I Have Never Had a Brazilian Wax and I Needed to Know What Really Happens

I have never had a Brazilian wax.

There. I said it.

I have friends who get them regularly, though, and they talk about their appointments like they're going to get their eyebrows done.

Meanwhile, I'm listening to the details thinking, You voluntarily made another appointment for this?

Because from where I'm sitting, the whole thing sounds a little wild.

You make an appointment with a stranger.

You take off your clothes from the waist down.

Hot wax gets involved.

Hair gets pulled out by the root from one of the most sensitive areas of your body.

And then apparently you pay, say thank you, and schedule another appointment.

Women are fascinating.

The funny thing is, the more I've heard my friends talk about waxing, the more curious I've gotten.

Not curious enough that I've booked an appointment yet, but definitely curious enough to start asking questions.

What actually happens in that room?

How much does it hurt?

How naked are we talking?

Where exactly are my legs supposed to go?

How long does the smooth part last after I survive the part where someone is ripping wax off me?

And probably my biggest question of all: Why do women who get Brazilian waxes keep going back?

So, I decided I needed answers.

First, I Needed to Know What They Are Actually Waxing

Before getting into anything else, I had to understand the difference between a bikini wax and a Brazilian wax because I used to mentally put them into the same category.

They aren't quite the same.

A bikini wax generally removes the hair around the edges of the pubic area, basically the hair that might show outside underwear or a swimsuit.

A Brazilian goes much farther.

Most or all of the pubic hair can be removed, including hair in the front and farther back.

How much stays is something a woman can discuss with her waxer.

You aren't automatically required to remove every single hair just because the appointment says Brazilian.

Cleveland Clinic describes a Brazilian wax as removing all or most pubic hair.

That answered one question.

It also created about twelve more.

I Would Definitely Want Someone Who Knows What She's Doing

After reading about the actual process, this is one beauty treatment where I'm personally not feeling ambitious enough to become a do-it-yourself woman.

I respect a good home beauty project.

This would not be mine.

Wax that's too hot can burn the skin, and incorrect waxing can irritate or damage it.

If I ever decide to do this, I'm looking for an experienced licensed esthetician who regularly performs Brazilian waxing.

And I would pay attention to cleanliness.

One detail I didn't know before researching this is that a waxer should use a fresh wooden stick every time she dips into the wax.

She shouldn't touch my skin with a stick and then put that same stick back into the wax pot.

Apparently double dipping isn't just something we need to worry about around chips and salsa.

That is enough information for me to become very observant in that room. 

Apparently, I Can't Just Wake Up and Decide to Get Waxed

This surprised me.

You actually have to grow the hair first.

The hair needs to be long enough for the wax to grab onto.

Dermatologists recommend roughly one quarter to three quarters of an inch.

If it's much longer, it may need to be trimmed before the appointment.

They recommend showering beforehand and gently exfoliating the area one or two days before the appointment.

So basically, there's preparation.

I can't shave Tuesday and suddenly decide Wednesday morning that today feels like Brazilian wax day.

There also are situations where waxing may not be a good idea.

Certain other medications and skin treatments can also make skin more sensitive.

That is absolutely something I would mention when making the appointment instead of assuming a waxer somehow has magical knowledge of what's in my medicine cabinet. 

Now Let's Talk About What Happens When the Pants Come Off

This was the part I really wanted explained.

From what I've learned, once I'm in the room, I would undress from the waist down and get onto the waxing table.

Depending on the salon and what I'm having removed, I may be given something to cover myself temporarily.

Then the esthetician cleans and prepares the skin.

Wax is applied in small sections.

There are different kinds of wax.

Hard wax is put directly onto the skin, allowed to harden and then pulled off without a strip.

Soft wax uses a cloth or paper strip over the wax.

Then comes the part everyone has been waiting for.

Rip.

The wax gets pulled away quickly, taking the hair with it from the root.

Then another section.

And another.

And another.

