Brazilian Waxing & What to Expect

Brazilian bikini waxes were introduced to New York in 1987 by seven Brazilian-born sisters, the J Sisters. The Brazilian is one of the most popular hair removal methods in the United States. Brazilian waxes differ from regular bikini waxes because hair can be removed in the front, back and everything in between. A "landing strip" is typically left in the front, but many people opt for everything to be removed. Having all the hair removed is referred to as the "Full Brazilian.” It is not difficult to perform Brazilian waxing as the time it takes to complete is between 15 and 45 minutes. So what should you expect when you get a Brazilian wax? Many people are a little nervous or timid about asking questions about the service and what to expect so hopefully this provides some clarification. The steps are as follows:

1.     All body and facial waxing treatments should occur in a private room with a door. You will be left alone and asked to remove pants and underwear. Then you will be asked to lie on the bed on top of clean paper or a towel. Client comfort should be the first priority of any spa and a cleaning napkin and/or a paper thong can be requested.

2.     Only 1/4 inch of hair is needed for the wax to grab onto the skin so your esthetician may need to trim pubic hair to the correct length. Note, gloves are/should be worn at all times by the esthetician. A general rule of thumb is that hair needs to be a quarter-inch if it's fine and a half-inch if it's coarse. As an esthetician I will say coming into the spa with the correct hair length is a huge timesaver!

3.     The esthetician will liberally apply a pre-wax skin cleaning solution and/or talcum powder to the skin to prep the skin and keep the hot wax from sticking to skin.

4.     Your esthetician will dip a wooden waxing stick into a pot of hard wax and then spread it onto your skin and hair. Once the wax has hardened it will be removed without the use of a cloth strip. Hard wax is recommended for this area because it is easier to remove, great for sensitive skin and hurts less than strip wax (wax requiring the use of muslin or rice paper for removal).

5.     Waxing usually starts in the front and moves toward the back. You may be asked to help hold the skin taut. Since the Brazilian means everything off except for a "landing strip" in the front, don't be surprised if and when the technician asks about removing the hair between the buttocks. (Yes, for every person, hair grows there)! If you want to be completely bare opt for the “Full Brazilian." When choosing the Full Brazilian, you will be asked to either move your leg up toward your chest so the esthetician can wax the perianal region or you will be asked to get on all fours. Again, guest comfort is the highest concern so if you chose to opt out of hair removal between the buttocks, inform your esthetician and you will be accommodated.

6.     Once the waxing is complete, the esthetician will tweeze any stray hairs.

7.     The esthetician will spread soothing lotion over the waxed areas. If you later develop bumps, redness or ingrown hairs, gently exfoliate the area with a body scrub and then apply a lotion or cleanser with alpha hydroxy acid. To keep ingrown hairs at bay, make sure to exfoliate the area in the days leading up to your appointment and a couple of days after the appointment.

8.     Once complete, write down the name of your esthetician or request a business card so when you make another appointment you can get the same person and don't have to bare all for another complete stranger (wink). Typically, you'll need to wax every 4 weeks and trust me, the first time hurts the most BUT the more you do it, the less painful it becomes. Add this service to a full body wax and happily throw away your razors!