The real truth about pubic hair removal

Misconceptions about the removal of pubic hair is widely spread due to ill educated therapists that does not give clients the correct information, especially when it comes to waxing is salons.  Search any media for a waxing demonstration, and one is horrified at the graphic examples of ripping, tearing, pulling, bleeding, and screaming video clips of people being waxed. Add to that some articles by opinionated medical professionals who have never experienced the ecstasy of skin on skin intimacy or that recons a simple extractable ingrown hair needs to be removed by an incision into the skin.  No wonder more than a few first time clients are petrified of being waxed and have bleak faces when entering the studio when it comes to waxing. 

The wax used at Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists is hand mixed by the owner to ensure a perfect working consistency, which dries very quickly and doesn’t cause unnecessary heat on the skin.  A thin barrier of powder is used on the skin before wax is applied to ensure that wax does not cling to skin and that no skin is pulled or teared in the process. The wax encapsulates every hair and pulls it directly from the skin in one clean motion.  No hair can be broken off with this wax which leaves clients hair free for a long period of time.  With continued waxing, clients have reported that hair doesn’t grow back in some areas and that they are hair free for 2-3 weeks at a time.  The area is cleaned with an antibacterial lotion to remove possible pathogens after the procedure and a lotion containing salicylic acid is prescribed to prevent skin irritation, bumps or ingrowns.  The occurrence of ingrown hairs with Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists’ clients are almost zero due to the fact that clients exfoliate the waxed area daily and use their prescribed lotion as recommended. 

Even with the best wax formula and a perfectly prepared skin one will experience a painful wax if the therapist performing the treatment is not experienced.  Every client is an individual and should be treated as such, and at Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, we pride ourselves in the fact that we have years and years of experience behind us.

The debate around removing pubic hair for hygiene reasons amazes me. There is no doubt that the removal of pubic hair is hygienic, especially for South Africans living in a sunny and warm country.  There is definitely less body odor from a waxed area than a hairy area as bacteria build up that cause odors simply have nothing to cling to.  The mixture of bacteria, hair, perspiration and heat can be detrimental to anyone’s social standing.  Waxing clients report super hygienic monthly periods, and less messy intimacy, not to mention the euphoria of skin to skin contact in bed.  Because there is no barrier to friction, the area is exposed to heightened pleasure too.

We see all ages at the waxing studio. We have clients that are students, housewives, corporate males, old retired men and women, absolutely any age; and tend to see an increase in male visitors as we specialize in Hollywood waxes.  The clients are mostly Caucasian or Indian, and we have almost no black clients. I have been told by the one or two black clients that the pubic area is not something that is referred to, let alone discussed in detail. Few actually shave or trim the area at all. 

If our parents only knew what we know today about the aesthetic, hygienic and sensual factors relating to waxing.  Add to that a few sparkly Vajazzle designs to brighten ones day secretly, and we would have had some very happy relationships or marriages back in the day!!

Adele Mans

Owner: Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, Gauteng

Intimate female "hairstyles", from Cosmopolitan 2011

Waxing is probably the best way to remove unwanted hair in the bikini area, but it can get a bit daunting with all the different 'hairstyles' on offer. Johannesburg waxing specialist, Adele Mans, of Fast And Furious Waxing Specialists, has 15 years experience in the beauty industry. She gives us the low-down on old and new trends.

The Regular:  This is the most common of styles

where hair is removed only along the panty line.

'This is also referred to as a 'Swimsuit Wax', and is

the most conservative way of neatening up,

as it literally means the removal of pubic hairs

that stick out of a normal panty or swimsuit

bottom,' says Mans.

The French This is a variation of the regular bikini wax.

'The French bikini wax is the removal of pubic

hair in a similar way to the Brazilian wax, but

no hair is removed from behind. Here, the top

section of hair is waxed into a small shape,

whether it’s a rectangle or triangle and all hair

on the private lip area is removed,' explains

Mans.

