Like most twenty-something American women, I have spent a large amount of time self-grooming since puberty. And it meant shaving my knees, my armpits, and my lady bits for me. To feel the needless pain of waxing, why would I dish out money when I could only pay $10 at CVS for a handy dandy razor? And I was looking at the need to groom only a couple of times a year at most, due to my northeast place with a lack of viable beach days.
That is, before there were boyfriends and later my fiancé in the photo. This meant improving my grooming game to shaving once a day or several days a week at least. Ugh! -Ugh! The maintenance, the burning of the razors, the accuracy, the whole shebang was exhausting. That's when the notion of waxing my pubic hair began to sound like a very, very good idea. I had friends who swore Brazilian waxes-religiously booked them and if you charged them, they wouldn't go back to shaving.
So, I thought, "What the fuck?" "and embarked on a quest to align myself with the other courageous, bold, and inspiring women who, when it comes to grooming their hoo-ha, have trekked along the path of least resistance. I've booked my first Brazilian wax.
First off:
What's the Brazil wax?The idea of bikini wax is more common to most of us. It's when a beautician uses hot wax to get rid of the hair that would be noticeable if a bikini bottom were to be worn. Basically, the Brazilian is the same thing, only removing more hair *.* The hairs around the vagina lips and in your behind are used in a Brazilian. You may choose to leave hair on top of a triangle or landing strip. Or, you can go absolutely naked. The Brazilian was introduced back in 1987 by a group of Brazilian sisters (yes, really), and today remains the most common hair removal technique in the U.S.
The preparation:
You've got to let it expand.I was really dissatisfied with the idea of trying to grow it out for someone who's been shaving down there for the better part of my life. A quarter-inch is the perfect length for waxing pubic hair, which meant I couldn't use the razor for almost three weeks. Thankfully, before my hubby-to-be returned, I had only that amount of time and, luckily, my cats are not judgmental.
The first couple of days have not been bad at all. It was just like I was lazy at any other time. But it began to get super uncomfortable after about a full week. I'm talking about itchiness, discomfort, and even pain. How do the women of the planet wear leggings to rock the bush? Or, dare I ask yourself, tights? Even my jeans rubbed the wrong way around my crotch. I tried my best to forget it, but almost every time I sat down, I found myself adapting.
The Street Word: Ask someone you meet.as adequately trained for my Brazilian experience. Had they done it, ever? How heavily did that hurt? Should I go through that? And almost all of them, to my delight, had been waxed. And the consensus was, "Hell, yes, it's going to hurt."
Like most twenty-something American women, I have spent a large amount of time self-grooming since puberty. And it meant shaving my knees, my armpits, and my lady bits for me. To feel the needless pain of waxing, why would I dish out money when I could only pay $10 at CVS for a handy dandy razor? And I was looking at the need to groom only a couple of times a year at most, due to my northeast place with a lack of viable beach days.
That is, before there were boyfriends and later my fiancé in the photo. This meant improving my grooming game to shaving once a day or several days a week at least. Ugh!-Ugh! The maintenance, the burning of the razors, the accuracy, the whole shebang was exhausting. That's when the notion of waxing my pubic hair began to sound like a very, very good idea. I had friends who swore Brazilian waxes-religiously booked them and if you charged them, they wouldn't go back to shaving.
So, I thought, "What the fuck?" "and embarked on a quest to align myself with the other courageous, bold, and inspiring women who, when it comes to grooming their hoo-ha, have trekked along the path of least resistance. I've booked my first Brazil wax.
First off: What's the Brazil wax?The idea of bikini wax is more common to most of us. It's when a beautician uses hot wax to get rid of the hair that would be noticeable if a bikini bottom were to be worn. Basically, the Brazilian is the same thing, only removing more hair*.* The hairs around the vagina lips and in your behind are used in a Brazilian. You may choose to leave hair on top of a triangle or landing strip. Or, you can go absolutely naked. The Brazilian was introduced back in 1987 by a group of Brazilian sisters (yes, really), and today remains the most common hair removal technique in the U.S.
