Men (and conservative women), you are forewarned: this post contains A LOT of in depth lady jargon. It reveals the dark side of beauty. DO NOT READ THIS. STOP NOW.
If you’re still reading, be prepared. Now ladies, how many of you get waxed down there in your nether regions? How much does it cost you? $30, $40, maybe something like $80? First, let me explain why I wax:
- Shaving really sucks. I used to get terrible razor burn and razor stubble is just foul. I don’t want my VJ to feel like sandpaper.
- Waxing only needs to be done every 4 weeks, and once you’ve been doing it for several years, you can go as long as 8 weeks!
- It actually makes your hair follicles weaker and your hair thinner. I’m to the point where my hair has stopped growing in some spots. Awesome!
Yes, it hurts. But it’s so worth it. And because your hair follicles get weaker, the pain actually gets less the more you do it. One thing I should mention is that, once you start waxing, you should NEVER shave. It reverses all the long term benefits I mentioned above. If you shave once, it’s like starting from zero on the waxing scale.
When I moved from Boston to Peoria, the price of Brazilian waxing went from $40 to $80. WHAT?!? I’ve been searching for months for something cheaper to no avail. I did find a beauty school that did the simple bikini waxes (check out this post) but no one would take it all off without charging an arm and a leg. So I decided to do it myself.
Needless to say, I was VERY nervous. Who the heck takes the chance of buying their own wax, spreading it hot and sticky all over the very sensitive patch between their legs, and then ripping it off with their own two hands? I could be making a very big mistake. But I will say, I’d watched quite a few estheticians do it to me, might as well try and do it to myself right?
So I did my research on wax and found this great option on Amazon. Of course I had to go natural so I bought sugar wax. It’s water soluble and works great on thick and thin hair. It’s called Moom. It came with everything I needed to wax (except for the sweat-absorbing starch) including microwavable wax, reusable strips, and wooden applicator sticks. And the best part, it was only $14!
So it arrived and I stared at it on my dresser for several weeks before I plucked up the courage to try it. I set up my little station and went to work. The only things I needed that weren’t included were a towel to sit on, a mirror for when hunching over wasn’t enough, rubbing alcohol to disinfect, starch to soak up the moisture before I got started, and tweezers for post-wax clean up. Here’s how it goes:
- Use a cotton ball to spread rubbing alcohol over the region first.
- Dab some baby powder, corn starch, or any kind of starch (I used tapioca because that’s all I had) before you get started. It soaks up any moisture and the wax sticks better.
- Trim your hair down to 1/2″ (1cm) so the wax can pick up more of it.
- Heat up the wax until it’s a honey-like consistency.
- Analyze the direction your hair is growing in. Spread the wax in a thin layer in the same direction.
- Pull your skin taut and pull the strip off very fast in the opposite direction of hair growth.
- For a bit of relief, put pressure on the area immediately after you pull the strip off.
- Work methodically in sections so you don’t have to wax any area more than once.
- You won’t get every single hair so use the tweezers to snag stragglers.
- Rinse off any patches of wax with warm water. Dab dry then apply a light moisturizer to soothe the skin.
I did feel a bit like a hunchback after 45 minutes of sitting in front of the mirror but it went really well! I didn’t rip off any skin and my happy triangle is smooth and clean. The tub of wax isn’t even 1/3 gone and I rinsed the strips clean with hot water and can use them again next time. It was a MUCH better experience than I anticipated and I’m so stoked that I found a cheap alternative to salons.
Who wants to try it? Ask me any questions, I’m happy to answer. I hope you all have very wonderful, very sexy weekends 😉
A Happy Lass 
You are braver than I – I won’t even wax my legs!
Pingback: Friday DIY: Brazilian Wax | Once A Month 4 Ladies
tried that once…once.
i used regular wax, not water soluble…
i got one strip on then tried to rip it off….i got it 1/3 off and just couldn’t do it.
it HURT SOOO BAD!
my hubby had to finis for me. so i had one nice and pretty of smoothe skin.
Yep 🙂 I found that 3-2-1-GO! Really helped. And you have to do teeny tiny small strips. I think it also helped that I’ve been getting it done for 8 years so my hair is a little less tough to get out.
Reblogged this on isismama and commented:
has anyone else failed at waxing like i did?
YOU ARE A VERY BRAVE GIRL MY dARLING!
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:56:27 +0000 To: sixmazies@hotmail.com
Dude I tried doing it to myself once and it took over an hour because I was such a baby haha. I found an AMAZING place down here that sells Brazilians in a buy 3, get 1 free deal for students, so it works out to being about $26 a pop. Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to try it on my own again, but I feel like childbirth is the only thing that could prepare me for that experience again, and we all know how unlikely that is!
Have fun with your family this weekend in VEGAS and see you next weekend for our honeymoon in Chi-town! WOOOOO!
That is just unfair. I can’t believe it’s that cheap. I can’t wait to see you and discuss this in person!! xoxo.
This may be an odd question, but after 8 yrs of hot waxing such a sensitive area… Does the skin down there seem to be damaged or stretched at all?
Not an odd question at all. In fact, my mom asked me the same thing. It doesn’t seem damaged or stretched at all. In fact, my skin is in much better shape than when I used to shave it.
I try to only do it every 8 weeks to save myself the pain but also the stretching. And I anticipate that, as I get older, I may grow some hair and just do my bikini line but, no, my skin down their is positively taut and glowing 🙂
Hey, Just a quick question…how do you get all the hair out..I feel like I have to get into all sorts of yoga poses just to get all the hair out and also see what I am doing. And what “poses” or so work. Thanks!
By the time I’m finished I do feel like a hunchback. However, a well placed mirror can make all the difference. Sit on a towel on the floor and lean a hand mirror against the wall in front of you.
Also, work in sections moving from one side to the other. It will reduce the long hunching periods.
Yeah it was a pain when I did it this weekend. Sorry I have another question, has anyone noticed peeling skin after a brazillian?
Not me but that’s where the pre-wax powdering comes in handy. It helps the wax stick to the hair and not your skin. Then, post-wax, moisturize the area (I use baby oil) as soon as the redness calms down a bit.
Thank you for your answers, they are pretty helpful. 🙂
So do you just leave the baby powder or whatever else you’re using on when you apply the wax? Isn’t that harmful to your skin?
Katie,
I’m not really sure why it would be harmful to your skin. You leave the baby powder on and when the first strip of wax comes off, it take the powder and the hair but not your skin. It only stays on long enough to keep your skin from coming of. Don’t reapply if you need to wax the same spot multiple times, that would lead to a sweaty, waxy mess.
Does that answer your question? Let me know if not!
Happy waxing!
Also forgot to mention, that initial coat of powder soaks up an sweat and let’s the wax stick to the hair at its root.
Yes thank you, I guess I’m just paranoid about something horrible happening haha.
There were many hair remover products are in the market. But only Moom Wax worked for regrowing my hair.
Regrowing your hair?? Really? Which Moom product does that?
Sorry, it was “But only Moom Wax worked for …… my hair” and regrowing was added by mistakely. Precision Minoxidil Spray will be very helpful for hair regrow.
After reading your post I decided to try this! I did the top part (the pubic bone area) pretty swiftly. Took me a couple tries but now its hairless. But the labia was a lot harder. I ended up getting frustrated and just shaving it of (I know bad idea). Do you have any tips on how to remove that hair from that area. It seems as if my hair grows in a diagonal pattern so its kind of hard to rip the strip off in that direction and hold the skin taut all at the same time.
Thanks!
Mariah. First, nice work. Most people aren’t gutsy enough to try it at all. Once you get past the setup and mental obstacles, the labia is definitely the toughest area. My hair grows in a weird diagonal (and all over the place) direction too. At this point, you have to make a choice between keeping a landing strip down there and going full brazilian. As you have experienced, the close you get to your lady opening, the harder it is to pull the skin taut. To get around this, apply the wax in thin strips so there is still some wax-less skin to grab on to. Also, you don’t have to pull taut exactly perpendicular to the direction of hair growth, you can pull the skin taut from closer to your bum hole.
This is definitely the trickiest part. You will wish you could sprout another arm (or three). But push through! Smooth, bare skin bliss is just over the horizon!
I’ve never gotten a professional wax before. I don’t shave either! Which also means I never get to wear any cute bikinis 😦 I bought the surgi brazilian waxing kit and I want to try it out. I know the pain to expect. I’ve done a lot of research and read a few detailed instructions so I’m pretty confident in doing it. Any advice for doing my first brazilian wax by myself? Thanks!
