeinated drinks before your appointment. This can cause your pores to tighten, making for a more painful experience.

Post-wax Care

Proper home-care after waxing is very important. It is normal to have bumps, redness, pimples, itching, breakout, and stubble. Be sure to avoid the heat, direct sun, friction, exfoliation, hot tubs, baths and working out for 12-24 hours. If it is your first time waxing, wait 24-48 hours.

If you are new to waxing, it will take a good three months of regular waxing (every 3-4 weeks) to have all your hair growth in the same phase. As tempting as it will be, do not tweeze or shave in between waxing services.

After the initial couple of days, I recommend using exfoliation gloves to exfoliate the bikini area. This will help smooth bumps and prevent ingrown hairs. GlymedPlus has two great products for daily cleansing. If you are prone to breakouts, I suggest you use a cleanser with Salicylic Acid in it, Sal-X Purifying Cleanser. If you are not prone to breakouts, I recommend Pre-Treatment Foaming Cleanser with PC10.

Choose a non-acne-causing moisturizer to keep the area hydrated. This will not only soothe the skin, but make it easier for hair to break through the surface, helping to prevent ingrown hairs. I recommend GlymedPlus’s Ultra Hydro Gel. This is a light moisturizer (with 10% Hyaluronic Acid) that won’t clog pores.

Great after-care is the key to a great waxing experience—don’t forget it!