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Beauty expert Suzanne Duckett gives you her essential guide to seriously intimate waxing
Gwyneth Paltrow reckons her first Brazilian wax "changed her life". Though we can't promise you that, we can give you some insight into the fuzzy world of bikini waxes and all the variations now available.
So is being bare-down-there all it's cracked up to be and is the pleasure worth the pain? As more horror stories emerge in the press of waxing disasters at the hands of unqualified and sadistic beauticians, we will try to dispel the myths and provide you with our expert knowledge.
The Brazilian
Named after the Brazilian women who needed a barely-there bikini wax in order to sport their much-loved itsy-bitsy thongs on the beach.
All that is left is a neat triangle of hair. The Brazilian usually includes the waxing of the sensitive bits as well as between the buttocks - which is why it can feel a little more painful than a traditional bikini wax. It is, of course, especially popular before we jet off on holiday as it gives the impression of nothing there - even in the smallest of bikini bottoms.
It takes about 45 minutes for a Brazilian wax, it can lasts between 4-6 weeks and costs about £35.
The Hollywood
You can trust those Hollywood gals to take it one step further. This is an everything off wax, leaving you totally bare down there. For the very brave only.
The Playboy
Somewhere between the Brazilian and the Hollywood.... not quite bare, but not far off, with only a very narrow strip being left at the front.
The Landing strip
When all that is left is a strip of hair two inches wide.
Decorating it?
The latest trend in body art is decorating one's waxed private parts with crystals in various styles.
After waxing off almost all of the hair in the bikini area, body gems or crystals are stuck on to the skin in various shapes. Celebrities such as Katie Hill, Sadie Frost, Elle McPherson, Naomi Campbell and Caprice - to name but a few - are fans of bikini decoration. Also, our very own GMTV expert Suzanne Duckett is a regular!
The most popular designs are hearts and the tiffany box which is to wax the pubic hair into a square design and paint it blue. The landing strip is also popular for decoration - a thin line of hair is left unwaxed and crystals placed either side.
Many salons are now offering a choice of templates to create special bikini designs, such as the 'made-to-measure heart-shaped bikini wax available at many salons across the UK.
Waxing dos and don'ts
- Do be prepared to take your pants off (not for a normal wax - just for a more extreme wax such as a Brazilian/Playboy)
- Do trim long hair to about 2cm, it is the ideal length, too short and the wax won't stick
- Do take a paracetamol 15 minutes before waxing - it will help with the pain
- Do make sure that your beautician has a legally recognised qualification
- Exfoliate the area as it stops in growing hairs
- Don't have a wax mid-cycle it will be more painful
- Don't tense up when being waxed - take long deep breaths, relaxing will make it easier
- Don't suffer in silence - if it is too painful tell your beautician
- Don't be embarrassed like your doctor anyone specialising in 'extreme' bikini waxing has seen it all before and will do their best to put you at ease.
- Do give it a go if you don't like the look it will all grow back, but like Gwyneth, it could change your life too!