The Brazilian Here, a small, vertical strip or triangle just

above the clitoral area is left. Hair is totally

removed from the labia right around to the

peri-anal region. 'With a specialised

technique, most of the hair is removed while

the client lies on her back with her legs are

lifted in a certain way to make the removal of

hair from the bum more comfortable,' says

Mans.

The Hollywood This style removes all hair from the buttocks,

rectal and frontal areas, leaving you

completely bare and smooth. Some women

and their partners believe that a hairless pubic

area looks and feels more erotic and also

gives the freedom to wear even the most

revealing swimwear and lingerie.

The Tiffany Box  This is the latest fad overseas, where hair is

waxed into a square shape and dyed light

blue. Then, a little dangly gem is glued onto

one corner. At Fast and Furious Waxing,

specialists offer a service to 'vajazzle' clients'

pubic areas. 'This includes the decorating of

the cleanly waxed area with diamante and

transfer patterns. These designs can include

the initial of your partner's name, or a pretty

French lace design. They last for up to five

days and don't scratch or irritate the skin. The

hair can also be tinted in different colours and

removed in different shapes, such as hearts

or butterflies,' says Mans.

When waxing, always make sure that the therapist uses hot wax (the harder type of wax) and not cold wax with strips. As Mans explains,

'It's not professional at all to use strip wax (cold wax) on sensitive areas such as the face, bikini area or underarms. Strip wax should only

be used on tougher skin and large areas such as legs, arms, back or chest.' To prevent those dreaded ingrown hairs, use a soft-bristle

brush and liquid cleanser in a circular motion to dislodge the tips of ingrown hairs, get rid of dead skin cells and clear follicles to allow

hairs to surface unimpeded.

After having your wax, make sure to exfoliate twice a week to manage any ingrown hairs. To reduce redness and bumps after waxing,

apply an un-perfumed lotion that contains chamomile, as perfume can irritate the sensitive waxed area.

Like Adele Mans, Barbara Scogings and 21 others like this.

Author: Amy Olden

Hypoallergenic strip wax

Strip wax for backs, chests, arms or legs

At Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, we use hypoallergenic strip wax for large areas, which means it doesn’t contain rosin. Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch, is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black. At room temperature rosin is brittle, but it melts at stove-top temperatures. Clients can sometimes be allergic to this rosin.

This wax has been created and designed for the epilation of allergic skins to rosins and of great sensitivity. It is very soft and has a powerful pull effect. It can be applied on very thin layers in comparison with traditional wax, and even low temperatures will melt it.  This specialized wax provides an excellent grip on fine short hairs, so there is no need to walk around hairy for weeks on end. Excellent for legs due to the firming action provided by the marine collagen, and leaves no residue and stickiness after your wax.

Why is our waxing almost pain-free?

Almost pain-free waxing

Search any media for a waxing demonstration, and one is horrified at the graphic examples of ripping, tearing, pulling, bleeding, and screaming video clips of people being waxed. No wonder more than a few first time clients are petrified of being waxed and have bleak faces when entering the studio.

Pain-free waxing boils down to four things:

1.Last hair removal method

2.Length of hair

3.Wax formula and technique used in studio

4.Experience of therapist doing the wax

Last hair removal method before your first wax:

Shaving cuts hair off at the skin surface for a smooth feeling. However, it is a very short lived silkiness as most clients report that shaving is necessary every day. Regular shaving causes hair to thicken and to re-appear hard and black. The first wax after a shave can be done 2 weeks after the last shave. 

Because the hair is course the first wax will feel more uncomfortable than what it will with future waxes.  The wax will pull roots and hair follicles out and the results are well worth the first wax as hair takes a while to grow back, after a first wax hair will return in about 2 weeks time after a brazilian wax for example.

To prepare best for your first wax, if you are a shaving client, rather remove the hair with a hair removal cream and wait 2 weeks, the hair from a removal cream tends to grow out softer than with a shave.

Length of hair:

The longer the hair are, the more painful your waxing experience. We recommend waxing every 3-4 weeks as hair just returned after the last wax and are still short and actively growing.  Long hair causes unnecessary pulling which causes pain.  If a hair is short the wax can just grip onto the hair and pull only the hair and root.

