Doper ladies - how do you keep your bikini line maintained without ingrown hairs?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Shop around. In fact, sign up for your local Groupon, as they always seem to have laser hair deals (I’m signed up in a few cities, so I see the regulars). Then definitely check into the place. There are different kinds of lasers that do different things: some only work on light skin, some are better on dark skin, etc. Me, personally? I had to go to a place with the special dark skin laser (they told me the name of the special kind of laser, but I’ll be arsed if I can remember what the hell it is).

Unlike, kathmandu, I was told it regularly takes between 10-12 sessions for the hair to be 90% gone. They said the 6 is for 70% gone. What my place has you do is come in three times, six weeks apart for full on treatment-- then you come in every two weeks or so after that for touch up treatments. What I like about my place is how they set it up- it’s not like the regular laser centers I’ve seen (X treatments for $Y flat fee— usually a few grand). What this place does is you sign an 18 month contract and, depending on what you want done, you pay a monthly fee. For instance, full Brazilian along with under arms was going to run me $60 a month. For that fee, you can get as many treatments in 18 months as you need- whether it’s 6 or 30. And they do unlimited life time touch ups (they said as your hormones and such change, you sometimes have to get zapped again to compensate for it). I feel the best part, though, is that if you pay up front, you get a discount-- so the whole shebang is only going to run me $879. When I look at the fact I was paying $500 a year for just Brazilian waxing. . . definitely worth it.

Oh, and the place I go is a doctor’s office (general family practice and dermatology in one place) in Las Vegas. If you’re in Utah or Vegas, they have several locations I’d be happy to pimp to you :).

Much like kathmandu, I think the rubber band snap is a fair comparison. Though, actually, I don’t even think it hurts that bad. The tech actually said to me, “Wait, can you even feel that?” because I wasn’t reacting (apparently, some women freak out and scream). Do you have any tattoos? If you do, think of that shallow, burny feeling of getting a tattoo. . . minimized by about. . . 80%. It’s a really, really light stingy sensation. I didn’t take any pain meds before or after- or use numbing spray, all things you can do to minimize discomfort.

What completely blew me away was how fast it was: whole Brazilian and underarms. . . seriously took about 4 minutes. If that.

Whew! That’s a lot. Sorry. I find this whole laser thing amazing heh. Maybe we should start an Ask The Girls With Laser Hair Removal thread :D.

22

It could be because I’m a very fair skinned brunette - I think the laser’s more effective if there’s a greater colour contrast between skin and hair.

23

Yes, and I’m a dark skinned girl with light brown/ blonde body hair, which it apparently is worse at dealing with. :slight_smile:

24

I noticed one Groupon a few weeks ago but didn’t like the place at all.

I, er, called around this morning and have an appointment set up at a place that does not, you know, do hair extensions. Next Thursday. I’m so excited!

Mmm, maybe I should do my underarms too!

ETA - I am very, very fair, so hopefully that will help.

25

Do your underarms too. It’s awesome not to have to shave every day any more, and no more five o’clock shadow.

26

Awesome! You’ll enjoy it. Don’t feel bad about shopping around and asking a lot of questions- that’s how you make sure you don’t get scars and other things.

Definitely do your underarms! For me, the most annoying thing is running out the door and thinking, “Shiiiit! I have to shave!” and running back in so you don’t look like Grizzly Man hanging out of your tank top.

27

I wouldn’t go by results after shaving to determine if a type of exfoliation is effective - up until I started using an epilator instead of shaving, my lifetime total of ingrown hairs was two, and I never did anything at all to exfoliate (actually, razors themselves are supposed to exfoliate, so other than that).

28

If you don’t laser try stick deodorant immediately after shaving and reapply for a few days after you shower. Works for me and learned it from stripper friend.

29

Me, too. I don’t have time to fool with all that jazz. I have two pairs of the shorts in case I forget to wash one pair.

30

Can I ask a somewhat related question (TMI, obviously)?

I have always gone full on natural, no trimming, nothing. I prefer it this way, but someone has requested politely that I try trimming/shaving the bikini line. I’m taking the bikini-line advice here to heart but - I have no idea how to properly “trim.” What lengths are we talking here? I am afraid to google this. I bought some special hair scissors and thought I did an okay job looks-wise, but the resulting sharp pointy ends made my crotch severely itchy for almost two weeks. It was ridiculous. If I use one of the trimmers like overlyverbose posted, will that eliminate that problem?

31

They have bikini trimmers that are like men’s beard trimmers only pink (one assumes you can swipe some guy’s, too.) Mine has a little guide so I can trim as short or as long as I want. I’d suggest getting one of those (they aren’t too expensive) and trimming everything to the longest setting and see what you think of it. You can always go shorter.

By the way, do this when you’re just out of the shower (but dried off) so everything is, you know, fluffy.

ETA - and yes, the ends are sharper than otherwise, I think. Try conditioner?

ETAA - one CAN trim the bikini line with one of those things (you take off the blade guard) and trim up to where you want your bikini line to start. I never had much luck with that, though - it wouldn’t pass swimsuit muster, although it may look fine if you’re naked.

32

Yep, condition the remaining playing field!

33

Oh, and if you want a hilarious image, the way I do the trimming with the little gadget is to lift up the toilet seat and kind of stand over the bowl and trim away, so that all the little hairs just fall in and I flush them away. Because you don’t want pubic tumbleweeds on the bathroom floor.

34

If you are committed to lasering, I say wait for a Groupon/Living Social deal for it. There are a ton out there, I see one once/month.

But if you’re sticking with shaving, exfoliate as others have said but also I would powder your bikini line with Gold Bond after showering and before dressing. That for me has always decreased redness and minimized ingrown hairs because it’s not chafing and rubbing. Actually, where I get ingrown hairs now is under my armpits because I haven’t been good about exfoliating.

I also second or third scrubby mitts, not just a wash cloth. A washcloth isn’t abrasive enough. Use gentle strokes but do it a lot, in a circular motion. Never, ever use an old razor. Wipe with alcohol swab and store out of bathroom to prolong sharpness.

ETA: Dammit, beaten by Diosa! :slight_smile: