I’ve never gotten one before but I’m thinking of trying it.
How painful is it during? After?
How long does it take?
How long do you stay completely hair free?
Is it scary/embarrasing?
OHMYGOSH- just be sure to have a professional do it. Tried to do it myself and nearly fainted.
If the esthetician has done it for a couple of years it shouldnt hurt for too long. I liken waxing to a slap in the face, startling and stinging briefly. And as for the embarrassment factor, its like going to the gyno.
Man, I hate the gyno.
yeah, definitely go to someone who knows what they’re doing - the faster they rip, the better (although it may not sound like it). I’ve never had a Brazilian, I just clean up the sides a bit (TMI)…but waxing usually lasts between 4-6 weeks; less if you’ve been shaving and the hair is too short, or if you’re just um, particularly hirsuite.
The skin will be very red for the rest of the day, so wear something loose and soft, and plan on leaving that area alone for the next two days.
If this is your first time waxing there, it can be an amazingly painful ten minutes - it’s really sensitive skin, and it’s not uncommon to bleed a bit…so find someone who really knows what they’re doing!
ouch.
Why ten whole minutes? :eek:
BLEED??? :eek:
Eep. 
ok, waaayyy TMI here…
like I said, I wax the sides to clean up a bit. I wax myself. So, you have to trim the hair a bit, because it really f***ing hurts if you don’t (it pulls more). The wax is applied in the direction of the hair, you press the strip on, and pull against the hair. There’s the briefest moment of numbness before the pain hits. It stings. Some people are more senstive than others - one of my mom’s (she owns a salon) old clients used to swear like a sailor every time she got a bikini wax. It stings for 15-30 seconds.
A good estetician will have ways of alleviating the pain - applying powder to the area before (this helps the wax stick to the hair better and reduces having to go over the same area twice), or using analgesic creams. The best way, though, like I said, is to go fast, somehting that’s really hard to do when you’re doing it to yourself. Also, if your skin is dry, waxing will hurt more (I always moisturize my legs for a couple nights before I wax them).
It’s not a constant ten minutes, but I would think the whole process would take about long. Again, if it’s the first time you wax there, your skin will be bumpy and very pink/ red. And unless you have shaved there, and your skin is a bit thicker, you will most likely bleed a bit. The bumps are the hair follicles, and they can bleed sometimes (very tiny amount - comparable to a tiny razor nick).
And while I’m on the TMI kick, if you’re doing this (in part) for a significant other, give yourself at least one night before you do anything…your skin will be really tender.
On the bright side, if you wax frequently (as opposed to shaving) your hair is finer and sparser - even after two months of not waxing, it’s hard to see my leg hair, and I’m Greek by heritage. 
Oh yes, this thread is just what I needed to remind me I have an appointment today at the Salon.
Psst holdmytail, if you’re of age, a couple shots of rum, once you get home, helps some. Oh, taken internally, that is. Now I’ve gone and traumatized myself with the thought of pouring alcohol over freshly waxed skin. :: shudder ::
FB
Crap, I forgto what I was going to ask.
5 minutes later:
OH YEAH! Is ingrown hair a problem with a Brazilian? Cause, you know, that’s really gross - especially in that area.
On the subject of bikini waxing… how do you find a good salon to do it? I’ve thought about having it done but I don’t have any female friends to give me a referral or anything.
Also, approximately how much does it cost?
Also, you might ask the person doing the wax what they’d recommend for the pain. The waxer I go to for bikini waxes told me that most women who get Brazilians take a few Tylenol beforehand.
You might try going to a day spa to get it done. It may be more expensive, but it’d probably be worth it. A bikini wax where I go costs $25. I’d imagine a Brazilian would be slightly more - maybe $30 or $35. Then again, I go to a small day spa, and the waxer there is really good.
Yes! Take Advil beforehand.
Also, try to schedule your wax the week after your period. Just before and during, you’ll be more sensitive. [sup]I got that tip from Madonna. Oh, yeah.[/sup]
As stated in my previous post in this thread, I’m slated to go under the wax at 4 today. Since I’ll be at the mercy of the technician, I’ll use my time to question her on variety of styles offered, hints about making it hurt less, avoiding ingrowns, and prices…then I’ll report back tonight.
