I’m gonna start with a disclaimer: You do not need to get rid of hair anywhere on your body! If you like hair and are comfortable with it, then don’t feel any pressure to remove it.
Understandably, most of us have bought into the idea of hairlessness because we’re constantly bombarded with smooth, hairless, and bump-free bodies on social media. However, it is entirely up to you to make that decision. Hair or not, you’re still beautiful and desirable, and nobody should convince you otherwise.
In my case, I got my first Brazilian wax out of sheer curiosity. If you haven’t read my previous post on this, then check it out! In that post, I also shared 6 tips that helped me prepare for my waxing session. Some tips I learned beforehand, and others, I learned after.
In my final thoughts (at the end of this post), I answer some questions you may have based on my own personal experience, including what hurt the most. Keeping reading for more details!
Finding a Center/Scheduling My Appointment
My first Brazilian wax experience was at a European waxing center – a chain of hair removal salons. European waxing center has franchises all over the U.S and specializes in waxing every waxable part of your body. I did some research and shopped around my area before settling on this center.
Most of the waxing services in my location were a part of spas, nail shops, and even people’s homes. Now, I wasn’t taking any chances going to anyone’s house. Even though some of them had esthetician licenses, it was just a personal/safety preference.
European wax center had an established website with an appointment scheduling system that let you find locations anywhere in the U.S and book right on their website. They also had a blog full of hair removal information, an online store for their products, services offered, etc.
Overall, it came down to credibility, and I was convinced that the people working there would know exactly what they were doing. A bonus was that they offered 50% off my first Brazilian wax + one free wax for first-timers. I elected to have my underarms waxed as my “first free wax.” It’s been over a year now, and this promotion is still active on their website so take advantage of it!
When scheduling your appointment, you have the option of either picking a specific person or allowing the center to pick for you. I read all reviews for my local European center and settled on the specialist with a recurring name among all the good reviews.
Before My Brazilian Wax Appointment
I scheduled my appointment ahead of time and let the hair grow out for a month (yes, a month!) No shave, no trim, nothing. I just left it alone. This is because I didn’t want to make it to my appointment and not have enough hair for the wax to hold on to. Most places will recommend at least 2 inches of hair growth down there.
For the weeks leading up to my appointment, I consistently exfoliated, which is one of the tips I stressed in my first-timer Brazilian wax post. On the day of my appointment, I took a shower right before leaving so that both my waxing specialist and I would be comfortable. Additionally, I wore a dress for easy wear and removal.
During The Waxing Session
I arrived about 5 minutes late to my appointment due to traffic and sprinted in with apologies. They were very understanding and checked me in. Shortly after, I was ushered back to a private room. The private room had a firm bed, similar to what you lay in at the doctor’s office but bigger and more comfortable. The whole center was air-conditioned, and the room I was placed in was spotless.
The waxing professional that I selected came in shortly after and introduced herself. Of course, I gave my little spiel about this being my first wax and how nervous I was. I asked a bunch of questions and got my anxiety out. She reassured me and instructed me to “take it all off” and lay on the bed.
I planned to film the process, but they had a policy against recording, so I was unable to.
We spent a few minutes testing out the hot wax’s temperature to see what was comfortable for my skin. When we got the right temp, I was instructed to lay in a reclined butterfly pose. This is pretty much a yoga butterfly pose but with my back flat on the bed.
The butterfly pose pretty much gives her access to see everything down there and stretches the skin taut. She observed my area, wiped it, and applied some powder. I knew from doing my research that powder absorbs any excess oil or moisture in the area so that the wax can stick better and remove the hair.
She applied the wax by sections, held the opposite skin tautly, and counted down from 3 before pulling the wax (and hair) off. I really appreciated the countdown because I could brace myself before each pull. After she pulled out the wax, she would hold that section of skin down because it apparently reduced the pain’s intensity.