Wax and technique used in studio:

The wax used at Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists is hand mixed by the owner to ensure a perfect working consistency, which dries very quickly and doesn’t cause unnecessary heat on the skin.  A thin barrier of powder is used on the skin before wax is applied to ensure that wax does not cling to skin and that no skin is pulled in the process. The wax encapsulates every hair and pulls it directly from the skin in one clean motion.  No hair can be broken off with this wax which leaves clients hair free for a long period of time.

Experience of the therapist doing the wax:

Even with the best wax formula and a perfectly prepared skin one will experience a painful wax if the therapist performing the treatment is not experienced.  Every client is an individual and should be treated as such, and at Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, we pride ourselves in the fact that we have years and years of experience behind us.

Real men wax sacks ! From Scoop newspaper, Dec 2011

If you put three hairy comedians in a room with a pot of sticky wax and a willing woman, you are gong to hear some interesting things.
“I actually like pain. Smack me,” says masochist Dave Levinsohn, through bouts of maniacal laughter.
Heavy breathing and words that are just not right to hear on Sundays are bandied about with relentless disregard.
As Adele Mans, owner of Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, smears some more wax over Dave’s bare bum, he asks “do you know how many people have touched me where you’re touching now? Besides me, Adele, you’re the second. There was a hooker in Hillbrow in the 80s.”
Less filled with laughter and more focused on the oriental rug getting torn off his back is Vittorio Leonardi. The big man, who is still sporting a killer tache from Movember, shuts his eyes in desperation, as Adele tears, with clinical precision, more hair from his reluctant body.
“Do people actually pay for this? I mean they usually do this at Guantánamo Bay to get confessions out of professional terrorists,” he asks.
Smear. Rip. “That is sore.” In what was the longest manscapade of the three, Vittorio kept the banter coming. Adele asks if he wants the remaining fine hairs removed, to which he says; “But if they’re fine, why are we bothering with them?”
Next up is Daniel Friedman who openly admits; “I’m not one of the most hardcore people you’ve ever met.” Not liking pain he asks Adele to warn him before she rips roots right out of his man bits. Well not quite, just above his man bits.
No warning. Tearing noises that remind you of having your tooth pulled out. Curled-up lips and powerfully suppressed gasps of agony as Daniel decides: “I’ve always been a bit of a closet masochist.”
After finding his “happy place” filled with chocolate rivers and marshmallow mountains he resolves that “beauty is pain”.
Adele, who has been in the business for over 15 years, reminds the men that giving birth is a hell of a lot worse.

But then again women can take a lot more pain than the men. They even choose to wax habitually.

Recommend a friend loyalty cash back program

• Receive a R50 voucher for every new client that you introduce to our business.
• All referred friends must be a new client to enable you to qualify for the R50 referral voucher for any wax treatment.
• You must be an existing client of Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists when you refer a friend, that means you already had at least one treatment with us.
• Pick up a Cash Back Voucher(s) from the salon. Give it to your friend and they must return it at their first treatment. It will be logged at the salon and you will receive R50 off your next wax.
• There is no limit to the amount of vouchers that can be earned by referring friends.
• The Referred client is then entitled to participate in the Refer a Friend Cash Back promotion.

• SO... refer away and get paid!!!

From: Tjoklits vir die siel

Uittreksel van “Tjoklits vir die siel” deur Susan Coetzer

“Christel snork met haar Mercedes tot voor die glasdeur van haar haarkapper, @hair.com langs Pappuzzis in Linden en klim haastig uit. Mickelle wag haar met n sigaret op die stoepie in. 

“Jy’s laat mevrou,” se hy en druk sy halfgerookte sigaret dood.  “Gaan ons nie vandag die sonbril afhaal nie?” vra Mickelle met n geligte wenkbrou. 

“Moet ons regtig?” vra sy onwillig. 

