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Ten Tips for a Nearly Painless Bikini Wax

BellaSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:00:50 -0700

I think only masochists look forward to a bikini wax, and small wonder: It hurts! The thing is, it doesn't have to hurt quite so badly. I've compiled a list of ten ways you can reduce the pain of waxing. If you're new to waxing, I highly recommend going to a professional to see how it's done. After a few times, you might want to try doing it at home to save a few bucks; I really love completely bare's wax kit because it's practically pain-free. (Let me know if you'd like a how-to on at-home waxing; I'd be happy to do one!) For now, to learn how to keep pain at bay, read more

Plan to wax after your period. Your pain threshold is higher in the week after your period than beforehand. Think of it like this: If sappy commercials make you cry when you're premenstrual, having wax applied to your dainty bits certainly will.
Lose your self-consciousness. Yes, a stranger is going to see you wearing, at most, a paper thong. Don't worry about offending her or feeling embarrassed. It's nothing she hasn't seen before. The less anxious you are, the less you'll worry about pain.
Start off slowly. Your first bikini wax is not the time to try a Brazilian. If you're new to waxing, go with a basic bikini wax. You can always decide to remove more the next time around.
Exfoliate. The day before you decide to wax, exfoliate in the shower. This will remove dead skin, allowing the wax to grip shorter hairs.
Speak up. A good esthetician will work with you to make sure you're as comfortable as you can be. I always ask my esthetician to tell me when she's about to pull the wax off. So don't be shy to say something if you have a low pain tolerance-it's better to speak up than to suffer in silence.
Use hard wax. Hard wax is more gentle than soft wax, so I recommend going to a spa that uses it.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. About an hour before your appointment, take an Advil, Tylenol or other pain reliever.
Breathe. It can be tempting to hold your breath, but breathing in and out helps reduce the pain. Take a deep breath in when the wax goes on, then breathe out when your esthetician gives it a yank.
Know which parts are most sensitive. You wouldn't expect it, but having hair pulled from the lower abdomen area is more painful than it is around the vaginal opening.
Turn your head and cough. An esthetician at Bliss taught me this trick: When the wax is about to be ripped off, cough. It distracts from the pain, and trust me, it works!

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How-To: Banish Those Pesky Post-Waxing Eyebrow Bumps

BellaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Yesterday, Yum came to me with a dilemma. She had her brows waxed over the weekend, and much to her dismay, was left with reddish bumps as a result. She had done nothing different than usual, taken any medications out of the ordinary, or even gone to a new waxing lady, but still ended up with itchy, irritated skin. To find out my tips on helping Yum get her brows back to normal, just keep reading

How To: Take Care of Your Skin After a Wax

BellaSugarUK — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:00:00 -0800

I know that most of you are divided about which method of hair removal you prefer. While shaving is undoubtedly the cheapest and most convenient way it can become annoying having to do it every other day -plus there's the problem of ingrown hairs (check out my top tips to prevent those). Personally I'm a devotee of waxing as it's just more relaxing having someone else take care of the problem.

I recently had the best wax of my life by expert therapist Dee Wilson who runs her own mini salon at Favela Shop (020 3222 0042) in Shoreditch. Dee specialises in brazilians and while I'm not brave enough to go all the way, I got the most thorough bikini wax I'd ever experienced. Plus my legs are still hairless two weeks later.

I spoke to Dee about her top tips for taking care of your skin post-wax and how to ensure that you stay super smooth for as long as possible. For her expert advice simply read more.

Exfoliate your body at least once a week. Dee suggests that you "exfoliate the area you're having waxed a few hours prior to the treatment and afterwards don't exfoliate for at least four days."
Don't use shower gel or body lotion on your waxed skin for around 24 hours. "Try and keep the bath or shower water luke warm instead of hot, as this can irritate the skin." says Dee.
"If you've had a bikini wax - especially if it's a brazilian, then cold ice or a cold compress can help the redness disappear." suggests Dee.
"Tea tree or lavender oil will soothe the skin." Dee recommends.
To avoid any redness or those irritation bumps that sometimes occur on the legs after a wax then try and expose your skin to the cold air. "Avoid the sun" says Dee "but having bare legs instead of being wrapped up in tights or jeans will help the skin to recover."
After 48 hours apply a cream that will minimise hair re-growth. I swear by Bliss Get Out of Hair! (£27) moisture milk.

