Braving the Brazilian
Braving The Brazilian
By now we imagine you've read our easy guide to hard waxing guide and have become acquainted with waxing some other regions of your body before diving into the Southern Hemisphere.
Be clean!
Start with a lukewarm shower and a little soap to clean up your bits, making sure to dry thoroughly. Exfoliating is key to preventing ingrown hairs, using a scrub or loofah a 2-4 days beforehand is always best to avoid any tenderness or redness on the day!
Waxing does involve pathogens—blood-borne and otherwise, which means you want your environment to be as sterile as possible and certainly no sharing dipping wax applicators with friends! Be sure to use separate mixtures and applicators when waxing with friends.
Make sure your hair is the right length
Aim for around a ¼ inch of hair growth. Too short, and the wax won’t grip the hair as easily. Too long, and you will be setting yourself up for more ouch. If your hair does happened to be longer than a ¼ inch, simply trim it shorter with an electric trimmer.A mirror is a must
Unless you are used to operating in the dark with your eyes closed, you’re going to need something to provide a visual assist.
Stir and test the wax
The Mello Wax Warmer is best for keeping a consistent, safe temperature. Take an applicator stick and stir the pot, scrape off excess wax and dab the inside of your wrist to test — you’ll know if it’s too hot.
Time to apply!
Breathe, self-medicate, do what you need to do, it's time.
Work in sections! We suggest to start with the inner thighs and work in, and towards the back (This is when the makeup mirror on the floor starts to come in handy).
1. Apply a generous lather of Mello Hard Wax. If you can still see the hair through the wax, it's too thin! Each strip should be about an inch wide and up to three inches long... Remember to apply in the direction of the hairs growth.
2. Swiftly peel the now hardened strip off in the opposite direction of the hair growth - do your best to hold the skin beneath the section taut and peel closest to the skin as possible rather than away to lessen the pain and achieve the best result
Trick your pain sensors by holding the skin as taut as possible. "The tighter and smoother the skin is, the easier it'll be to remove the hair. It'll also be less painful because the pressure of pulling the skin tricks your pain sensors in that area."
3. Repeat step 1 & 2 until you achieve the smoothness you are after.
After care
One of the most important things to remember about taking care of your bits after any hair removal procedure is that heat and sweat are not your friends. Showers should be lukewarm and it would be in your best interest to avoid hot yoga or heavy cardio for a few hours, as well as saunas and steam rooms. Cotton undies and an over-the-counter pain reliever can help too.
Make sure you've removed all the wax and no areas are stuck. If there is leftover wax, use coconut oil to break it down and rub it all over the area until the sticky patches feel smooth. (Bonus: It's antimicrobial, so it'll help keep bacteria at bay.)