S’alright?
FB
I rarely get ingrown hairs when I get it waxed. BTW, after you get the sides and whatnot waxed the really good waxers I’ve found make you get on your hands and knees and point your butt at them so they make make sure they get every stray hair around the taint.
I still prefer the porn stripe to completely bare as I feel a bit prepubescent without some hair. I once got it done in a teeny heart–my SO loved that!
Sorry if this is TMI… I shave, so how long does the hair need to grow out before you can get it waxed?
Okay, I’m back.
Waxing services offered in this middle of the road salon are:
Brow/lip/chin/facial sides - 5.00 per area
Under arms-15.00
legs to knees -30.00
full legs- 50.00
bikini-25.00
Brazilian-50.00
back-35.00
full arms or chest-30.00
arms to elbow- 20.00
The service was prompt. I had a “new” girl, so it wasn’t as pleasant as it could have been. She didn’t pull the skin quite tight enough before the rip. I am very fair, so I immediately tuned blood red after every rip. She was extremely worried about that, but I assured her it was just me and I was fine. The cost for the bikini wax was 25.00. I tipped her 8.00, mainly because she did try so hard and was very solicitous. I’d rather tip her and have her gain experience than always have a “new” girl because nobody wants to let anyone practice. I took some Tylenol before I went. I showered and shaved my legs immediately before I went. I took a moist towelette in my purse that I had dabbed with a little lavender oil, so I could give myself a “freshen up” before she came in the room to start. She snipped the hair a little before hand, and said about an inch of hair is enough. After the main waxing, I requested that she tweeze out any strays, then she put that oily stuff that dissolves wax residue over the area.It took all of 20 minutes. I’m a little tender still, and a little red…it’s been 2 hours since she finished.
Thus ends my report. 
FB
Brazilian?
Is that–taking off all the hair?
All of it?
ALL OF IT???
:eek:
(I think I’ll stick with an occassion hair cut with the scissors in the shower, thank you very much.)
A “Brazilian” normally leaves a small patch of hair on top, generally agreed to be two to three fingers’ width in size. They do remove all the hair from the labia though, leaving just a patch on the mound for aesthetic purposes.
A Bohemian takes off everything. They even [TMI! TMI!] spread your butt cheeks and wax in there too.
I’d really like to go for a bohemian one of these days, but I’m afraid I don’t know where to start looking for a place that does bikini waxing, much less a GOOD job.
Right now I just shave everything off because I find body hair on myself to be repulsive. [Strangely it doesn’t bug me as much on others, but I can not be happy if there is body hair growing on me anywhere from the neck down]
Though, [more TMI] I did just grow out a tiny landing strip in that area, bleached [ow!] and dyed it blue. It is precious.
Oh no, you need an inch of hair grown out? Mine grows ever so slowly, and I can’t stand having even two freaking millimeters of stubble there. I’ve been growing out the landing strip for over a month now and it’s still just under a half inch long. I can’t imagine just letting it grow out down there for two months. Looks like I"ll have to stick to shaving, or try my hand at the home sugaring [using a from-scratch formula, not even store bought] I just read about in ReadyMade.
Thanks a lot for the report though, FaerieBeth.
Oh, and for girls who shave - rubbing a thin layer of solid deoderant over the area right after shaving helps stop it from bleeding, prevents ingrown hairs from forming and makes it less bumpy.
Well, stately plump buck mulligan, I was talking to the “new” girl. Perhaps a more experienced waxing technician could do better than that.
TMI!TMI!
I have shaved, and I have waxed. For something that will last, without a whole lot of maintenance and be super smooth, I prefer waxing, hands down. You just have to get past the “rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiip!..flinch…eek!” part. :eek:
Plus, it’s easier to stop waxing and let it grow out, than it is to stop shaving, IMO. Comfort-wise.
FB
Thanks for the info everyone. I was thinking of starting this thread just recently.
I read an article once by a reporter who had had a brazilian. She said they did the butt cheek thing where she went. I guess it depends on where you go.