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With swimsuit season comes the delicate (and painful) matter of bikini waxing
Thursday, June 28, 2001 By Monica L. Haynes, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Bikini waxing might seem like a procedure invented by the Marquis de Sade. But some women view it as necessary grooming, especially during swimsuit season.
Anyone who dares to go bikini-bare dares not do so without a trip to a salon that offers the removal of hair from this very sensitive area.
There are generally two waxing options: the basic bikini wax, in which hair is removed only along the standard bikini line, and the Brazilian variety, in which all or nearly all the hair down there is removed.
Let's say it all together now: "OUCH!"
There's no getting around it. Whether a gal opts for the basic or the full Monty, bikini waxing does hurt, especially the first time. Some waxees even take a pain reliever ahead of time. But a reassuring esthetician can make all the difference.
Vada Ball, who specializes in bikini waxing at Spa Uptown on Washington Place, Uptown, takes first-timers through the procedure step by step during an initial consultation.
"When you first come in, we analyze the skin so we know what to use on it," said Ball, referring to the different waxes.
She's been doing bikini waxes since 1993. If a client wants a Brazilian, Ball can completely remove the hair -- sometimes called a Barbie -- or shape a small remaining patch of hair into a heart, oval or V. The procedure can take 20-45 minutes depending on the client and the esthetician. Basic bikini waxes are $30 at Spa Uptown; Brazilians are $50.
For the basic service, the client will be asked to wear disposable undies. In most cases, underwear is not worn for a Brazilian wax. The area is cleansed with a liquid; the esthetician sanitizes her hands and then puts on gloves. Ball applies a protectant to the skin so it doesn't peel or bruise. Then she applies warm wax. She may or may not use cloth strips to remove the wax, depending on the skin texture. Ball removes the excess wax and applies a soothing gel and then a towel. Stray or ingrown hairs are tweezed.
Not only does waxing give the area a smoother, cleaner feel, but it eliminates the stubble and irritation caused by shaving as well. It also lasts two to six weeks, much longer than shaving.
Despite the pain and overexposure, Brazilian bikini waxes have been growing in popularity.
"If you[had] called and asked for one five years ago, we would have said 'Jeez, who's going to do that?' " said Becki McCaffery, a manager at the Eva Szabo salon in Oakland.
Now, no one blinks an eye at the thought of Brazilian bikini wax. Except maybe when the cloth strip is ripped away. A basic bikini waxing is $25 at Eva Szabo; a Brazilian is $50.
McCaffery attributes the procedure's popularity to the swimwear.
"Bikinis are more revealing, and I think a lot more has to be done then."
Ball thinks it's not just about being able to show more skin.
"People want to try new things that sound exotic, interesting," she said. "It's a different generation, not as modest and more adventurous."
But don't be too adventurous. When it comes to bikini waxing, the best and safest bet is to seek out an experienced and licensed esthetician, McCaffery said. She does not recommend self-waxing.
"It's just really hard to create an even, symmetrical line yourself at home. You just get a much more professional appearance and you eliminate the wax not being warm enough or too warm," McCaffery said.
For some, bikini waxing is a seasonal event. But for others it's part of their regular, year-round beauty regimen. Native Brazilian Laura Addario fits into the second category.
The 33-year-old esthetician who lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif., has been getting Brazilian bikini waxes since she was 13. Addario, who specializes in Brazilian waxes and has her own Web site, www.brazilianbikiniwax.net, said she would never conduct the procedure on a minor. In Brazil, however, it is common for young teens to get it done.
"We're very liberal in Brazil," said Addario, adding that the bikinis in Brazil are also very small.
She began giving Brazilian bikini waxes two years ago at the request of friends, she said. Now, Addario, who works at a salon and out of her home, has 150 clients. She estimates that 50 percent of her customers go Brazilian to look good in a revealing swimsuit, while the other half have it done because their husbands or boyfriends ask them to.
While many estheticians use soft wax for hair removal, Addario prefers hard wax. She says hard wax diminishes pain by 70 percent because it pulls only the hair and not the skin. She said a lot of estheticians don't know about the hard wax or how to use it. After waxing, Addario uses Tend Skin, a line of lotions and gels that prevents ingrown hair.
Because the area is extremely sensitive after it's been waxed, Stephanie Rattay, an esthetician at Esthetics of Sewickley, tells her clients not to wear tight jeans or tight underwear for 24 to 48 hours. She also recommends refraining from sex for the same time period. Brazilians at Esthetics of Sewickley are $100; basic waxing is $22.
"Once you get over that initial time and enjoy the benefits of it, then you'll want to keep doing it," said McCaffery.
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