The preparation: You've got to let it expand.I was really dissatisfied with the idea of trying to grow it out for someone who's been shaving down there for the better part of my life. A quarter-inch is the perfect length for waxing pubic hair, which meant I couldn't use the razor for almost three weeks. Thankfully, before my hubby-to-be returned, I had only that amount of time and, luckily, my cats are not judgmental.
The first couple of days have not been bad at all. It was just like I was lazy at any other time. But it began to get super uncomfortable after about a full week. I'm talking about itchiness, discomfort, and even pain. How do the women of the planet wear leggings to rock the bush? Or, dare I ask yourself, tights? Even my jeans rubbed the wrong way around my crotch. I tried my best to forget it, but almost every time I sat down, I found myself adapting.
Also read: Brazilian Wax tips
The Street Word: Ask someone you meet.
I surveyed my friends in order to make sure I was adequately trained for my Brazilian experience. Had they done it, ever? How heavily did that hurt? Should I go through that? And almost all of them, to my delight, had been waxed. And the consensus was, "Hell, yes, it's going to hurt."
I have compiled from my friends a laundry list of ideas for dos and don'ts. This is what they recommended:
Let the hair grow as long as it can (the longer, the better).
One hour or so ago, down a generous glass of wine (but not more than one pour or I'd be more vulnerable to bleeding, as my nurse friend told me).
Take two tablets of ibuprofen a few hours in advance of my appointment.
Carry some tissues, so that I can feel clean when there was a random lady up and around my crotch.
Ask for hard, not soft, wax. About the difference? With fabric, soft wax is done, while hard wax is removed without strips, it only hardens on the skin and is then removed.
Afterwards, don't work out because the area will still be super sensitive.
Spoiler alert: almost everything they taught me was overlooked by me. I squeezed into a fast boot camp at a studio near the waxing salon, because I knew I couldn't work out afterwards. Mostly all of the advice from my kind friends went out the window in the middle of scrambling to break a sweat, change, freshen up, and get to my appointment on time, no ibuprofen, no wine, and no anxiety medications. Gulp. Gulp.
That's right: Brazilian waxes are hurting like hell.
A bubbly, 5-foot woman named Lara with a super-thick Russian accent took my hand and began to lead me down a long corridor in the opposite direction of the exit when I arrived at the Eve Salon and Spa in NYC for my appointment. There was no back turning.
She took me into the room and ordered me to strip down below the waist absolutely. I have to admit that it was a little strange. My ob/gyn appointment is the first time I've done anything like this, and even that makes me anxious and awkward. I told her that I was highly anxious, because it was my first time there. She grinned and nodded, assuring herself, "Yes, I can see it." Oh, no worries! ”
She began to reach for the wax immediately, and I took the opportunity to ask her for hard, not soft, as my friends had suggested. "At my plea, with a hard-and-fast, "Your hair is too short," she gave me a very sudden horizontal shake of the head. Shit. Lara explained how the soft wax will work. She would put a little hot wax over my vag's hair, place the muslin cloth over it, and then tear in the opposite direction of hair growth.
She sampled just a small area first towards my bikini line to show me what it would feel. Holy hell, it hurt. Lara looked at me in surprise, "That hurt?" she asked. "Yes, was it supposed to?!" I responded. She clarified that I had virgin hair that had never been removed because this was my first time. She said it would certainly hurt, but she would do the rest really quickly and it would be removed.
Around five inches below my belly button, the next patch was more central and high. This area hurt a little less, but even my breath was taken away by the pain. She began for the next area, and I had to ask her to pause for a second. What the hell did I get into myself? I couldn't believe the amount of pain that followed each strip. Lara paused for a moment and held her cold hands over the area she had
It took about half an hour for me to turn over and get into the role of Child's Pose so she could get to the area behind me. This could have been, I have to admit, the best part of the entire experience. She finished the entire area after just 30 seconds and returned to the frontal region where she still had a little to go. I braved it through, and when I eventually made it home to my apartment, I thought about the ginormous glass of wine I would pour myself. "All done! All done! She declared, as my 45 minutes of lying spread eagle on a table came to an end. She filled what was left with baby powder from my downstairs region (and dignity) and sent me on my way. I glimpsed downward, seeing a lot of redness. The rest of my clothes were put on and I took my belongings.
