Brazillian or Bikini Wax?

abaughm3

I've never had either and wondering what to do before the big day. 

Advice from those who have had either or both?

kat1114

I have had both. I prefer the Brazilian, although I've yet to do the butt because I have no desire to have someone go there. I started with a basic bikini line wax and eased my way in. If there is a European Wax Center in your area, they offer your first basic bikini wax for free. It's a good way to test it out before you decide to go for it all.

lurkergirl

You don't need to divulge the answer to this, but does FI have a preference?  This may be TMI, but my FI is not a fan of, uh, current trends, if you know what I mean?  So, if it were me, I would go for the bikini over the Brazilian.

However, it won't be me because I'm allergic to wax   I'm assuming you've had your eyebrows or something done, so you know you're good to go there?

doeydo

If this is your first wax, you might want to try it out ahead of time just in case (ie. you get a rash from the stuff).  I have never had mine waxed, but I prefer the hairless look (and if I were going down on a woman, I would prefer to not to be picking hairs out of my teeth afterwards) so I would say brazillian.  

landa10315

For Brazilian or bikini waxes make sure you start ahead of time. Your hair grows in cycles, so even after 2 or 3 waxes if could still be stubbly the next day. Your hair cycles need to catch up. Also, another vote for European wax center if there's one in your area.

krisclint05

I been getting brazilian waxes for the past two years. The first time I got it done it was so painful and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I would reccommend getting it done two times before the wedding to get use to it and also in case yo uhave an allergic reaction.

cafarrie

Whichever you decide, PLEASE make sure that the first time you go is not right before your wedding.  I would start at least 3 months before to make sure you don't have reactions and have time to get at least 3 or 4 in before your wedding day.  Good news, most salons charge less for maintenance waxes than they do the first one - it also gets easier as hair thins out.  

My personal preference is the bikini, it's just easier for me to keep up, i'm more used to it and i like not having to shave all the time.  We left for our tropical honeymoon the morning after our wedding, so I did get a Brazilian a few days prior so no matter how small my swimsuits were, I didn't have to worry about anything shifting and showing things I didn't want!  Also, DH is a fan of the Brazilian so he was excited as well since I don't do that often!  

emmyg65

Personally, I prefer the bikini. Brazilian is too bare for me. As you can see from PP, this is entirely personal preference (and your FI's, if you want to take that into account). 

ShesSoCold

I agree with PPs. DEFINITELY have your first one 2-3 months before the wedding to ensure you're okay with it. Some people have reactions to the wax itself or it's painful or itchy when the hair grows back. That's the last thing you need on your wedding day. I get a Brazilian every 4 weeks and H and I love it. For me, waxing is definitely better than shaving. But Brazilian vs. bikini is completely your preference. Maybe start with a bikini and see if you want to go Brazilian the next time?

princessleia22

You can get lidocaine lotion (4-5%) to help numb the area to help with some of the pain.  Put it on about an hour prior to treatment and wipe it off right before treatment. I'm not sure if you can find it at grocery store, but you can get it online or your treatment center may even sell it. I haven't actually done waxing, but I'm doing Brazilian laser hair removal, which can also be rather painful. I use the "Dr. Numb" cream.  You may also be able to find benzocaine or other "caine" numbing products in first aid area.  BareEase does make a numbing cream specifically for brazillian treatments. I think they have that at store near the shaving stuff. And put aloe on it afterward, which can help relieve pain, swelling, and bumpiness. You can usually find aloe gels at store near sunscreen.

atlastmrsg

I've been doing bikini waxes for about 10 years now.  Love it!  Certain parts hurt more than others--I think right in the middle hurts the most.  Some days hurt more than others, not sure why, but my esthetician says it has to do with where you are in your cycle, if you've had a lot of caffeine that day, if you took 2-3 Advil beforehand, and how long it's been since your previous wax.  It took about three days for all the redness to go away after the first time I did it.  Now it looks good later that day or by morning.  I'm really fair and have sensitive skin.

