Shaping it

I just pulled this very clever add out of my Shape magazine. I did a double take and then realized what it was advertising. Do you get it? 🙂 If not, ask a friend!

This advert made me think about people who want shapes “down there”. When people come in to see me for pubic waxing most times they have no idea what shape they want. They know they want some hair or no hair on specific areas, but otherwise they are looking for guidance. As someone who has a lot of experience with this I am happy to offer it.

You see just like the hair on your head, pubic hair needs shaping for the most flattering look because not every one’s body shape and hair type can pull off the same “look”. Most people go with three basic shapes, triangle, strip, or bare. But even these have variations. A wide strip? Thin strip? Where does the triangle sit on your pubic mound (aka mons)? Are you sure you look good bare? Do you have enough hair to pull off an unusual shape like a Christmas Tree or star? There is a lot of design a good waxer does for a client, but you can think about what you want before you go in.

Setting aside specific shapes like hearts, stars, and green clovers for a moment. My favorite client is the client who at least knows the general type of shape she wants for her wax:

Full Brazilian: Everything gone from the front of the genitals and between the butt cheeks.

Traditional Brazilian: A small strip of hair or “landing strip” on the labia’s that extends onto the mons a bit. Everything else gone from the genitals and between the butt cheeks.

Traditional Bikini: If it sticks out of your underwear and is on the pubic area then I take it off. This doesn’t include inner thigh, belly’s, butts, or other body parts.

Bikini Plus: Little to no hair left on the labia, but hair (usually a triangle) on the mons.

Even with these basic guidelines a good waxer will be the person best able to help you look your best. As long as my clients can give me basic input on the shape and how much hair they want left when we are done, then I can do the rest. But your input is essential. We need to communicate! People seem to think the awkwardness and pain associated with bikini waxing is the worst part. But as anyone who has had a bad waxing experience can attest to, a crappy shape or a botched job can leave you traumatized. This is why finding a good waxer is essential, and a good waxer is someone skilled, clean, efficient, and that you can communicate with! Let your waxer know what you want, but trust them to know what you need. Remember you can always take more off, but growing back in is a total pain.

I can’t tell you how many clients come to see me asking for a Full Brazilian, but leave with a Bikini Plus instead. You see, going totally bare can be VERY scary and often unflattering. Try to imagine having long hair and then coming out of the hairdresser with a short bob. You look different. You feel different. It can be…frightening. This is the same with losing all your pubic hair. Sometimes you just don’t think about what that hair has been covering up, or what it provides a distraction from. Have a bit of a tummy? What about jutting hip bones? A freakish mole you never noticed? Or, my all time favorite, “I look like a 2 year old!”. I know Full Brazilians are currently all the rage, but you really might want to move a bit slower. If your waxer recommends not going bare the first time listen to them. Let me repeat – you can always take more off, but growing back in is a total pain.

Let’s talk about my favorite and the most versatile shape – the Bikini Plus. I think this is the perfect shape for newbies to try out. You see once the hair is removed from your labia and all the other hair is cleaned up you are going to feel sexy, clean, and wonderfully confident about your newly groomed area. Because the Bikini Plus is such a versatile shape it’s flattering on everyone. It can be wide, tall, short, fat, think, long…it can be whatever you need. And best of all, if you want more off next time it’s a snap to do. If you hated your shape it will usually fill in by the second or third wax so you can get a shape you’d rather have.

The shape of your body and the type of hair you have plays a large role in how you should be shaped. Since the Bikini Plus is the most versatile of the wax shapes it’s the one I am going to give examples of.

Let’s say you have wider hips and thinner pubic hair. If you try and have a small triangle you are going to look wider and your hair will appear scraggly very much like a prepubescent boy trying to grow his first goatee. Instead you will look better with a wider triangle (see image below) at the top that bows in a bit on the sides before coming to a point at the bottom. This gives a softer look and gives the illusion of narrower hips. It also makes use of the hair you have.

A person with narrow hips, a long torso, and thick pubic hair would look much nicer with a longer, sharper triangle that matches her angles and gives the illusion of a longer bottom half to match the top half. She can go narrower because she has enough hair to fill in that thinner triangle.

As you can see the versatility of the Bikini Plus makes it a great place for a waxing newbie to start, but the other shapes are all wonderful for the right person. If you hate any kind of hair at all go with a Full Brazilian. Just realize that you REALLY must take the hair out from between your butt cheeks. I know it’s a weird thing to wax, but trust me everyone has hair of some sort there and once you don’t have hair anywhere else you’ll notice it BIG TIME!

Just like the Bikini Plus the other shapes can be designed to cater to your specific needs. I have many clients who get a Traditional Bikini but instead of angled sides go straight up and down. I have clients who love the shape of the Traditional Brazilian with it’s thin landing strip, but hate any hair on the labia so we knock that off leaving just a small strip on the mons. The list goes on and on.

Now and then, usually around Valentines Day and Christmas, I have people request special shapes such as hearts, moons, lighting bolts, etc. These are totally doable, but you have to plan for them. First you need a LOT of hair and it has to be on the thicker side. You can’t have someones initials designed into your bikini if you don’t have enough hair to define those letters! Also one wax might not do the job. This is design work and I usually recommend two to three waxes for a good shape. Of course if you have a wonderfully thick thatch of fur, and lots of it, we probably can get it done in one go. But most people who are walking on the waxing wild side are long time waxers and have to grow some more hair in as we go along.

Well I hope this has taken some of the mystery of of bikini waxing. Any long time waxer will tell you that shaping is the hardest part of the process. It takes a lot of communication and experience to make someone feel good about their bikini wax. This is why it’s so important that you find a good waxer and stick with them.