I'll never forget the first time I got a Brazilian wax. It was pretty much the most terrifying and uncomfortable experience I ever had. I'm not a huge fan of hair and I've been shaving my vagina for as long as I could remember, so the thought of having a smooth, razor bump-free vag appealed to me. Four weeks of complete smoothness, I mean what more could you ask for?
Unfortunately, the awkwardness of getting butt naked and spreading your legs wide open in front of a complete stranger while they spread sticky hot wax on your pubes is just not my idea of fun!
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Besides the pain, it's also pretty darn embarrassing. I mean I have to seriously suck up my pride whenever I get it done. It's been a while since my last one because I just haven't been in the mood to have some random woman all up in my crotch. In fact, I was just talking about this the other day with my Dominican hairstylist who claims she waxes herself. She says the best thing she ever did was learn how to do her own Brazilian waxes right at home.
Not only does she get to avoid any possible humiliation but it also saves her a ton of money. Hmmm, she made me seriously consider doing my own Brazilian waxes too. Fortunately, for me my hairstylist broke down everything I need to know before I get started. Thinking of DIYing your Brazilian wax too? Here are a few things you should know first!
The wax matters: There are a ton of waxing options out there, but my hairstylist recommends looking for an organic one that will cause the least amount of redness and irritation. I've heard a lot people rave about GiGi Brazilian Bikini Wax Microwave Kit ($20). It's a hard wax that's supposedly a lot less painful than most of the other ones out there.
Clean up: You definitely want to make sure you take a shower and wash down there before your wax. My stylist even recommended exfoliating around the bikini line areas either with a gentle body scrub or using a loofah. This helps get rid of dead skin cells that can be blocking hairs from breaking through the surface of your skin.
Take a pain killer: To minimize pain and inflammation, take an ibuprofen 30 minutes before you get started.
Test the wax: Make sure to heat up your wax (if required) and try testing it before use. You don't want to burn your vagina now!
Prep: To avoid irritation and burns, try applying a pre-wax oil beforehand, like the Pre-and-Post Waxing Oil found in the Bliss Poetic Waxing Microwaveable Waxing Kit ($48).
Get comfortable: You want to sit somewhere with your legs slightly bent and your legs turned outwards. Now you want to smear some of the wax on your vagina, but in sections. I'd recommended starting in the inner thigh (bikini line areas) and then working your way inwards.
Pull: You want to let the wax sit for about 30-50 seconds, then pull the section off using a stripe and in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Also, make sure to hold down your skin before pulling. Just a warning: This WILL hurt like hell! But at least you have more control over the pain versus when someone else is doing it, right?
Clean it up: After you're done, you definitely want to wash down there with some gentle soap and water because you'll probably have a few pieces of wax stuck to your skin.
Moisturize: Follow with a lotion to avoid razor bumps, like DERMAdoctor Brazilian Bombshell Skin Perfecting Body Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($48).
Image via Thinkstock