The session went by pretty fast. I got my free underarm wax, as well as a stomach strip wax.
Post Brazilian-Wax Session
My waxing specialist made it a point to reiterate and stress that I gave her a review right after our session. This keyed me into why she probably had so many reviews online. She also made sure to suggest (some would say push) some products sold by the center to exfoliate and prevent in-grown hairs. It made me wonder if there was some reward system for employees with many reviews and if there was some type of quota the center had to reach for selling certain products.
I was pushed to buy 3 different products, but I ended up purchasing only one. Although I got the 50% discount, my belly wax and those 3 (pricey) products would have me out almost $200, and I wasn’t quite willing to do that.
They also gave me the option of pre-scheduling monthly appointments and picking various waxing packages that I could pre-pay for. I declined because I wanted to see my results first before making any further commitments.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the process was not bad at all! I like to think I have pretty high pain tolerance, but this was a new type of feeling for me, and I don’t mean that negatively. I’ve just never had hair waxed from down south before. If you have a low tolerance for pain, you might need to brace yourself for this. But don’t be discouraged! The pain is only for a brief moment, and then it’s gone.
Below, I’ve broken down some more of my final thoughts using questions that you probably have about the process:
How long did the Brazilian waxing process take?
The process of the Brazilian wax itself took only about 30 minutes. The 30 mins included talking, testing out the wax, and having all the hair removed. My overall appointment took about 45 mins because I also got my underarms and stomach strip waxed.
Did it feel weird/awkward?
I would say this really depends on your waxing specialist because if you think about it, you’re literally letting a stranger stare your lady parts dead in the face and yank hair off of/around her.
In my case, it felt awkward at first, but my “waxer” was very confident, empathetic, and professional. She was also an older lady with about 20 years of experience, so I pretty much lost the weirdness after she gave me that information. It was almost like an “Oh, she’s seen lots of vaginas, mine won’t be special.”
On a scale of 1-10, how much did it hurt?
I would give it a 6. But like I previously mentioned, the pain is only for a moment, so as soon as you feel it, it’s gone.
What was the most/least painful part of the process?
THE LIPS hurt! The lips (a.k.a labia) are pretty much the most sensitive part of that pubic area, so it makes sense that waxing it would be a lot more intense than the other parts. The last part of my Brazilian wax was the butt crack, and it was the least painful part for me. Not sure if it’s just because the harder areas were done at that point, but it didn’t hurt like I thought it would.
What did the area feel/look like afterward?
It was so smooth; think of it like a freshly shaved bald head (lol). It was also extremely soft, the softest I’d felt in a long time (or as far as I can remember). But, I’ll be completely honest, it was a little sore and red. I mean, I literally just had hair ripped from its roots. However, the soreness wasn’t unbearable or anything and I was able to comfortably drive home afterward. Also,
How long before the hair started growing back?
It took about a week and a half before I started seeing signs of growth. Most places will say it takes anywhere from 2-3 weeks to see regrowth. Knowing the type of hair I have, I expected to see a quick regrowth. It wasn’t until around the 2-week mark that the hair actually started becoming more noticeable. However, don’t worry too much about that because it takes frequent sessions for the hair to start growing back slower.
Did your hair grow back softer?
I didn’t see a noticeable difference in the hair’s texture and overall feel when it grew back in. Just like the growth rate, it takes repeated sessions for the hair to start growing back softer.
Would you do it again?
For the results I got? That’s a resounding yes! Especially with the possibility of slower and softer hair growth and a nice-looking lady part. Yes and yes! The good thing is that the more you wax, the less “painful” or uncomfortable the process gets. So 10/10 would recommend to anyone thinking about it.
If you’re worried about what your experience will be like, I’d say don’t overthink it. You can take steps to create a more pleasant experience for yourself, but you won’t know till it’s done. Whether you do or don’t choose to get one, no pressure.
If you do decide to go, I hope you enjoy your results as much as I did mine!