Nobody wants to talk about it but we all know our bikini area is not as naturally cropped and manicured as we’d like. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to achieve this. I don’t even want to talk about shaving – hello, stubbles!! And in the summer time we need continuous days of hairlessness and you can’t get a close shave the second day when you can see the hair but can’t actually shave it off. As much as it hurts and if you can bare the embarrassment (it’s not that bad really), waxing is the only real option (other than permanent laser hair removal, electrolysis is not worth the pain and $$$). If you’ve never done it before, it sounds worse than it is, you do eventually get used to the pain and once you’re used to it, it’s like riding a bike, you can not go for months or even years and your pain level remains the same (permanent nerve damage maybe??). Do not try waxing on your own. There are kits you can buy but unless you need material for a comedy skit, seek professional service for waxing!!

There are a few things you should be aware of. There are different types of waxes and the quality of the wax does make a difference so spend the few extra bucks for the nice salon (for example DO NOT GET THIS DONE AT A NAIL SALON). They have wax that comes in an applicator where they rub it on like a glue dispenser which alleviates messes but I do not like the sanitation of it (you never know who went before you, I mean think about it where it’s going!!). Then there is the kind of wax that does not require a cotton strip, the wax itself hardens to a rubber like consistency and the entire thing is yanked off. It sounds great in concept but the reality is that it is not quite sticky enough so a lot of hair is left behind. I prefer the wooden tongue depressor dipped in hot wax and spread on the old fashioned way. I like seeing progress being made with the strips of cotton full of my much unwanted hair.

So those are your wax options, now for the style options. A regular bikini wax just removes the hair that would stick out the sides of your bikini bottom. A Brazilian wax involves removing all the hair, including the entire underneath side going all the way back to the behind and only a small patch is left in the front, if any. Your style options are in what is left behind, a triangle and the size of the triangle, a landing strip and the width and length of the strip or nothing left at all (I do not recommend the porn star look). It is a totally weird feeling at first but all the girls I know who get the Brazilian will never go back to full coverage. It is quite liberating. The irony of it all though is that the clean feeling from being hairless is actually not the most hygienic. According to gynecologists, Brazilian wax promotes bacteria which leads to all kinds of problems. So you must be extra diligent about hygiene (I am sure this is not a problem for our readers, being Beauty Snobs cleanliness is our first priority).

The aftermath of waxing is sometimes not as savory as the initial results. Many people experience burns, bumps and ingrown hairs. Taking an aspirin or Advil before the wax can reduce inflammation and the pain but it does not take care of the bumps and ingrown hairs. Tend Skin is designed for such problems and I would highly recommend getting a bottle of it on your way out (usually salons that do waxing will have it and is around $13). You must use it everyday, twice a day, for a week. It is a simple application process using a cotton ball. You are now ready for your bikini!