8 Things You Should Know About Brazilian Waxing But Are Afraid to Ask (2023)

Shave your hair down there? Obviously this is common practice and when it came up on my radar I have to admit I wasn't thrilled. But I was curious and wanted to try something new (always the adventurer) so I had one. So, here's everything you want to know about it but are afraid to ask! Yes, I will probably do it again.

1. How much does it hurt?

Note that I didn't title this section "Does it hurt?" When I posted a little poll about Brazilian Wax on myFacebookOn the first page, I asked readers to rate the pain from 1 to 10, with 1 being easy and 10 being "I'll never do that again." I actually had numbers from 1 to 10. Everyone has a different pain tolerance. And pain is so relative. did you have a baby Go Brazilian, you'll be fine. Tattoo? Yes, the Brazilian has nothing to do with you. Fainting during an eyebrow wax? You can then skip this.

By the way, the Brazilian landed at a 4-5 on my pain scale, but I had a baby and two tattoos. When I made a small noise of pain in one spot, my girl pressed the area (which weirdly made all the pain go away) and said, "I know, I know, the first time is the worst." Of course, subsequent visits will be less painful as the hair follicle becomes progressively weaker.

One tip from my awesome esthetician Shireen Dholoo at Pure Derma in Gaithersburg, Maryland is to stop shaving. When the hairs are longer, epilation is more efficient because the hairs are caught at the root and weakened, making the process less and less painful over time.

2. Is it embarrassing?

I was told to strip from the waist down, climb onto the table and cover myself with the towel (a hand towel, not a beach towel). When she came back into the room, she pulled out the towel, struck up a conversation with me and got to work, leaving me absolutely no time to embarrass myself. My girl explained, "Half the time my first Brazilian clients are restless or shy about spreading eagles or 'butterflies' to me. Qualified cosmetologists have seen everything. We only focus on removing every hair to ensure you receive the quality service you are looking for. We're not here to investigate.

Coming from a long childhood of extreme humility, it's only recently (in my 40's) that I've felt more free and comfortable in my own skin, especially naked. Any qualified and professional beautician should make you feel completely confident and relaxed. In the twenty minutes of baring everything to myself (including opening my butt cheek for easy access) I really didn't care what she saw because she was focused, quick, and friendly.

3. Should You Leave Some Hair?

Totally personal preference. I privately messaged some of my friends who responded to my Facebook poll on the subject (I felt TMI would have been too much for the subject). I've found that there really aren't any rules as to what you should do. So if you want to have a heart-shaped tuft leftover, go for it. In fact I think they should find some kind of wax strip that creates shapes like this - it could be a big fad.

One of my friends said she thought leaving hair was weird and the other said she didn't want to look like a ten year old girl. Another told me that she left a small triangle at the top. I understand all of these decisions. What have I done? Wouldn't you like to know.

4. What about ingrown hairs?

This is the most common thing I hear about post wax problems. Here's what Shireen had to say about the problem: "Ingrown hairs vary from client to client. Unfortunately, some people tend to do this. There is a great product called Tend Skin that you can use for this problem if you have ingrown hairs. It may take 4 to 6 weeks before you notice any improvement with this product. I always recommend exfoliating regularly to avoid ingrown hairs. You can use a scrub or loofah and exfoliate the affected area daily.

5. I have sensitive skin. Is waxing good for me?

Turns out I have sensitive skin down there. When the first strips were taken out, I heard, "Oh, you have sensitive skin," which obviously made me jittery, like I was bleeding or something. But when I looked down it was only pink. It's like tanning an area where the sun doesn't normally shine. This lasted for a few days and then disappeared, along with a few small red bumps, like a razor rash. For more sensitive cases: “I always use hard wax for my clients who tend to have redness/inflammation or a rash after waxing. My hard wax is formulated for the most sensitive skin types. Customers with sensitive skin will still be pink/red after waxing, but this will wear off in about an hour. I always apply a thick layer of aloe vera gel to the shaved areas after waxing. This seems to soothe the skin and gives a pleasantly cool feeling.”

6. How long does it take?

The consensus is between 4-6 weeks, but it may be safer to tell clients 3-4 if they are noticing a faster rate of hair growth. Some of the girls who responded to the survey said 6-8. And pretty much everyone said that the time you have to get straight compared to growing is worth the Brazilian (the pain it is).

7. How do I choose a good seat?

I paid $45 for a Brazilian. If you go to a high-end spa, be prepared to pay more, and it's not necessarily because your beautician is more experienced. You get what you pay for — and a personal recommendation is a must for this type of service, says Melissa Brooks, a local health and fitness expert. A clean environment, high-quality wax, and an experienced, professional, licensed esthetician are just a few things to look out for, but in the end, avoiding issues like torn or incompletely pulled hair is a good recommendation, says Melissa.

Another Facebook friend said she was burned by wax and would never do it again. My friend Melissa tried five different places before she found what she described as the least painful, fastest and friendliest epilator she's ever come across!

8. What else should I know before trying it?

Ultimately, the decision to shave there comes down to personal preference. If you've never owned one and the idea interests you, go for it. If you think you should have one because everyone else has one, you should pass. Peer pressure is not the reason for this.

Why go hairless down there? Here's a list of reasons to try it; A sense of cleanliness, less hair growth over time, better sex, great exfoliation, less need to shave and the swimsuit thing, I suppose your partner's preferences can also play a part, but it can a little play a role in peer pressure.

What feels good, right and sexy for you is the best reason to choose anything for your body, including Brazilian.

Remember that getting a good referral is important. A Brazilian wax should be performed by a licensed cosmetologist. You should see the person's certificate or license hanging on the wall as you enter the room. If you don't see it, ask. If you have a strange feeling or your instinct tells you to run to the hills, please run. A cancellation fee (probably the worst case scenario) is far better than a horrible or worse damaging experience.

Readers, don't hesitate to add your Brazilian experiences and/or questions in the comments!