Dare to Bare...

Are you wondering whether you should dare to bare and go for a Brazilian or Hollywood wax before your holiday this year? Will you feel more confident in your bikini if you know you are hairless?

Having no hair down there is extremely popular but for some the first appointment can be really daunting! So I thought I'd give you the low down on what waxing is all about and what to expect during your first appointment.

HAIR GROWTH

So to give you a better understanding of waxing I thought I'd start by explaining the way the hair grows - this is extremely relevant for waxing appointments.

First up, there are 2 types of hair we have as adults - terminal and vellus. Pubic hair is terminal hair which means it is thicker, longer and can be darker. Vellus hair is the soft hair we have on our face that isn't so noticeable.

ANAGEN - hair goes through an active growth stage & approx 30% of your hair is within this stage at any one time.

CATAGEN - this is where it stops growing, the hair follicle shrinks and the blood supply is cut off. This takes a couple of weeks and only a small percentage of hairs are at this stage at one time, around 2-3%.

TELOGEN - the the hair follicle is dormant and you shed the old hair. Most of our pubic hair will be within this stage when you have your wax.

When you shave the hair, it removes hair from the surface of the skin. Hair remains thick and course and you can experience stubble and shaving rash.

When you wax, it removes hair from the hair follicle. If you wax every 4 weeks or so, without touching the hair inbetween, you will start to notice your pubic hair becoming softer and sparser. You also wont get stubble or a shaving rash any more! Yay! This means your subsequent waxes will be quicker and less painful as the hair will come out really easily. It only takes around 3 waxes for most people to start seeing great results.

BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT

Make sure you've let your hair grow - 3-4 weeks growth will be best, the more hair on the surface of the skin the better. I am only able to remove hair that is on the surface of the skin (obviously!) so because not all of the hairs are within the same growth stage, if you want the best result possible then I need you to have at least 3 weeks hair growth from shaving (or any other hair removal) when you have your first appointment. If you shave closer to your appointment, it is likely that some hair growth will be visible within a week or so after your wax & your skin wont be quite as smooth as it should be. Also ensure that you shower or bath before your appointment to soften the hair follicles.

BOOKING YOUR APPOINTMENT

If you are a first time waxer here at Shore Beauty, please book out the First Brazilian or First Hollywood. It doesn't matter if you are a regular waxer, it blocks out some extra time so I can complete a consultation with you. If you have any questions you can pop over to my waxing FAQ page or feel free to email me at shore-beauty@hotmail.com. Pop here to book.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING YOUR APPOINTMENT

A Brazilian/Hollywood wax is also called "Intimate Waxing". It's not quite as evasive as say, having a smear test, but it can be a bit daunting. I am only seeing hair and removing it. I am a specialist waxer and very experienced, I have worked with hundreds of women and mostly all are nervous the first time they have a wax - whether that's because they are worried for the pain or feel embarrassed. It is a big step - when I train and do yearly refreshers I have to be waxed. Except not only am I knicker-less, I'm also surrounded by other therapists watching & learning!! So I totally understand how you may be feeling.

- when you arrive I will get you to complete a consultation form and have a discussion with you and answer any questions you may have

- I will then leave the room and you can get changed; when having intimate waxing, it is easier for me if you remove your underwear

- I'll leave you to get changed and provide a towel to put over your lap when you get onto my treatment bed

- I'll come in and ask you to move your legs into a frog position, I will then move the towel where I need it, keeping your modesty

- i'll apply pre-wax oil to protect your skin and apply wax in various places and I will work from a basic bikini, into a high bikini, then Brazilian then Hollywood. IF you do find it too much then this allows me to stop and ensure each side is evenly waxed! You can't leave with half a bush!!

- If you are having inbetween your bum cheeks (which is no where near as bad as you may be imagining) then I will get you to lay on your side, pull the top leg forward and pull your top bum cheek up slightly

- then it is over!! I'll get you to move back onto your front and I'll put the towel back over you & leave you to get changed

Remember to breath throughout the wax - it makes a lot of difference if you are holding your breath as this can tense your body!

HOW LONG DOES WAXING LAST?

The more you wax, the longer you will have smooth skin. Due to the hair growth stages, and all hairs in your pubic area being in different growth stages, at first you may see some hair growth after a week or so. These will be hairs that were under the surface of your skin when you came for the wax, thus the wax was unable to pull them out. That's why it is best to have as many hairs as possible on the skins surface when you have a wax, so avoid hair removal for 3 weeks before your appointment. After you are in the swing of things with waxing, you'll start seeing smooth results for longer - 2/3/4/5 weeks!

WHAT WAX IS USED - IS IT PAINFUL?

I use a very good quality hot wax. I will apply some pre-wax oil to the area being waxed and then apply the hot wax. This is wax that shrink wraps around the hair when it is applied and I pull the wax itself away from the skin (quickly) while ensuring the skin is pulled tight. I do not use a strip wax (also known as warm wax). Because hot wax shrink wraps around the hair, it only grips the hair rather than the skin.

I will never say that waxing isn't painful. The first every wax will be the worst. Some people find it totally painless, others don't, it really depends on you and your pain threshold. The more you wax and the less you shave, the softer the hair becomes. This means it pulls out easily when waxing and will be far less painful. The wax will also be quicker too as thick, terminal hair can be tough and course from shaving. Sometimes it can be stubborn, but my wax is really good and pulls out mostly all hairs first time.

AFTERCARE ADVICE

So once your wax is over and you are dressed, you will probably find yourself telling me that it wasn't as bad as what you were expecting! This is very common! After your first wax I will give you an aftercare sheet to take home so you can refer to it if you need to but generally this is my advice:

- book your next appointment for 4 weeks time

- bin the razor!!

- avoid steam/Jacuzzis/saunas for 24-48 hours (due to your hair follicles being open, this can cause inflammation)

- avoid vigorous exercise and intimate action for 24-48 hours

- exfoliate once a week (just the top area should be fine)

- if you are prone to ingrown hairs then let me know - I have the Waxperts Wonder Pads which are the best solution I have found for ingrown (more about those here)

Hopefully that has given you some insight into how the hair grows and what to expect at your first waxing appointment - if you have any further questions then you can complete my contact form here or book your first Brazilian or Hollywood with me here.

Amy x