I do full Brazilian and my FI (now H) loves it.  He asked for a landing strip once, but after that, novelty wore off.  See what yours would want.  I don't find waxing particularly painful.  The first time hurts the most.  If you stick with it (I go every 6 weeks now), it gets really easy and the hair stays sparse.  The spa I go to says to not shave though, it makes waxing more difficult.  And yes, they give you $10 off if you come on a regular interval.

Just be sure to do the follow up care--if it bleeds or gets irritated, they'll probably send you home with some antiseptic wipes and a packet of cortisone cream to keep it clean while it heals.  Be sure to exfoliate (use a gritty scrub or acne face wash) to keep in grown hairs from growing.  

Get a recommendation on a good spa in your area--I've never seen the European place where I live.  You want to go to a place with nice, non-scary staff and really good hygiene practices.  Watch them to make sure they're not double dipping the sticks in the wax.  I ran into an Asian nail spa when I needed my eyebrows waxed in a pinch and didn't have time for spa, saw girl double dipping sticks.  That's a HUGE no no since it can spread germs.  Don't let any double dipped wax anywhere near anything on your body.  This shouldn't happen at a reputable spa/waxing salon, but I still keep my eyes out if I have a different esthetician than usual.  Try it a good 6-8 weeks before wedding so you know how it goes, then you can repeat the week before.  I did mine on Wed. or Thurs. for a Sat. wedding.

Even before I got married, I found that my exs were always thrilled to discover a fresh wax.  I think it might be like Christmas to men.

abaughm3

Well, I did it!  Holy eff - it hurt!  I'm happy with the suggestions from you ladies to get one or two before the wedding, because I'm still kind of sore.  I did end up going to a European Wax Center.  Luckily, they opened one about 20 miles away about one month ago.  The lady I had there was great!  She helped make it not as awkward as I thought it would be.  We'll see if this is something I keep up after the wedding.  I'm pretty stingy with spending money on myself.

Rosebubbly

So side note...how long before the wedding should I get a wax? I had a Brazilian once years ago....

abaughm3

As others told me, get more than one before the wedding if possible.  Had I known, I would've tried for three before the wedding.  Unfortunately I didn't decide to do this until too close to the wedding, so I'll only get two in before the big day.  I'll be getting my second one 5-7 days before my wedding.

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abaughm3 said:

Well, I did it!  Holy eff - it hurt!  I'm happy with the suggestions from you ladies to get one or two before the wedding, because I'm still kind of sore.  I did end up going to a European Wax Center.  Luckily, they opened one about 20 miles away about one month ago.  The lady I had there was great!  She helped make it not as awkward as I thought it would be.  We'll see if this is something I keep up after the wedding.  I'm pretty stingy with spending money on myself.

I've been considering this, and I have a EWC nearby, too.  Can you explain the bolded a little?  I just keep thinking that it will be so awkward!!

abaughm3

Just her personality was so nice and friendly.  She talked to me throughout the whole process, and I think I talked quite a lot too.  There weren't really any awkward silences.  Honestly the most awkward part was when she had my flip over to do my butt, because I was literally lying on my stomach while holding my own butt cheeks apart for like 5 minutes. lol  It also didn't take as long as I thought, so that helped cut down on some awkward.  You should try it out!  The pain overrode the awkwardness, but it was worth it.

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abaughm3 said:

Just her personality was so nice and friendly.  She talked to me throughout the whole process, and I think I talked quite a lot too.  There weren't really any awkward silences.  Honestly the most awkward part was when she had my flip over to do my butt, because I was literally lying on my stomach while holding my own butt cheeks apart for like 5 minutes. lol  It also didn't take as long as I thought, so that helped cut down on some awkward.  You should try it out!  The pain overrode the awkwardness, but it was worth it.

I just SQUAWKED out the most awkward laugh ever in my office.  Like a mix between a laugh and maybe a pig squealing.  I wasn't ready for that.  

abaughm3

Haha, glad I could provide some entertainment.