Taylor, you are a brave woman going straight for waxing… more power to you. I hope I’m not too late with my reply. My advice is to be conservative for the first couple months. Don’t do a full brazilian, leave yourself a thick landing strip. Get used to the bareness down there before taking it all off. I’ve heard from some women that they feel like 10 year olds when completely bare. I just feel cleaner and it’s easier to maintain.
Also, don’t forget the pre-wax starch or baby powder. It really helps to avoid broken skin. And if the wax you’re trying is too harsh, try the Moom sugar wax, it’s incredible gentle and effective. If you feel very tender afterwords, be sure to spread some disinfectant cream. It can help avoid infection.
Good luck! Enjoy those bikinis!
I have recently tried this.. I had to ready myself for quite a whole sat there taking deep breaths. I did the top bit easy after I’d got over the pain that my head was telling me it was going to be. But the bottom part was so hard. And I think I’ve bruised my skin 😦 it’s so painful! And my skin stings and has gone dried as if I’ve got sunburnt down there. Is this cos I couldn’t pull the skin taut enough? An I tried my best. Any tips?
Unfortunately, your skin reaction is pretty normal. Did the sensitivity/burned go away after about 24 hours? I have a general rule of no funny business with my boyfriend until at least a day after my wax. It’s no wonder we get all red and burny! The skin down there is super sensitive and those little hairs definitely are NOT meant to be ripped out.
With that said, if you’d like to persevere, try rubbing disinfectant cream on afterwards. If you can find cream with a numbing agent, that would be perfect. Oh and don’t forget the pre-wax powder. It goes a long way in protecting your skin.
It can be very difficult to pull the skin taut. You will get very skilled at it but it will take practice.
Hopefully the experience wasn’t too scarring and you’re willing to try again. Good luck!
Okay, so there aren’t many post floating around with deets on a FULL brazilian. When i say full…I mean from front to back bald eagle. Ive been waxing myself for sometime now. My question is what ‘poses’ or techniques do you have for waxing the backside region? I manage to put myself in some weird and uncomfortable stances for the sake of a good looking vj and rear end..haha.
Tysha, great job. You’ve managed to bear more pain than most women. Haha. I don’t actually get too adventurous with my ass end. I can accomplish most of what I care about with a double-over hunch and a bit of a pelvic tilt.
Good luck and get contorted girl! All in the name of beauty 🙂
I have been getting Brazilians for about 5-6 years now, I’m 25. And about 3 months ago I started doing them myself (who doesn’t want to save $45-60$ every 6-8 weeks) The first time I did it, it was easy, didn’t even hurt that much and I didn’t pre or post powder. But everytime after that, I seem to be more sensitive, it hurts more and skin irritated. Now that I’m reminded about the powdering, Ill try again to see if it makes a difference for me.
Kaydia, I hope the powder works. It may also be a good idea to try a different wax. The sugar wax works fabulously on most skin types, even my pale white, very irritable skin. Good luck!
How did you manage to get your anus waxed with this? This will be my first time doing this waxing and I am slightly confused on how to do the anus part of the body…any tips???
Tricia, please see my comment to Tysha above …
Hi! . The bum hole is very difficult because you can’t see to lay the wax down. What I ended up doing was buying the prefilled veet strips that you warm in your hand.(5 dollars) Sit on the toilet bend over and rip. It usually gets it all. Hope that helps you
Hi There.
Just found this post while searching for hints on how to self wax. I’ve been shaving for around 25 years now and even had laser therapy hair removal some 6 years ago, which only lasted for a few months. A few years ago, I began riding a road bike and the associated pain I’ve suffered with the regrowth around my labia has been a constant killer when mixed with long periods on a bike seat! After changing seats and cycling apparel I was still suffering a swollen labia and what can only be described as a raw gravel rash, for many days post ride. I was on the verge of selling my bike because the pain just wasn’t worth the aftermath but decided to do some more research before throwing in the towel. Most of the info on cycling forums suggests that this is a huge problem for MANY women who ride and most suggested waxing instead of shaving or just going natural – which, after all this time isn’t an option for me personally (yuk). I’m really grateful for the step by step information. It was really helpful – thank you. You’ve given me the courage to give it a crack this week. Hopefully this will begin to make my bike riding that bit more enjoyable and bearable 🙂 Wish me luck!