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Here's a Tip: Ditch the Q-Tips

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 03:00:00 -0800

The package of Q-tips plainly reads, "Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury." Yet despite warnings written directly on the package as well as from doctors, a lot of people are still using cotton swabs - yup, I'm talking about you. In the future you may want to be careful or ditch them altogether, since Q-tips can severely damage your ear canal if pushed in too far. What's more? Along with potentially rupturing the membrane, the swab is likely to push wax deeper into the ear canal rather than removing it - even if a little shows up on the cotton.

Need more evidence? Daniel St-Pierre, 43. Coroner Jacques Ramsay found the man died of complications linked to an ear infection probably caused by the use of cotton swabs that pierced the eardrum. Even more? A boy who had been partially deaf for nine years was suddenly cured - when a cotton wool bud from a Q-tip popped out of his ear. Crazy, right? Point is, don't put a Q-tip in your ear, you'll be doing way more harm than good.

If you still feel like you need to clean out those ears, there are some tips for that so read more.

According to WebMD, most people don't need to do any ear maintenance at all. Earwax slowly moves toward the opening of the ear canal and is sloughed off during daily routines and showers. If you want, you can take a washcloth and, using your finger, gently wash the opening of your ear.

If you're someone, like my best friend, who produces unusually large amounts of earwax and your ear canal keeps getting clogged, you may need to see your doctor occasionally to have it removed. Some people swear by ear candling, but the debate is still up on whether or not it even works.

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How-To: Remove Contact Paper Adhesive

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:12 -0800

Remember how I covered my hideous linoleum floors with woodgrain contact paper? Well, while they looked fabulous, it came time to take them off. The contact paper itself was easy to remove, but as expected, a very tough adhesive residue was left. I tried literally everything to get rid of the sticky mess - WD40, Goo Gone, vinegar, Oops!, you name it - and searched far and wide on the Internet for tips to no avail. In the end, thanks to a tip from a friend, I was able to remove the residue. Want to know what the magic potion was?

Hump Day: Sex Makes Her Uncomfortable

TresSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:30:23 -0800

Welcome to Hump Day, TrèsSugar's sex advice column. If you have questions about sex, send them to TrèsSugar, and our friend Dr. Charlie Glickman from Good Vibrations will offer his sound advice!

Today's Question:
I'm 24 and in my first relationship. I really like the guy, we've been going out for six months, but I get nervous whenever he slips his hand under my underwear. He gets the hint and stops. I don't mind him doing other things (we haven't slept together yet), but I wish I wasn't such a prude. I don't know what he expects and I worry that he will be grossed out, as I only shave/wax the bikini line but not the whole thing. What if he thinks it is ugly? I also don't know what I should expect; he knows I'm a virgin, but I don't know how to speak to him about why I get uncomfortable, and I don't know how to overcome it! I also have a few stretch marks and worry that he will be grossed out by them. Please help?

To read Dr. Glickman's response, read more.

Thank you for sharing this challenging situation. I know that it can be scary to talk about things like this, but these are all really common thoughts.

One of the things that can help when you’re on the edge of your comfort zone is to take it very slowly. It’ll probably help to tell your guy about your discomfort, even if you can’t tell him why it’s there. You could simply say "I have a lot of discomfort around sex." You also might want to do a little solo exploration. It takes the pressure off because there aren’t any partner expectations. Check out the wonderful book Becoming Orgasmic. If you’re looking for tips or ideas for techniques, Tickle Your Fancy is full of suggestions. Once you know a bit more about what you like or dislike, you and your boyfriend might be able to find something that you both like to do.

