Confessions of a Waxing Virgin

Yes, it’s the saying from the 1984 hit movie- The Karate Kid. However, at The SPA, or any spa for that matter, it has a whole different meaning.

As a waxing virgin, contemplating a Bikini or Brazilian wax, is not a decision to be taking lightly. I, Mandy one of the new kids on the block at The Spa am currently considering a waxing service from one of our very talented skin therapists. However, I have a very low threshold for pain, and have been known to tear-up just having my eyebrows waxed so the mere thought of having one of my “lady-parts” waxed, makes my skin crawl.

With that said, I’m in the process of completing “pre-wax” research so I’m adequately educated prior to my “Big Waxing”. For anyone who is considering waxing, I thought I would share my knowledge in a small series of articles in hopes of taking away the stigma behind a Bikini or Brazilian waxing.

First thing first- hair length and the differences in the wax utilized. After reading on-line, I learned the hair growth needs to be about one-quarter inch (1/4″) long. Because I don’t have time to measure (and who does), I spoke with one of our skin therapists Katasha and she indicated this is about 10 days of growth or seven if your hair grows quickly.

I then consulted with Katasha about the differences in the wax used: hard or soft wax. Hard wax is designed to adhere to the course hair in the bikini area and not the skin and hair as soft wax does. Using hard wax leaves the skin less irritated and provides a smoother waxing while soft wax serves well for finer hair, facial hair and course hair, and is suited for sensitive skin, hence its primary use on the eyebrows, lip and chin.

In speaking with Katasha, while the hard wax seems like the more ideal choice, particularly for a waxing virgin, even though it actually takes longer because once it’s applied it has to harden. While it’s at the client’s discretion to choose the wax, I personally am going to want this experience over as quickly as possible, so I have no desire to sit and wait for the wax to harden- thus I’m going with the soft wax. Additionally, my continued research indicated that if your skin therapist knows what they are doing, and I know The SPA’s do as our clients are satisfied with their waxing treatments and routinely return, the skin will be irritated regardless (since you’re removing the hair from the root) so you may as well choose the soft wax over the hard wax, if timing is an issue for you.