To relieve the discomfort, stock up on ice and wine.
When I walked out of the salon and straight for the subway, I texted the same thing to all my friends: Why did you let me do that!? They all had identical answers: Aww, the poor one? But doesn't it just feel that smooth? Within a week, you'll love it.
I thought it was time to come face-to-face with my lady parts once I got home and chugged my glass of Cabernet. I took a mirror and began to examine the area that looked somewhat familiar when I was shaving, with the exception of the vast redness, inflammation, and sensitivity that covered the whole area. I always had so much pain. I was advised by Lara to use cortisone cream. It just didn't help. A bag of ice, more wine, and Sex and the City reruns were the only things that made it feel better.
I was glad to experience much less pain the next morning. It didn't feel as raw as it had the night before, even though I was still really bruised. Prior to getting ready, I covered the region with some cortisone cream.
One week later: I'm beginning to understand at last.
The discomfort lasted just two days, and I was able to completely understand the appeal of the Brazilian wax once it had dissipated. No hair has ever returned! A week later and there is no single strand in sight. This was good news indeed for someone who was used to shaving every single day. I wasn't able to believe how free I felt. Without wasting five minutes grooming during every shower, I loved how smooth, silky, and sexy it felt down there. My sex was better, my clothes were better, and it all felt easier. Finally, in the first place, I was able to understand why individuals got Brazilian waxes. It was unexpectedly worth it, sort of, maybe... well, definitely.
Should I do it again, then?
Before I left the salon, I made a second appointment and I'm hoping to keep it going. Yeah, the pain of my first encounter was brutal, but the second, third, and fourth times, they say it's getting a lot easier. "Lara told me, "The hair grows less coarse and less after it has been waxed before," Lara said. "It's not that bad after you've gotten through the initial experience.
Will it be worth giving round two a try? Yeah. Yes. It's wonderful not to have to think every day about shaving. But the price point is another factor to be considered. Most Brazilians range from $50 to $70 anywhere, so it's definitely not cheap. Is the price of not having to spend 30-60 minutes a month downstairs grooming worth it? One hundred percent. All in all, at some point in life, particularly before childbirth, I'm glad I experienced the Brazilian wax, which is going to be much worse.
That is, before there were boyfriends and later my fiancé in the photo. This meant improving my grooming game to shaving once a day or several days a week at least. Ugh! -Ugh! The maintenance, the burning of the razors, the accuracy, the whole shebang was exhausting. That's when the notion of waxing my pubic hair began to sound like a very, very good idea. I had friends who swore Brazilian waxes-religiously booked them and if you charged them, they wouldn't go back to shaving.
So, I thought, "What the fuck?" "and embarked on a quest to align myself with the other courageous, bold, and inspiring women who, when it comes to grooming their hoo-ha, have trekked along the path of least resistance. I've booked my first Brazilian wax.
First off:
What's the Brazil wax?The idea of bikini wax is more common to most of us. It's when a beautician uses hot wax to get rid of the hair that would be noticeable if a bikini bottom were to be worn. Basically, the Brazilian is the same thing, only removing more hair *.* The hairs around the vagina lips and in your behind are used in a Brazilian. You may choose to leave hair on top of a triangle or landing strip. Or, you can go absolutely naked. The Brazilian was introduced back in 1987 by a group of Brazilian sisters (yes, really), and today remains the most common hair removal technique in the U.S.
The preparation:
You've got to let it expand.I was really dissatisfied with the idea of trying to grow it out for someone who's been shaving down there for the better part of my life. A quarter-inch is the perfect length for waxing pubic hair, which meant I couldn't use the razor for almost three weeks. Thankfully, before my hubby-to-be returned, I had only that amount of time and, luckily, my cats are not judgmental.
The first couple of days have not been bad at all. It was just like I was lazy at any other time. But it began to get super uncomfortable after about a full week. I'm talking about itchiness, discomfort, and even pain. How do the women of the planet wear leggings to rock the bush? Or, dare I ask yourself, tights? Even my jeans rubbed the wrong way around my crotch. I tried my best to forget it, but almost every time I sat down, I found myself adapting.