Kimmy, I’m so glad I could help. As a fellow cyclist, I can tell you this will definitely help. I am also a stubble/ingrown hair hater. I commend you for trying it yourself the first time. However, it might be a good idea to have a professional do it. The pain can be distracting the first time and you may end up with some patchiness because you don’t want to continue.
I hope it goes well. Good luck!
So happy I found this. I am 23 years old and I have always had issues with getting rid of hair down there. I once used hair remover for sensitive skin and my lady area blistered horibly! I now have scars and have huge issues with ingrowns and “razor bumps” since I started shaving instead. will waxing aggrevate my ingrowns? I know it will hurt but I’m willing to go through it to solve my problem.
Yes, for most people it alleviates ingrown hairs. I would definitely try it but go to a professional for your first few times. Explain your skin sensitivity and they will probably have a variation of wax for your skin. Good luck!
Are you aware of any effective numbing creams. I read mixed reviews on no scream cream, I even heard Anbesol does the same thing. What’s your opinion?
Sorry, I’m not aware of any numbing creams. But that’s a great idea! Once you try it, will you please let me know how it goes? Good luck!
can we do it via wax strips that are available in market??
Yep, you can do it with any wax strips you prefer. Just be aware that they’re all very different and if one kind isn’t right for you, try another!
Hi! I’ve been getting brazilians for about 2 years and about to try doing myself…the pain isn’t an issue but more how on earth do you do the underneath?! Can you give any tips?
Marina, good on you. You obviously have a high pain tolerance. Haha.
To see the underneath, sit on the ground facing a wall. Prop up a hand mirror on the wall so you can see your lady parts. With a lot of hunching and a little finesse, you should be good to go. Good luck!
hi! i’m really interested with diy brazilian wax. this will be my first time to wax so i’ve been reading a lot of stuff on the internet and there was this woman who said never ever wax pubic hair because from her experience it damaged her skin. she had lots of ingrown hair and worst she had chicken skin. since then im having doubts to try brazilian wax. is it true that you’ll get ingrown hair and chicken skin? thanks!
There are many things that contribute to ingrown hairs and chicken skin. Ingrown hairs can be easily avoided by exfoliating the area regularly as your hairs grown back in. However, you’ll probably get one or two of them per growth period. It’s important to dig these out and sanitize every time you wax.
I’m not actually sure what causes chicken skin.
If you’ve never bikini waxed before, definitely get it done by a professional before you do it yourself.
Good luck!
Love the tips. Just did mine and used small waxed strip for sensitive skin. Worked wonders and less pain then the professionals. Never paying 80 bucks every few weeks again.
I’m going to try this myself soon! I CANNOT shave down there and I hate the regrowth of shaving. How would you wax the parts the lips? I know sometimes it can be damp.. down there.
Reblogged this on simple girl in a complicated world and commented:
Every girls dream and every girls nightmare to do it themselves 😛
Hi,I’ve been contemplating a brazillian wax for ages,haven’t had the guts to do it myself because the once I tried a small bit and it hurt like hell,I use hard wax…today I actually plucked the entire top and bikini line using a tweezer…tomorrow I’m gna try waxing the rest…the skins so sensitive as u get down,what can I do to reduce the pain? Also I’ve been waxing my bikini line but started plucking now because I’m getting ugly ingrowns,help please?
I may sound like a maschocist, but I have been doing my own Brazillian waxes since I was 19, and it’s been 10 years and I do it without taking any Advil. The funny thing was the first time I tried it I did NOT trim the hairs and I think it took nearly 2 hours because it would hurt so bad that I had to stop to go walk around or watch TV to get my nerves to calm down again before I could resume. Lol needless to say by the second time around I learned that it might hurt less if there was less hair for the wax to grab onto- if I had done what any smart college kid do every day and do a simple Google search I would have stumbled across a website such as this! Live and learn kids!
Anyway, it could be that because I have coarser hair that my hairs grow back around 3-4 weeks. Around the time I get my period and then I wax the week after my period is what I have noticed to be the pattern. I use Gigi, hard wax works better for me. I now can get it done in about 15 minutes or less.
I, too, can’t get myself to spend $60 for waxing it when I know I can get the entire kit for under $20 and use for more than 4 months.
I’ve got a name brand hair wax removal kit that has basically everything and some ouchless wipes(numbing wipes). as I have never been waxed before nor have the money to even set up an appointment to. I am curious as to how long, if there is redness and irritation, does it (redness and irritation) last?