“Nee,” se hy sonder n glimlag.  “In die salon wys ons oe vir mekaar.”  Christel sug, haal haar Ray-Ban donkerbril onwillig af en plak dit voor haar neer. 

“Hmm,” se Mickelle. “Ek sien hoekom jy die donkerbril wil ophou.  Die bags onder jou oe is groter as jou Diesel handbag.” 

“Dankie,” se Christel ysig.  Ek wil sien hoe lyk jy die dag as jy van jou partner skei.  En dan moet ek nog die koerante ook face en smile asof als fine is…” 

“Ons kan jou nie so laat afneem nie,” se Mickelle en skud sy kop asof hy na n grusame ongeluks toneel kyk. 

“ADELE! EMERGENCY!”  gil hy by sy sydeur uit.  “Kan jy kom make up doen?  Newly divorced celeb.  Oe is dik gehuil.  Sy’t oor n uur n groot do.  The press is going to be there.”  Adele verskyn binne oomblikke in die haarsalon.  Sy’s fyn en mooi met n sagte rustige stem wat jou aan die klank van die see herinner.  Sy kyk simpatiek na Christel se oe. 

“Hmm,” se sy.  “Ek sal eers teesakkies moet opsit voor ek kan begin werk. En ek dink ons moet jou brow ook sommer vinnig waks.  Dit net n beter lyn gee.  Dit sal jare afneem van jou gesig.” 

“Lyk ek so oud?”  kreun Christel.

“Nee...net n bietjie moeg ...vir die lewe,” troos Adele diskreet. 

“Kan ek eers gou was en blaas - dan lift jy haar gesig en brow sodra ek klaar is,” chip Mickelle in.  “Bring net die teesakkies solank.” 

“Maak so,” se Adele.  “Ek kan jou bene en bikinilyn ook wax as jy tyd het,” bied Adele vriendelik aan.  “Dit laat n vrou altyd beter voel as sy van onooglike hare ontslae raak.  En ek kan vir jou n hartjie wax op jou privaat plekkie… ek doen dit gereeld vir Valentynsdag en anniversaries.” 

“Ek is pas geskei van my man,” se Christel afgemete.  “Hoekom sou ek n hartjie op my nartjie wou he?” 

“Skuus, gedink dit sal jou opbeur.” 

“Dink jy dit sal n non in n klooster opbeur om n hartjie onder haar panty te laat wax?  Ek lyk dalk nie vir jou soos Moeder Teresa nie, maar glo my ek leef al maande soos sy.  In elk geval wat die bed betref.” 

“Sorry,” maak Adele verlee verskoning.  “Dalk oor ses maande of so.  Ons hou dit maar by die brow vir vandag.” 

“Ek dink ons hou dit by die brows vir ewig.  Ek is klaar met mans, don't need them.”  Mickelle beduie met sy wenkbroue vir Adele om later terug te kom en lei Christel na die wasbak……..

Mickelle blaas haar hare.  “Hou daai teesakkies solank teen jou oe, madam,”beveel hy streng.  “Adele is goed, maar daai bags is 3D.”  Christel loer later onder die teesakkies uit. 

“My hare lyk baie wow, dankie.”  Sy skud haar kop.  “Nou moet ons net iets aan my oe doen…” 

“ADELE!” skree Mickelle.  “Jy kan maar die potte wax en die make-up kit inbring.  We are ready for you.  As daai koerant n scam storie plaas, moet Christel ten minste gorgeous lyk op elke foto.” 

“Ek glo selfs as hulle jou die dag begrawe, moet niemand kan se jy was n vaal corpse nie,” stem Adele saam en sit haar make-up kit langs Christel neer. 

“Jy praat my taal, girl,” se Christel.  Sy hou haar lee koppie na Mickelle uit.  “Wat is die kans vir n refill?”  “Refill is on its way, mam,” se Mickelle. 

“Sit jy net daar en relax.  You are in the best hands.”  Hy gryp die koppie en stap met swaaiende heupe weg.   