The Street Word: Ask someone you meet.as adequately trained for my Brazilian experience. Had they done it, ever? How heavily did that hurt? Should I go through that? And almost all of them, to my delight, had been waxed. And the consensus was, "Hell, yes, it's going to hurt."
Like most twenty-something American women, I have spent a large amount of time self-grooming since puberty. And it meant shaving my knees, my armpits, and my lady bits for me. To feel the needless pain of waxing, why would I dish out money when I could only pay $10 at CVS for a handy dandy razor? And I was looking at the need to groom only a couple of times a year at most, due to my northeast place with a lack of viable beach days.
That is, before there were boyfriends and later my fiancé in the photo. This meant improving my grooming game to shaving once a day or several days a week at least. Ugh!-Ugh! The maintenance, the burning of the razors, the accuracy, the whole shebang was exhausting. That's when the notion of waxing my pubic hair began to sound like a very, very good idea. I had friends who swore Brazilian waxes-religiously booked them and if you charged them, they wouldn't go back to shaving.
So, I thought, "What the fuck?" "and embarked on a quest to align myself with the other courageous, bold, and inspiring women who, when it comes to grooming their hoo-ha, have trekked along the path of least resistance. I've booked my first Brazil wax.
First off: What's the Brazil wax?The idea of bikini wax is more common to most of us. It's when a beautician uses hot wax to get rid of the hair that would be noticeable if a bikini bottom were to be worn. Basically, the Brazilian is the same thing, only removing more hair*.* The hairs around the vagina lips and in your behind are used in a Brazilian. You may choose to leave hair on top of a triangle or landing strip. Or, you can go absolutely naked. The Brazilian was introduced back in 1987 by a group of Brazilian sisters (yes, really), and today remains the most common hair removal technique in the U.S.
The preparation: You've got to let it expand.I was really dissatisfied with the idea of trying to grow it out for someone who's been shaving down there for the better part of my life. A quarter-inch is the perfect length for waxing pubic hair, which meant I couldn't use the razor for almost three weeks. Thankfully, before my hubby-to-be returned, I had only that amount of time and, luckily, my cats are not judgmental.
The first couple of days have not been bad at all. It was just like I was lazy at any other time. But it began to get super uncomfortable after about a full week. I'm talking about itchiness, discomfort, and even pain. How do the women of the planet wear leggings to rock the bush? Or, dare I ask yourself, tights? Even my jeans rubbed the wrong way around my crotch. I tried my best to forget it, but almost every time I sat down, I found myself adapting.
Also read: Brazilian Wax tips
The Street Word: Ask someone you meet.
I surveyed my friends in order to make sure I was adequately trained for my Brazilian experience. Had they done it, ever? How heavily did that hurt? Should I go through that? And almost all of them, to my delight, had been waxed. And the consensus was, "Hell, yes, it's going to hurt."
I have compiled from my friends a laundry list of ideas for dos and don'ts. This is what they recommended:
Let the hair grow as long as it can (the longer, the better).
One hour or so ago, down a generous glass of wine (but not more than one pour or I'd be more vulnerable to bleeding, as my nurse friend told me).
Take two tablets of ibuprofen a few hours in advance of my appointment.
Carry some tissues, so that I can feel clean when there was a random lady up and around my crotch.
Ask for hard, not soft, wax. About the difference? With fabric, soft wax is done, while hard wax is removed without strips, it only hardens on the skin and is then removed.
Afterwards, don't work out because the area will still be super sensitive.
Spoiler alert: almost everything they taught me was overlooked by me. I squeezed into a fast boot camp at a studio near the waxing salon, because I knew I couldn't work out afterwards. Mostly all of the advice from my kind friends went out the window in the middle of scrambling to break a sweat, change, freshen up, and get to my appointment on time, no ibuprofen, no wine, and no anxiety medications. Gulp. Gulp.
That's right: Brazilian waxes are hurting like hell.
A bubbly, 5-foot woman named Lara with a super-thick Russian accent took my hand and began to lead me down a long corridor in the opposite direction of the exit when I arrived at the Eve Salon and Spa in NYC for my appointment. There was no back turning.
