Waxing, Down There?!

Women and men are so apprehensive when it comes to body hair, and when brand new hairs show up in old familiar places the questioning tends to happen in private stolen moments of my time on my way to tend other chores. I find myself pulled aside and wrestled into deeply personal territory by people looking for the down low on tending to their down low and other regions. Waxing boils down to personal choices ladies and gentlemen and is best left up to professionals, that goes for brows, legs, armpits, backs, etc.

Do not take this on your selves. Go to A professional. An esthetician is trained and often specializes in body hair removal. An esthetician can avoid pitfalls like ingrown hairs, or damaged skin due to overheated wax or not enough skin tension when pulling the wax off. My go to professional is a Brazilian style specialist, yes I said "specialist". This is someone who pays much attention to her profession. A Brazilian wax is to your private parts as unregulated deforestation is to the Amazon jungle.

According to the FDA waxing can lead to infection so those with weak immune systems should avoid it, and those using any kind of retinol on skin that could be waxed are more susceptible to peeling skin which could also lead to an infection. The FDA also warns against overuse of the antiseptic numbing sprays. The active ingredient is commonly Lidocaine, as much as 4% and is absorbed into the blood stream so a low dose of the active ingredient is strongly urged if you insist. You should speak with your own doctor about the subject. The bottom line is that even when done properly and under sanitary conditions waxing isn't a must or even recommended. If you know the risks and go ahead with it just make sure that your professional isn't double dipping the wax applicator, is using gloves, and is adhering to sanitation standards. Check your local cosmetology state board website for details of those standards.

There are other options for hair removal that all have their own peculiarities, like threading, electrolysis, shaving, buffing, etc. so you don't have to stay hairy. A little coiffuring is expected and recommended (by me) because in this day and age, nobody should go totally unattended to. Please do see a pro before you try to learn a new skill at home, there is a reason for a licensing requirement in this profession.

And one more thing, if you are waxing for someone else's preferences, please consider whether the pain, risk, expense and maintenance of your coiffure is worth that person's approval. Think about it.

Lena Walker Smith "Waxing, Down There?!" Associated Content