It’s worth mentioning that vulvas come in all different shapes. (The vulva is the external female anatomy. The vagina is the inside part.) There’s a long history of negative attitudes towards the vulva, but each one is unique and beautiful in its own way. A lot of women have the idea that there’s something wrong with their vulvas because they don’t look like what we see in porn or because they have hair, and I think that’s unfortunate. I strongly recommend getting to know your parts and Scarleteen has a great site about that. It’s geared towards teens, but there's lots of amazing info about sex, bodies, and pleasure.

Another option would be to explore some of these concerns with a therapist. When you have an itch on your back, you need someone else to scratch it. Therapists help us by reaching the spots we can’t reach on our own. Lastly, depending on where you are, you could join a body-image support group. While they tend not to focus on sexuality, they can be an incredibly helpful way to work through our concerns about our bodies and how we (or other people) feel about them.

Working through these challenges isn’t always easy, but it can be very rewarding. Whatever route you choose, I hope you find the pleasure and joy that you deserve.

Wax On, Wax Off: The Best of Hair-Removal Posts

BellaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:00:00 -0700

After last month's attempt at a DIY bikini wax resulted in spectacular disaster - we're still discovering particles of sticky wax on the bathroom floor - I have decided to splurge on a professional deforestation this month. Very exciting stuff, folks. If you're thinking of ripping out some of your hair, look no further. Behold, six wax-themed posts to help you grin and bare it.

Photo by Annabananabobaloo

Three Simple Things to Remember Before Eyebrow Waxing

BellaSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:59:30 -0700

Since I've been trying to stretch the time between waxes with tweezing, my postrecession scheduling earned me a "long time!" exclamation at the salon door. Call me extra aware but chatting with my esthetician revealed these three easy things to do before waxing . . . that can be equally easy to forget:

Lightly exfoliate. Some skin is sensitive to this process and you may see tiny pimples postwaxing. Before you go in, lightly exfoliate the brow area. This can help clear impacted follicles and remove dead skin cells for a clean slate.

Bare before beautiful brows. If you know you're going in for facial waxing, avoid wearing foundation or any liquid products that can interfere with the working wax. (I stopped in after brunch and my makeup needed to be removed – oops!)

Powdered down. You may notice your esthetician powdering your brows as she starts. The reason? It absorbs any excess oil or moisture. The drier the skin, the better the wax will adhere to it. So show up with clean, dry skin or lightly powder it yourself and save that step.

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How-To: Rid Your Candle Holders of Wax

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I recently hosted a dinner party lit by dozens of candles, from votive holders on the coffee table to candlesticks in the dining room. Part of cleaning up after a candlelit soiree involves getting rid of all that wax. Thankfully I've learned a few tricks and tips over the years to make it easier. Here are a few of my favorite wax-removing solutions.

Before placing a candle in a votive holder, fill it with 1/4 inch of water. This way the wax won't stick to the glass and will be easier to remove.
If you skip the water step, after the party, put your wax-coated candle holders in the freezer for a few hours. This will allow the wax to shrink so you can easily pop it out with a screwdriver or other tool.
If the frozen wax doesn't pop out right away, try placing the candle holder upside down while it returns to room temperature, then try again.

Get three more tips.

How-To: Kristen Stewart's Faux Bowl Cut at the 2009 VMAs

BellaSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:38:12 -0700

It's pretty safe to say that last night's 2009 MTV VMAs were one of the most entertaining in recent history. You had your Kanye outburst, Pink's Cirque du Soleil-style act, Lady Gaga's bloody performance, and cast members from Twilight taking the stage to premiere the New Moon trailer. (And in case you didn't hear the buzz, it was also a night for Kristen Stewart to cozy up with costar Robert Pattinson backstage.) At first, it looked like Kristen had chopped her Joan Jett-esque locks, but alas, it was just the mastery of Pantetne celebrity stylist Hallie Bowman, who created this edgy, faux-bowl-cut style with a modern feel. Now, I know many of you might not be fans of the throwback look, but if you're bored with your style and don't want to cut several inches to achieve a new look, this technique might just work for you.
To find out what magic Bowman performed on Kristen, read more.