She took me into the room and ordered me to strip down below the waist absolutely. I have to admit that it was a little strange. My ob/gyn appointment is the first time I've done anything like this, and even that makes me anxious and awkward. I told her that I was highly anxious, because it was my first time there. She grinned and nodded, assuring herself, "Yes, I can see it." Oh, no worries! ”
She began to reach for the wax immediately, and I took the opportunity to ask her for hard, not soft, as my friends had suggested. "At my plea, with a hard-and-fast, "Your hair is too short," she gave me a very sudden horizontal shake of the head. Shit. Lara explained how the soft wax will work. She would put a little hot wax over my vag's hair, place the muslin cloth over it, and then tear in the opposite direction of hair growth.
She sampled just a small area first towards my bikini line to show me what it would feel. Holy hell, it hurt. Lara looked at me in surprise, "That hurt?" she asked. "Yes, was it supposed to?!" I responded. She clarified that I had virgin hair that had never been removed because this was my first time. She said it would certainly hurt, but she would do the rest really quickly and it would be removed.
Around five inches below my belly button, the next patch was more central and high. This area hurt a little less, but even my breath was taken away by the pain. She began for the next area, and I had to ask her to pause for a second. What the hell did I get into myself? I couldn't believe the amount of pain that followed each strip. Lara paused for a moment and held her cold hands over the area she had
It took about half an hour for me to turn over and get into the role of Child's Pose so she could get to the area behind me. This could have been, I have to admit, the best part of the entire experience. She finished the entire area after just 30 seconds and returned to the frontal region where she still had a little to go. I braved it through, and when I eventually made it home to my apartment, I thought about the ginormous glass of wine I would pour myself. "All done! All done! She declared, as my 45 minutes of lying spread eagle on a table came to an end. She filled what was left with baby powder from my downstairs region (and dignity) and sent me on my way. I glimpsed downward, seeing a lot of redness. The rest of my clothes were put on and I took my belongings.
To relieve the discomfort, stock up on ice and wine.
When I walked out of the salon and straight for the subway, I texted the same thing to all my friends: Why did you let me do that!? They all had identical answers: Aww, the poor one? But doesn't it just feel that smooth? Within a week, you'll love it.
I thought it was time to come face-to-face with my lady parts once I got home and chugged my glass of Cabernet. I took a mirror and began to examine the area that looked somewhat familiar when I was shaving, with the exception of the vast redness, inflammation, and sensitivity that covered the whole area. I always had so much pain. I was advised by Lara to use cortisone cream. It just didn't help. A bag of ice, more wine, and Sex and the City reruns were the only things that made it feel better.
I was glad to experience much less pain the next morning. It didn't feel as raw as it had the night before, even though I was still really bruised. Prior to getting ready, I covered the region with some cortisone cream.
One week later: I'm beginning to understand at last.
The discomfort lasted just two days, and I was able to completely understand the appeal of the Brazilian wax once it had dissipated. No hair has ever returned! A week later and there is no single strand in sight. This was good news indeed for someone who was used to shaving every single day. I wasn't able to believe how free I felt. Without wasting five minutes grooming during every shower, I loved how smooth, silky, and sexy it felt down there. My sex was better, my clothes were better, and it all felt easier. Finally, in the first place, I was able to understand why individuals got Brazilian waxes. It was unexpectedly worth it, sort of, maybe... well, definitely.
Should I do it again, then?
Before I left the salon, I made a second appointment and I'm hoping to keep it going. Yeah, the pain of my first encounter was brutal, but the second, third, and fourth times, they say it's getting a lot easier. "Lara told me, "The hair grows less coarse and less after it has been waxed before," Lara said. "It's not that bad after you've gotten through the initial experience.
Will it be worth giving round two a try? Yeah. Yes. It's wonderful not to have to think every day about shaving. But the price point is another factor to be considered. Most Brazilians range from $50 to $70 anywhere, so it's definitely not cheap. Is the price of not having to spend 30-60 minutes a month downstairs grooming worth it? One hundred percent. All in all, at some point in life, particularly before childbirth, I'm glad I experienced the Brazilian wax, which is going to be much worse.