Hello hot girl summer, it’s nice to see you again. Summer is well and truly underway, and with that comes beach trips, making eyes with the floppy-haired guy across the pub garden and last-minute sun-soaked getaways. It’s a great time to be alive. If you’re partial to hair removal in the summer months when high-rise bikinis become part of your weekly wardrobe, consider this your 101 for all things waxing. Offering a longer-lasting, smoother finish, with fewer ingrowns and finer regrowth than shaving, waxing can be a great option if your preference is no hair down there and you’re looking for long-lasting results.
When it comes to actually making an appointment and showing your *bits* to a total stranger though- that part takes a little more courage. If the only thing holding you back from being a silky smooth seal for summer is fear of the unknown, let us demystify the experience once and for all. We spoke to Trish Coulton, Australia’s ‘hair removal queen’ and founder of Bondi Body, London’s premier waxing and hair removal studio, to find out everything you need to know before getting your first bikini wax…
“Before making any appointment do a little due diligence on the clinic. You want to make sure they are clean and sanitised. By reading reviews, you can gauge the consumer experience and feel confident booking an appointment and getting prepared for your first visit.
“Ideally make the first appointment in person, either by walking in or calling on the phone so that you can ask any questions at the same time.”
If you say that it is your first appointment, then you should be automatically made to feel welcome and walked though what you need to prep and what to expect.
Trish Coulton
“I can’t speak for all salons, but at Bondi Body, you will be greeted, welcomed and with every new client we ask about your body hair history, if you have been waxed before, discuss any skin conditions such as eczema or skin tags you may have, sensitivity and see what the best direction is for you. All appointments should be tailored to you, and by that, I mean ensuring they treat your body as yours and not the same as the previous client.
Although you are naked, you will have some paper roll to cover your most intimate areas.Trish Coulton
“You’ll then move into the treatment room where you’ll be given a minute to freshen up and to remove all the lower section of clothing before hopping onto the table. Now although you are naked, you will have some paper roll to cover your most intimate areas. This is a question I get asked a lot- “Will I have my bits on show?” Of course, we need to get to the area as much as possible, but you are covered. It’s a bit like wearing a G-string kitchen roll.
Side note: If the treatment room is in any way dirty. Leave. Hygiene is paramount.
“Your hair needs to be longer than 1cm for your appointment, as the wax needs to be able to grab hold of the hair and get a good grip on the root. Do not trim.
“It’s also worth remembering that if this is your first wax, your hair root will be quite large meaning the first wax you ever have will be the most painful. From then onwards, the root of the hair reduces and it will become much less painful after a few sessions.
You will be talked through your treatment from start to finish. We want you to learn about your body and feel 100% confident for every future visit. Trish Coulton
“Before commencing the wax, especially to clients who are new to intimate waxing, we check the temperature of the wax. If you feel the wax is too hot, then you should make the therapist aware. Wax should not be hot! You will be talked through your treatment from start to finish. We want you to learn about your body and feel 100% confident for every future visit. The first appointment is always daunting, but the hope is to leave you feeling super confident so that any doubts will have disappeared in time for your next session.
“So how do we wax your intimate area? Starting at the top of the bikini line we work our way down and around. Both legs are flat in the position of a V shape. Then we bend one knee out, away from the body, keeping the opposite leg straight. Repeat on the other leg. To work on the back area, we then bend the knee to the shoulder and work on the area behind. This is done whilst all the time moving the paper roll around the area we are waxing to keep you covered and feeling comfortable.
“Aside from the obvious discomfort, not many of us enjoy taking their underwear off for a complete stranger …. let alone get into awkward positions. It is worth knowing that the treatment is super quick from the time you take your clothes off to pop them back on, it takes just 15 minutes!
“Post-treatment – we recommend having a cool shower and absolutely no hot baths. Do not use anything perfumed or chemical on the area and stick to natural unscented moisturisers and soaps. If you feel a little tender, then we recommend Sudocrem. Any concerns then reach out to your waxer directly.
A little side tip – try to wax the week directly after your period- it’s the least sensitive part of your monthly cycle for hair removal.
The Different Types of Wax
Feeling more confident already? Good! Next up is deciding on which waxing style is right for you…
The Bikini Line Touch Up
If you’re not sure how much hair you’d like removed but fancy a little more of a manicured look, a bikini line touch up might be the one for you. The perfect option if you’d like to keep things a little more natural but fancy some definition on the edges, hair will be removed from anywhere outside of the modest knicker line.
Full Bikini
A step up from the above, the full bikini wax usually refers to the standard bikini line and waxing some hair on top to make a more defined ‘triangle’ area, while trimming down leftover hair. If you still want to keep some hair but want more definition and hair removed deeper into the bikini line, this is the wax for you.
French
If you want down there to be smooth and have a significant amount of hair removed without feeling too bare, French is the way to go.Your aesthetician will take off most of your pubic hair in the front—leaving a small, rectangular strip (aka a ‘landing strip’)—and all of your hair in the intimate middle area. It’s worth noting that the French bikini wax does not include any hair removal in the back!
Brazilian
A Brazilian wax removes all the hair from your bikini area (top, sides,and front), and the hard-to-reach spots in the back you never quite get to. FYI- they’re one of the most popular options when it comes to hair removal down there! Unlike the French version, when you go Brazilian they take the hair off the top and sides of the bikini line, but also all the way under and around the back, too.
Hollywood
Goodbye hair. The Hollywood wax removes all pubic hair, from the front, between the legs, and between the buttocks. If you’re looking for a total hair removal solution, this is it…
We all have different preferences when it comes to body hair, from keeping it natural to slightly more manicured, but remember that feeling confident and like your best self this summer is all about doing what you feel most comfortable with!
