Why you should never wax your own bikini line
Both the Brazilian and the Hollywood wax are especially popular with the under 35s – a YouGov poll recently found almost 50 per cent of women in this age group opt to go bare “down there”.
For those who don’t know, a Brazilian wax leaves a small triangle or strip of pubic hair at the front but removes all the hair from the bikini line and all the way around to your bum.
A Hollywood wax is the full removal of any pubic hair.
And, salon visit costs soon adding up, some women are trying to take their bikini lines into their own hands – with disastrous results.
Beautician Sam Marshall, who’s known as The Beauty Guru, specialises in intimate waxing and promises she’s seen it all.
After a survey discovered that a surprising amount of people are injuring themselves while grooming down below, we asked Sam for her top tips when it comes to intimate hair removal.
With DIY intimate waxing, Sam says that this is something that should be left to the professionals. “The general public don’t know how to wax and they shouldn’t really do it – it would be like me trying to fix my car.
“That’s why it’s open to so many things to go wrong, because you’re trying to do something that people have to be specially trained to do. You can tear your skin and the labia can tear quite easily.”
And if torn skin isn’t enough to put you off doing your own waxing, you may want to take note of a waxing horror story shared by a client.
Sam said: “Someone decided to heat a DIY wax strip with a hairdryer because they thought it would be more effective if it was hot.
“They stuck it to their undercarriage, burnt themselves because it was too hot and tried to rip it off – but the strip came off and the wax stayed on the hair.
“They then decided to get in the bath because they thought the warm water would help to dissolve the wax and they ended up sticking their labia together.
“They had to scrape the wax off the hairs and ended up shaving off wax to try and get unstuck.”
Sam says that both burning and bruising are seriously common among self-waxers who choose to microwave at-home kits – as are nasty pimples, caused by folliculitis.
Folliculitis can be caused by lack of hygiene when waxing, for example not wiping over with an antibacterial solution beforehand, and is a common skin condition where the hair follicles become inflamed.
It’s usually caused by a bacterial or fungal infection and it may look like small red bumps or white-headed pimples around the tiny pockets from where each hair grows.
Sam added: “Hygiene is a biggie – making sure your hands are clean, cleaning the skin and following correct aftercare.
“No gym, no saunas, no steam room, no sunbeds, swimming, sex, sweating for 24 to 48 hours.”
At home waxers also forget a very important point – trimming.
Too much trimming and they won’t get all the hairs, while too little of a trim can lead to a VERY painful situation.
Sam said: “People who do their waxing at home, perhaps they’re going on holiday once a year and they’ve got really, really long hair, they may not realise that trimming them would make it a lot less painful.
“But, if they take their hairs too short they won’t be able to get them out – only a waxer would really know the right length.”
She added: “As a rule, in salon is best. If someone was a bit short of cash for the salon, it would be a good idea to maybe volunteer as a model or go to a local college where beauty students are training – as they’ll get a discounted wax.
“Last minute, if they need to go to Boots and get the wax strips, they could do that – but I wouldn’t recommend doing anything more than they absolutely need to do.
“So, just the outer hairs at the side – I wouldn’t recommend that anyone consider trying any ‘intimate waxing’ at all.”
Sam’s top tips for bikini waxing:
Find a therapist who is specially trained in waxing or a waxing only salon
Ask you friends for their recommendations
Let your therapist know it’s your first time
If you want to stop, you can stop
It’s more painful when you’re due on your period and in pregnancy
If you need to wax yourself, only do the outer, necessary area
Do not attempt to wax too long hairs
Do not over trim – and, if you do, don’t use scissors, use clippers
Avoid microwaveable waxes as it is hard to get an even heat
If you must, use a dissolvable, sugar-based wax – these can melt off if you get stuck
Once you commit to using a non-dissolvable at-home wax, you’re committed – not much will get it off except for professional wax equipment cleaner. Only attempt small areas in case you “wimp out”.
