DARE TO GO BARE!!

When it comes to our hair, we women are really proud to display ours when it comes to styles, colour and luxurious thickness. Now I know Martin Luther was of the opinion that the hair of a woman is her richest ornament – but I think many of us will disagree with that statement when it comes to the hair which grows abundantly in more private areas! Not many of us will approach a friend or a lover to show off our pubic afro when compared to those on our heads!

Well, a couple of months ago after reading and hearing much about the Brazilian wax and my curiosity being aroused, I decided to take the plunge below the belt and give the waxing a go….... by myself. Admittedly not the best idea I have ever come up with to be honest. After a visit to my local pharmacy I came home equipped with a tub of hard wax and the tools to do the job and I waited patiently for my whole family to retire for the night. What followed was one of the most frustrating, painful and hilarious 30 minutes of my life!

I couldn't finish the job, so half plucked and thoroughly embarrassed the next day, I made myself an appointment with a professional beauty salon to rectify my hairdo or should I say lack thereof. I was soothed somewhat when the beautician told me that I wasn't the first and probably would not be the last woman who had attempted a home waxing job – only to fail miserably. Going to the salon was such a relief and I was in and out within 15 minutes and even received a discount for my pathetic contribution towards the end result! How nice!

Now a bit more about the procedure at the salon. Firstly I was not asked to contort myself into any strange and mortifying positions including but not limited to: doggy all fours, nappy changing squat or any yoga poses which would leave most of us stuck with our toes behind our ears or torn hamstring muscles! I was asked to disrobe from the waist down, lie on the salon bed and cover myself with a towel. The esthetician were very aware of my modesty and would only remove the covering wherever she was applying wax to and during all of this she was also making conversation with me to make me feel more relaxed. The procedure was over before I knew it and it was much less painful than when I had tried to do it myself.

Now after that funny and embarrassing testimony of my introduction to the world of waxing, I would like to share some of the pros and cons of waxing as a whole but more specifically related to the more private areas:

• One of the foremost benefits of waxing is the lasting factor. No, not in that way, what were you thinking! Waxing leaves you with smooth, silky, soft skin and it  can take anything from 3-8 weeks for hair to grow back.  Compared to shaving, which needs to be done every couple of days during summer months, waxing is heaven!

• Waxing lessens hair growth and for some people hair growth may even stop eventually. Shaving has been proven to stimulate hair growth because the hair is removed only on the surface whereas with waxing it removes the whole hair at the root.

• Waxing is a great way to ex-foliate the skin by removing layers of dead cells from the surface of your skin.

• Regrowth hair is finer and softer after waxing compared to the hair the grows back coarser and thick after continuous shaving.

• No rashes, stubbles or pigmentation to be seen.

• No use of strong, smelly chemicals on your sensitive skin, which causes everyone to vacate the room when you enter!

Now for those of you who are seriously tempted to go bare, it will only be fair to also mention the drawbacks, so you can make an informed decision:

• The pain factor. Yes, it is sore, but the pain is short lived and much less when done by a professional esthetician. The more you repeat the procedure, the less painful it becomes.

• The expense must be considered. Prices vary from $35 to $85 per session depending on which country you live in, with initial visits being more than follow ups.

• Ingrown hairs can become a problem, but by using an ex-foliating tool such as a loofah or similar items with a moisturising agent such as baby oil, this problem can be minimized.

• To the modest and sensitive individual, embarrassment at having a stranger attend to your pubic area, may be a problem. Believe me when I say that they do this procedure all the time, and just like with doctors delivering babies, they hardly take notice as you think they might do.  It is just a job to them and they see many others a day, so what are the chances that they will remember yours?

General care is important after having intimate areas waxed and you can confirm these with your esthetician at the time. The most important things to take care and caution with are as follows:

• do not expose the waxed skin to direct sunlight 24 hours before and 48 hours after the procedure.  You don't want to go naked for a few days do you?  It will hurt and swell and what will you look like then?  So watch out!

• do not wear tight clothes that may chafe or irritate.  Ouch!

• avoid very hot bath water, duh?   

• and do not use fragrant creams, lotions and ex-foliating scrubs for at least 24 hours after waxing or you might be the creator of new inventive dance moves while singing soprano!

The general consensus amongst women who have had a Brazilian wax is that it makes them feel feminine, free, and sexy.  Lovers will be greatly rewarded because their women just want to show it off, because they feel more liberated, sensual and self confident.  Now that's a change from the women who wouldn't let her partner get even close to the mark to have a look or more .........!  And the guys will come back for more, believe me! 

All worth it, don't you think?