How To Maintain Your Bikini Wax, Before And After Your Appointment

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Don’t tweeze, either

In order for your waxing job to come out best, you want all of your hair follicles to be at the same stage of growth. But tweezing interrupts the growth cycle meaning some hairs will grow in at different times than others.

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If you must remove hair

If having a little stubble drives you crazy, skip your razor and reach for sugaring paste. This won’t leave sharp, rough edges—like shaving can—but will result in hairs that grow out with a tapered edge. That’s what you want when you go into get waxed.

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Wear loose clothes

Wearing tight clothes holds your hairs against your body, which can lead to ingrown hairs. Your hairs need room to grow outwards, or else they’ll curl in on themselves. If you want to keep things tight down there, keep your clothes loose.

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Especially for your appointment

Wearing loose clothes to your appointment is especially important because you don’t want any fabrics pressing on your bikini area post-wax—that can cause painful chafing!

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Exfoliate regularly

In-grown hairs are the enemy of a good wax job. Exfoliating your bikini area regularly removes dead skin that can trap hair, and lead to ingrown. It also prevents pimples down there that can make waxing painful.

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Different exfoliants for different skin

If you suffer from oily skin, reach for a salt-based scrub. This will neutralize some of your excess grease production. If you have dry or normal skin, you can use a sugar scrub, which contains some natural oils.

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Keep up with appointments

The more frequently you wax, the weaker your hair follicles will become. This means you can go longer between your appointments. So get your area down there used to regular waxings, and before you know it, you may be able to spread them out a bit more.

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That means doing it in the winter

Some women make the mistake of only going in for waxing during the summer when they’ll be wearing their bikinis. The problem with that is that it gives your hair plenty of time to become much stronger during the winter, meaning your first summer waxing will be strenuous and possibly painful.

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Stay hydrated

Always drink plenty of water and apply a good moisturizer to your bikini area, but especially do this in the days leading up to your waxing appointment. If your skin is dry down there, the hair can break at the root, meaning your waxing specialists cannot do a thorough job.

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Avoid pre-appointment booze

You may want to down a few mimosas before your appointment to numb the pain, but you may just increase it. Alcohol causes your pores to close, which can make your waxist have to work twice has hard to remove them.

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Cool the area after

After your appointment, press a cold pack against your bikini area. This will prevent or at least minimize inflammation. Cooling the area will also close your pores, which is important for keeping bacteria out.

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Do your research on the salon

You want a salon that uses all-natural, skin-temperature wax. Synthetic waxes are the ones that leave you itchy after your appointment. And hot wax can make the hair a bit more difficult to remove.

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Avoid sun and heat after

Waxing removes a layer of protective skin from your bikini area, making you extra susceptible to sunburns as well as scalding. Avoid sun exposure for at least 24 hours after waxing, and hot baths, hot showers, and hot tubs, for at least six hours.

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Avoid exercise and sexercise

Avoid having sex for at least three hours after your appointment. The area is too sensitive to handle the friction that comes with getting intimate. You should also avoid breaking a sweat for 12 to 24 hours after your appointment. You don’t want sweat to sneak into the follicle and irritate it.