Bikini waxing is up there with high heel wearing when it comes to painful beauty practices for women. There's no way to sugar-coat that having hair ripped out from your nether regions is going to hurt, but thankfully, there are ways to minimise the ouch factor and increase that post-wax smooth feeling. Lainey Everett, who has been tipped as one of London's fastest waxes, shared some tips with us on how to make your waxing experience as pleasant as possible.
On the best time to wax, Lainey said, "Three days prior to menstruation, the bikini area is more sensitive, so try and avoid that window. The best way to make your sessions less painful is to go regularly, and make sure your technician uses hot wax which binds only to the hair, and not the skin." All together now - deep breaths...
Lainey's Dos and Don'ts:
"DO exfoliate your skin the day the before any waxing. Exfoliating your skin allows any hair that may be tucked under dead skin to be lifted and easier to be removed. The less dead skin, the better the wax will come off your skin and that equals less pain."
"DON'T shave in between waxing appointments. If you absolutely have to, make sure to do it no less than 2 weeks before your next waxing appointment to ensure best results. Hair has to be 4mm in length to be waxed."
"DO hydrate your skin daily. Keeping your skin hydrated keeps it supple – which is more likely to deter ingrown hairs and general skin irritations. Regular appointments makes a whole lot of difference. Our hair grows at three different cycles, so every four weeks is ideal."
"DON'T use a sun bed for 24 hours [ed note. Grazia Daily does not condone the use of sun beds] before or after your hair removal session. Using a sun bed straight after waxing runs the risk of burning the area. On that note, spray tanning should not be done on the same day as your wax, whether pre or post. Prewaxing will result in a rather strange looking patchy area, and post-waxing, leaves you open to stinging, tan getting into your blood stream, as well as a 'tattooed' follicle effect!"
"DO inform your technician of any medication you may be on that pertain to skin thinning or dryness. If you are on strong medication, such as acne medication or topical steroid creams, your skin is likely to be thinner and dryer than usual and can result in an unsightly mark or burn from waxing, as well as leave your skin open to infections."
"DON'T work out or use a jacuzzi/sauna/steam room for 24 hours post-treatment as your follicles are wide open and are therefore more susceptible to bacterial infection. Working out causes a lot of friction on the skin, which can also increase the chances of ingrown hairs."
"DO wear loose clothing when possible after your waxing session to avoid excess friction, particularly after intimate waxing."
Lainey is based at the Beauty Parlour at The House of Charles Worthington.