Know exactly what to expect before getting waxed!

Can we all agree on something, please? Getting a Brazilian wax — you know, when they wax off all your hair down there — isn’t just for porn stars anymore (if it ever was at all). Admit it! You’ve thought about it. You might be interested in it. Or maybe, just maybe, you already know from personal experience that a Brazilian wax can make you feel like a brand new woman.

Waxing private parts is a sensitive subject for a lot of women, and it should be. Yes, you will have to take your clothes off; yes, you will have to spread your legs; yes, it will involve some amount of pain. But the things to be gained by “tidying up” down there are far and wide. Aside from feeling sexy, lighter or well-groomed, there’s another upside: the more often you wax, the less often (and less coarse) your hair is supposed to grow back.

A girl should never take her panties off for just anyone — especially anyone who doesn’t even buy her dinner first. In his or her own way, an aesthetician should wine and dine you with a clean working space, a professional attitude and great references. If you’re not getting a good vibe, you should leave. When I met with Karen Golden of Karen Golden Skin Care, the go-to girl for Brazilian waxing in the greater Boston area, I knew that I would have no problem taking my panties off.

Karen Golden

Karen’s been waxing for over 20 years. She was there in the 80s when clients just asked for their pubic hair to look “manicured,” and stuck around to see the pubic hair waxing trend gradually evolve into something much more, well, bald — a shift that she says she started to see around 10 years ago. She’s the perfect catch as far as Brazilian waxing aestheticians go, especially for first-timers. Her voice is gentle, her eye contact is constant, her expertise is obvious, her conversation is genuine and her price ($50) is absolutely fair.

Lucky for us, Karen offered up some tricks of the trade that every Brazilian wax client should know:

Before you go

• Let your hair grow for two and a half to three weeks before coming in for an appointment. If the hair is shorter than ¾ of an inch, it won’t be fun for you or your aesthetician.

• Take Advil or Tylenol about an hour before your appointment to take the edge off. If it’s a week before or after your period, your skin will be more sensitive than usual.

• If you’re really worried about the pain, ease into a Brazilian wax by trying a bikini wax first. You will become familiar with what to expect, as well as with the person who will be taking you to the next level.

• Wear fabric that’s light and comfortable so your ride home will be, um, breezy.

During

• If you’re interested in leaving a “landing strip” — not taking all of the hair off, but leaving a little — be sure to tell your aesthetician as soon as he or she gets started. There might not be any hair left to work with if you wait to bring it up.

After

• After your wax, start exfoliating in the shower with shower gloves (you can pick some up at CVS for $4) to avoid ingrown hairs, and be sure to moisturize with body lotion after. You can also pick up any pads with salicylic acid (like Stri-Dex Sensitive with Aloe Pads, available from CVS for $4) to treat ingrowns.

• Do not go tanning directly after your appointment (or at all!).

• DO NOT shave in between waxes. It disrupts your hair’s growing cycle, and will set you back to your starting point in terms of hair growth and texture.

• You can apply Neosporin to your area over the days directly following your appointment to help soothe any bumps or redness, but any significant soreness is a red flag that something’s not right – call your doctor if you find yourself experiencing considerable pain after.

Photos: Torso/Legs – Hanna Zabielska; Karen Golden