Arika Casebolt is a renaissance woman--a former rock goddess and now an aesthetician who has lived the D.C.-to-Baltimore commuter life. Her goal is to educate and enthrall her readers with beauty tips for everyone, from the meek to the daring, for the commuters in all of us, and for those who prefer to stay at home.
After you have chosen an aesthetician to perform your Brazilian or regular bikini wax, there are a few little things you can do before your appointment to make everything go smoothly (oh, the puns-I can't seem to help myself) and ensure the results are the best they can be.
First, if you can stand it, do not shave or use any hair removal method at all for at least two to 3 weeks before waxing for the first time. You can still wax for the first time if you've shaved sooner than that, but the hair should be about a quarter of an inch long for the wax to properly remove every little hair. After that, it's best to wait 3 to 4 weeks between appointments, and here's why: the growth cycle for body hair is complete at around 3 to 4 weeks. This means that the fuzz is as long as it's gonna get around then, and we want to remove it from the root with waxing as close to the very end of that cycle as possible. This starts a systematic "training" of the hair follicle to slow growth, and over time, hair grows back much finer, softer and a lot less. Trim if necessary before your appointment. You can actually get a bikini hair trimmer at drugstores for under $20, and it helps you get through the late stages between waxes. Not too much, though-remember about the quarter-inch rule. Longer hair can mean more pain for you, and nobody wants that.
I recommend that my clients take ibuprofen about 15 minutes before our appoinment. It cuts way down on the discomfort. As I tell my peeps, they haven't invented a fun bikini wax yet, so until that day, we want the process to be fast, fast, fast and super clean. A good aesthetician will be happy to answer any questions you might have about the process. If you feel freaked out being so exposed, please try to remember that your aesthetician has seen skillions of women, I can't stress this enough-it is a total non-issue for us. We also have all been in your position (there's that pun compulsion again, sorry) many, many times.
When you arrive at your appointment, use the restroom to make sure everything is in order and you don't have to hold it when you're on the table. One less thing to worry about, right?
Now, I'm sure you probably know this already, but for those uninformed: Please do not come to your Brazilian wax appointment when you have your period. Your aesthetician will understand, and probably appreciate it if you need to reschedule. Enough said.
Stay tuned for Part Three!
For more info: Please get in touch with any questions via e-mail at beautyexaminer@gmail.com. To make a waxing appointment with the Beauty Examiner, please call SaSa's Spa at 410-383-7272.