My redness and sensitivity lasts about 24 hours. But I’m sure it depends on the sensitivity of your own skin… Good luck!
I have been searching for a cheeper route instead of going in for a full brazilian. Does anyone have suggestions of a sugaring-kit to use instead? I live part time in a different country, where we don’t have microwaves.
So it’s been about 2 years since I last commented on this post…and I see it’s still a very popular topic.
I would like to share some of my tips.
Although, I am still putting myself in all kinds of weird positions to get the perfect Brazilian. I’ve gotten so much better at it and it takes a lot less time than before.
Well for starters, I only use hard wax–cirepil to be exact. They’re are other brands. I find it best to go order a bag of the wax beads on Amazon and refill whenever I’m going low.
I have a small wax warmer—hair removals best friend-also purchased from Amazon.
I’ve tried a few soft waxes and I just think hard wax is a lot less painful and you’re not pulling and tugging on your skin as much.
Waxing has become so convenient. For those soft light hair…give the hard wax a try.
I get this light peach fuzz on my chin….I’ve noticed the hard wax gets it all.
I even wax my pits now and they are so much lighter. My friends constantly compliment how great they look. I managed with an epilator which is also a good hair removal tool. *dont recommend for bikini area – ouch*
So give the hard wax a try. I’m quite sensitive and haven’t had any reaction to the wax at all.
Happy Waxing
-Tysh
Thanks for the feedback Tysh! Can’t believe the post has been up for that long. Glad your waxing endeavors are going well. 🙂
I have a question. I’ve been getting professionally waxed for about 5 months, and it got to be expensive ($80 for mine, as you said) and so I decided to go for it myself. I bought suddenly smooth zinc oxide wax since I’m allergic to most waxes, and the top part on the fatty area came up just fine. The sides, however, will not take. I’ve tried three separate times to get it, but the wax just sticks to the hair and doesn’t come up with the strips. I thought maybe my hair was too long, so I trimmed it to exactly the right length and tried again with the same results. Now I’m looking at a half bald man situation with hair only on the sides. Please help me! Why isn’t this working? Is my wax wrong? Too much baby powder?
Help!
-Seriously frustrated cooch
Hi Frustrated Cooch! Those baby fine hairs can be the hardest to get. Yes, try cutting back on baby powder. Too much renders the wax useless. Also try spreading the wax (and rubbing the wax strip) in different directions. You could be misjudging the direction of growth. If all else fails, get another professional wax and watch closely when they do your sides. Maybe you’re missing something…
Good luck!
Hi, I also have been doing my own brazilian wax for about 2 years now, but I am always looking for more info about the subject, it goes well some times, perfect other times, and just plain frustrating once in a while. I also make my own sugar wax, which makes it even cheaper, I found the recipe on the web, there are several out there, the one that works better for me is 1 cup sugar, two tbs water and two tbs lemon juice or white vinegar. I have found that the two most important factors to get a less painful brazilian wax are: 1) Wax temperature, the pulling part is okay, I’ve learned to do it fast enough to make it not even less painful but even kind of pleasurable (no, I am not a masochist). But sometimes my sugar is too hard to get pliable at a comfortable temperature, I am suspecting that I am overcooking it, so what I do when that happens is to add a bit more water and heat it until it blends in the sugar mix, then let it completely cool down and warm it up again, this works wonders, I can spread the sugar at a temperature just above room temperature so the spreading is completely painless. 2) Moisture, I usually wax in my bathroom, where there is no chance anybody can watch me trying to reach the most difficult areas. But it gets hot after a few minutes, which makes waxing impossible because the sugar melts and stays on my skin no matter how much powder I use. So I have found it really helps if I do it in a dry, cold room, it saves a lot of time and frustration. I think I am finally mastering the art of diy brazilian technique, diy sugar wax recipe. I start on the front, then move to the labia, which for me has worked better if I do it horizontally, spreading the sugar from the leg to the opening and pulling the opposite way, I do this sitting on the floor, or standing up, with one foot on the toilet seat and a good lamp in front of me. And then the back, for which I place a mirror on the floor, laying on the wall, I turn my back to the mirror and bend down, watching from the arch between my legs, this way I can see where to shave and where not to waste time and sugar.
My question here would be: Does anyone else make their own wax? if so, Is there a formula step by step to make it foolproof?
Thank you for posting and sharing your experience. 😀