Hello my lovelies! Hope you're all well! I got brave on Saturday 5th March 2016, and had my first Brazilian Wax! I'm still in Florida, and I decided I'd be brave. Let me tell you the story...
Disclaimer: All views expressed here are all my own. I am not promoting anything or anyone.
I booked an underarm wax for Thursday 3rd March 2016 at the HoochiCoochi Wax Bar in Lantana, FL. I got the recommendation from a friend who lives local in the area. I checked Yelp and the reviews were fantastic! I had an appointment for 5:30pm, so I got an Uber down to the salon. (It's about 3 miles away from my hotel - so just under ten minutes to drive.)
I'd thought about waxing down there in the past, but I never really acted on it. I'd been advised that if I was to do it, find somewhere that uses hard wax. (That link is a video from YouTube, I'm 99.9% that is the wax they used on me...)
Anyway... So I arrived at the salon ten minutes early and was greeted by Jill. She had someone who was just about to get waxed and asked if I minded waiting 10-15 minutes, "Of course not" I said. I'd been getting my underarms waxed for over a year (Going for a wax every 4-5 weeks as the hair is so sparse there now) so I wasn't at all anxious, I was excited to try a hard wax for the first time.
Jill finished up with the lady before me, and then I was invited in to the treatment room. During an underarm wax, you take your top off so you don't get wax on your clothes and they're not in the way. An underarm wax takes less than five minutes... And it does hurt! The first time I had it done, it was excruciating - But now, the hair is thinner and I know what to expect. During the underarm wax, I'd told Jill I'd always wanted to have a Brazilian Wax but was always too scared of the pain - she told me if I could tolerate the underarm, I'd be okay with a Brazilian. She discussed the wax that they use, and how it's much better for the skin, as it doesn't stick to the skin, it shrink-wraps around the hair and doesn't pull on the skin when you remove it. I said to her would it be okay if I called in the morning to book an appointment for Saturday depending on my schedule, she said that was fine. I paid for my underarm wax and headed back to the hotel.
Friday morning came, and I stared at my phone for a good ten minutes before I finally got the courage to make the phone call. I spoke to Jill again, and she got me booked in for Saturday midday at 1:15pm. I was nervous that whole day, and had unsettled sleep... Which was frustrating.
The Salon
I woke on Saturday about 7am, I had a long shower making sure I was clean everywhere (I can't stand bad hygiene...) I didn't feel anywhere near as nervous as I was the night before. Mark came with me for moral support, which was nice as I had no idea what to expect. We got an Uber down, and was greeted by Jill. I was invited into the treatment room, and she told me to take everything off from the waist down and to cover myself with a towel, and she'd then come in and explain everything. I changed, and laid on the bed. Jill knocked and came in the room, she explained what areas she'd be putting the wax, and where it was going to hurt the most, which I really appreciated.
If there's one thing I've learnt about waxing it's controlling your breathing, breathing in just before the removal of the wax and out on the removal - it makes worlds of difference. So that's the advice I give you, if you go for painful waxes - control your breathing. Jill told me when she was going to remove the wax, so that helped me a lot to control my breathing. She kept a great level of conversation going because it can be embarrassing sitting there with your legs wide open with everything on show, I didn't really have this problem - you need to remember that this is there job, they see this all day, everyday - it's nothing they haven't seen before, so it's really not that bad. I didn't find it awkward at all, I was super proud of myself just for that.
That first rip of the wax was... Not as bad as I expected. Of course it hurt, but it was no where near the extent to what I'd imagined, and I've heard some horror stories... So, Jill if you're reading this you are exceptional at your job! Most of the horror stories are from people who have had Brazilians with strip wax, which is worlds more painful. As time went on throughout my treatment, I flinched a little more, and I jolted a little... But, not once did I yelp, say ouch, get tears in my eyes or do anything silly or dramatic (Jill shared some fun stories with me from past experiences with clientele... But those are mine, you wanna know? You'd better go and see Jill.)
When she finished the front, we moved onto the back... Yes, you get your bum waxed! Honestly, that doesn't hurt at all - a walk in the park! When the treatment was finished, Jill put on some calming Aloe balm and then left me to get dressed... I look down, I looked so angry looking. Nothing less than expected though, I have very sensitive skin. Amazingly, it didn't hurt anymore and I was relieved.
As seen at the top of my post, you can have a variety of styles from your Brazilian with your hair. Most people go for the landing strip (That's what I can it anyway...) which is the second picture. I just had it all off.
Jill earned the $20 tip I gave her, she was thorough and so professional and friendly. When I come back to the area, I will be going nowhere else, HoochiCoochi is an amazing salon!
Am I converted to waxing all over now? Most probably, we'll have to see the results. It can last 3-4 weeks and that is a blessing in itself. You just feel worlds cleaner. I do know however, if I go to wax a new area of my body, I can do it... Because once you've done this... You can do anything.
I paid $50 for my wax (Which is £35, and I tell you, it's worth every penny.. I found a diamond place for an amazing price.) When I get home, for the same quality of wax, it's going to cost me £70 a treatment. I gave Jill a $20 tip (Which is £15) So, I paid £50... I'm over the moon.
Oh, and if you're not in Florida and want to visit HoochiCoochi here are a list of their locations!
If you're considering getting a Brazilian here are my tips for you!!!
- Research: This is a huge must! You should always research salons before you get any treatment. I am a huge Yelper/TripAdvisor user - and I refuse to go ANYWHERE without checking these places for reviews. If they have a lot of negative reviews, I won't go... It's simple really. If a place is offering a full Brazilian for £15 and another for £70 don't just go for the cheapest offer.. This is your private parts, you will pay for the quality wax and service.
- Shower before you go: This may seem obvious, but shower or bathe before going. You don't wanna be all smelly and sweaty down there, that's freaking gross and not fair on your therapist.
- Wear loose clothing: I wore a long skirt and a pair of loose, cotton undies. Don't wear tight jeans and a thong.. That'll hurt like hell!
- Let the hair grow: If the hair is too short, the wax won't attach to the hair. It needs to be at least a quarter of an inch long.
- Take painkillers BEFORE the wax: Give them time to kick in. Something like paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, you can take both. Ibuprofen is great because it's inflammatory. I wouldn't take Aspirin, as it thins the blood and you might bleed more. (Yes, for first time Brazilians there is a little blood...)
- Be prepared for pain: Of course it's going to hurt, they're gonna be ripping hair from your vagina and bum. It's not as bad as you may think, I did it and I'm a complete pain wimp, and I feel pain a little more because of my Lupus.
- Frog/butterfly position: This is the position you have to put your legs in, I'll put a picture at the bottom of this post so you can see.
- Keep the waxed area clean: I bought some wipes to keep things clean, as I've found sweating to be an issue for me. You can't shower/bathe for 24 hours after a wax.
- Don't go during that Time Of The Month: The skin is a lot more sensitive, and it'll hurt a lot more than it would normally.
- Skin check: Don't go for a wax if you have dry skin or a skin problem downstairs (Like psoriasis or an STD or any skin condition that causes sores.) If you have a permanent dry skin problem, unfortunately waxing isn't for you. If it's a temporary problem, postpone until the problem is cleared up.
Frog/butterfly position
Thank you for reading!
Lisa ♥