The waxer may hold the skin tight while removing the wax and use tweezers afterward for stubborn little hairs that apparently decided they weren't participating.

They say an appointment commonly takes around 30 to 60 minutes.

And yes, I may be asked to move my legs into different positions.

That right there is where I feel like friendship between me and my waxer would progress very quickly.

There is no pretending we're strangers after that. 

But Seriously How Bad Does a Brazilian Wax Hurt?

This was the question I cared about most.

I wanted somebody to tell me the truth.

And the truth is annoyingly inconvenient.

It depends.

Brazilian wax pain can range from uncomfortable to very painful depending on someone's pain tolerance, skin sensitivity and hair thickness.

The first appointment also tends to be the hardest.

So my friend telling me, “Girl, it's nothing,” means absolutely nothing.

Her nothing could be my Lord, why have I done this?

The pain comes from pulling multiple hairs out at the root at once, so I wouldn't expect it to feel like a relaxing spa afternoon.

But it's also quick.

From everything I've learned, it's more of a sharp sting with each section rather than thirty straight minutes of nonstop pain.

I think that's an important difference.

Am I convinced?

Ask me again when I'm standing in front of a salon. 

And Then I Have to Walk Around Like Nothing Happened?

Apparently, the skin can be red, tender, itchy or bumpy afterward.

That makes sense.

Something fairly aggressive just happened to it.

They recommend being gentle with the area afterward and avoiding things that create extra heat or friction, including hot baths, saunas and tight clothing, for about 24 to 48 hours.

This feels like a loose sweatpants occasion to me.

Ingrown hairs can also happen after waxing.

That's when a hair grows back into the skin instead of coming through normally.

Mayo Clinic says waxing, shaving and tweezing can all cause ingrown hairs, and tightly curled hair can make them more likely.

A little temporary redness is one thing.

Extreme pain, major swelling, pus, discharge or irritation that keeps getting worse is another.

That's when I wouldn't just chalk it up to waxing and hope for the best.

They recommend contacting a healthcare professional if those more serious symptoms happen.

Now I Understand Why Women Keep Going Back

Here is where my opinion started shifting a little.

Not enough for me to grab my purse and book an appointment, but enough for me to understand my friends.

Waxing removes the hair from the root.

That means the results last considerably longer than shaving.

Cleveland Clinic says a Brazilian wax can leave the area relatively hair free for about three to four weeks.

Three to four weeks?

Okay.

Now we're talking.

If you're someone who shaves frequently, gets razor bumps or is just tired of dealing with pubic hair every few days, I can understand why one uncomfortable appointment might feel worth it.

Some women who wax regularly also notice that their hair eventually grows back softer or thinner, although that doesn't happen exactly the same way for everyone.

Most women maintaining a Brazilian wax will end up back at the salon somewhere around every three to four weeks because the hair needs time to grow long enough for the wax to grab again.

So yes.

You go through all of that.

And then you come back.

Voluntarily.

My friends suddenly make slightly more sense to me. 

I Still Haven't Decided If I'm Joining the Club

After learning everything I now know about Brazilian waxing, I understand the appeal much more than I did before.

I also understand why someone might decide it's absolutely not for her.

There isn't anything dirty or wrong about having pubic hair.

We don't need to remove it.

We aren't somehow cleaner, more feminine or more put together because we're waxed.

Hair grows there because bodies grow hair there.

What we choose to do with it is personal.

Wax it.

Shave it.

Trim it.

Leave the whole situation alone.

I'm not interested in turning another part of being a woman into something we supposedly have to fix.

But I am interested in understanding our options.

And now, if I ever decide to walk into that waxing room, at least I won't be lying there wondering why nobody told me what was about to happen.

I'll know.

Will that knowledge actually convince me to take my pants off and let someone start applying wax?

That decision is still pending.

But I finally understand why my friends keep going back.

And I have to admit, three to four weeks without shaving is making a surprisingly strong argument.

Disclaimer: This post is for general information only. Everyone's skin, pain level and results can be different.

#EvolvingWomanhood

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