Fashion south of the border

 by Valerie Gueco
 published on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Ah, Brazil! Home of supermodel Gisele Bündchen, Havaiana flip-flops and, of course, the Brazilian bikini wax.

The temperature is going up and swimsuit season is inevitable in the Valley of the Sun. The last thing any woman wants is a stray hair peeking out of her bikini bottom. Some women choose to shave, use a depilatory or get a bikini wax, but some women opt for the most extreme form of bikini waxing.

A Brazilian bikini wax involves removing all the hair from the naval, all the way down under to the small of the back. If you don't like the completely bare look, some people leave a triangle or a "landing strip."

The procedure usually takes less than 15 minutes. Hot wax is applied to the bikini area then removed quickly with a cloth strip.

Lisa Marie, an esthetician at Judy's Body Waxing in Tempe, has been licensed for about two years.

"I try to get it over with as quickly as possible," she says. "Nobody wants their waxing to take longer than it needs to."

Marie says she removes anything that is considered a "happy trail" from the naval to the bikini line. Any hair on the inner thighs has to go, and everything on the front is removed, including all the hair on the labia.

"We get up close and personal," Marie says. "But it's over before you know it."

Marie says it is important to remove anything that might stick out of the bathing suit. She also says there are two different ways to remove hair on the butt.

"You can either bring your knees up to the chest so that we can get the hair back there," she says. "But if you want a really thorough job, we can flip you over on all fours and get the rest of it."

Marie says there is not a whole lot to do to prepare for the procedure. She says to make sure the hair is at least a quarter of an inch long before coming in for an appointment.

Elementary education sophomore Julie Nichols says she went to the salon Suddenly Slimmer for a Brazilian wax before spring break so she didn't have to worry about bringing a razor to Mexico.

"I was nervous at first, but it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would," Nichols says. "It was definitely worth it in the end, just because of the maintenance."

For those who are anxious about the procedure, Marie suggests relaxing and pretending to be somewhere else.

"I try to distract my clients with jokes and ask them about school and finals," she says. "They would probably want to be anywhere else."

Marie suggests coming in every four weeks to maintain the look. She says a customer should be happy with her wax for three weeks and by the fourth week, it should be grown out and waxed again.

She says the skin may be a little irritated after the wax. She suggests avoiding the sun and tanning for 48 hours.

The price of a Brazilian bikini wax ranges from $55 to $65, depending on the location.

"I think it'll be for special occasions, just because of the expense," Nichols says of her future wax endeavors. "And it's a little scary."

Marie warns against going to a nail salon for a bikini wax. "You want your wax to be done by somebody who's done hundreds of waxes," she says. "I do about 100 a month."

Marie says she has seen it all and women should not be scared or self-conscious. "We're women too and we have our own insecurities, so it's a very safe, non-judgmental environment," she says.

Marie says most clients who come in for a Brazilian the first time are scared. She says by the time they look up, it's over.

Marie says after the procedure, her fearful clients often say, "Oh, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

Economics senior Jane Park says she thinks the procedure doesn't seem as bad as she originally thought. "It sounds painful," she says. "But I'm sure a little pain might be worth it when wearing a bikini."

— valerie.gueco@asu.edu