Pre- and post treatment for the best waxing results

Pre- and post treatment for the best waxing results

Pre waxing treatment:

Prepare for your wax by improving your skin's surface                                          

Use a soft-bristle brush and liquid cleanser in a circular motion to dislodge the tips of ingrown hairs, eliminate dead skin cells and clear follicles to allow hairs to surface unimpeded.  Don’t use oils on the skin.  Book waxes 3 weeks apart.

Post waxing treatment:

Treat with active ingredients

Exfoliating (removing the upper layers of dead skin) is indispensable to   manage ingrown hairs. Daily use of an exfoliator with glycolic and salicylic acid is particularly effective.

There are several products that claim to help treat ingrown hairs, but the reality is that Salicylic acid is the one active substance that can visibly improve bumps. It is a dermatological-grade ingredient that exfoliates, moisturizes, clears pores and can help prevent infection. Use Folisan with Salicylic acid so it remains on your skin the whole day   

Do not use any product that contains alcohol

Folisan lotion produces a skin surface exfoliation which helps eliminate ingrown    

hairs by opening pores and allowing ingrown hair to break through skin without   

obstruction.

Reduces redness and the bumps that can occur after waxing

Folisan large R260,   Intimate R65

 

Specially mixed wax for sensitive skins

Specially mixed wax for sensitive skins

At Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists, the hot wax formula is mixed to perfection by the owner herself. The wax is of the highest quality in the industry and contains fast drying ingredients as well as soothing ingredients to obtain the perfect wax consistency. 

The formula does not cling to the skin and lifts off the skin surface on drying, so when it is removed, no skin can be pulled in the process. There is no flicking or picking of the wax as it is removed by sticking another piece of wax on the piece to be removed in one clean, almost-pain free, super fast pulling technique. The wax melts over a very low temperature and there is no danger of burning or sensitizing the skin by over-heating it.

Hot wax is used for sensitive areas like bikinis, brazilians, eyebrows and underarms. The wax can remove extremely short hair, so waxing can be done as often as possible. Some clients prefer to wax underarms in summer every two weeks to stay hair-free.

Why do I have to wax every three weeks for best results?

Why do I have to wax every three weeks for best results?

Hair grows in three stages, and the time we need to wax is best done at stage 2, as explained below:

Stage 1:

A hair root and follicle forms and produces a new hair in the hair shaft, new hair is still under the skin and not visible.

Sage 2:

Hair appears above skin and enters a resting phase for approximately 2 weeks, the hair is still attached to the root, and when waxed at this stage, we disrupt the resting phase and confuse the stages all together, as a whole new hair root and follicle with a new hair needs to be produced again.

This in itself takes another couple of weeks. When waxing is done every three weeks, we continuously remove hair that are actively growing from stage 1, and over prolonged times will reduce hair growth, hair will become finer and patchiness can start to be seen.

Stage 3:

After 2-3 weeks of resting the hair will detach itself from the root to start falling out, and stage 1 will start again.

If waxing is done at this stage, we are only removing hairs that have no roots and new hair will be seen in a couple days after waxing. This is why a client may feel that waxing is not a long lasting solution to hair removal, but if waxing was done on actively growing short hairs, in Stage 2, the results will be long lasting.

Vajazzle your vajayjay

Vajazzling is the art of applying genuine Swarovski crystals to the bikini area and body, usually after hair removal. In the words of Jennifer Love Hewitt, it is the bedazzling of your “lady parts” with crystals to make you feel fabulous.

The trend started in the USA and is now taking South Africa by storm!

Vajazzle Body crystals are safe to use on skin and are the perfect sparkly add on for a night out or romantic weekend with your loved one, they are funky, beautiful and bedazzling especially to the eye of the beholder.

Vajazzles are a great way to upgrade you bikini or Brazilian wax, or put them on you back,

arms, tummy or feet to make a sparkling impression.

The crystals last 5 to 10 days are and easy to apply yourself or at Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists.

Available directly from Fast and Furious Waxing Specialists at R150 per unit