Tips on waxing pubic hair and other hair removal

In 2006, siblings Fiona and Monique Hilario opened Lay Bare Waxing Salon to convince Filipinos that removing unwanted hair with wax is a safe and tolerable -- even fun -- process.

Five years, 37 branches and over 100,000 customers later, it is safe to say that they have been quite successful in achieving their goal.

"It was very challenging in the beginning because people are scared of waxing. They think it's very painful, it's nakakahiya (shameful)," said Fiona, who is currently the president of Lay Bare, in a recent interview on ANC's "Shop Talk."

"We want to introduce the concept that waxing is comfortable and also affordable. So we came up with a boutique concept."

The Hilario sisters claim that they are among the first to introduce waxing in the Philippines "as the trend in hair removal."

Today, several other salons specializing in wax treatments can be seen in Manila and other parts of the country.

Here, customers can get almost every area in their body waxed -- from upper lip and the entire face to the chest, armpits, legs, and the pubic area -- from P100 to thousands of pesos per session.

Traditionally, hot wax is used to remove unwanted hair, but each salon has its own set of tools and methods. Lay Bare, for one, utilizes cold wax "to remove the possibility of getting burnt."

"So there are no nicks and cuts. We also have the patch technique where we take out hair one section at a time. It's more relaxing," Monique said.

Fiona, for her part, said, "We have private cubicles in the salon instead of seeing it out in the open."

Benefits, risks of waxing

Most people go to salons to get a wax purely for cosmetic purposes, while others do so for social, cultural or medical reasons.

Experts have said that repeated waxing can reduce hair growth since it may damage the follicles. It also causes the hair to grow back thinner and finer, making it a better option for those who want to do away with constant shaving. 

They stressed, however, that this should not be performed on moles, warts, or skin that is irritated, sunburned or broken.

On the other hand, waxing can also pull off tiny pieces of the skin's outer layer, causing a lot of pain and increasing a person's risk of infection, said Dr. Linda Franks told Women's Health.

Particularly risky, she said, is the removal of pubic hair via waxing.

"Pubic hair is there for a reason -- to protect the sensitive skin and mucous membranes in the genital region...Getting a wax literally strips away that layer of protection," she explained.

Other hair removal methods

For those who think they cannot handle the pain of waxing, there are several other ways to have unwanted hair removed.

There is shaving, which is performed with a razor on wet skin using cream or other lubricants. It is fast, easy, painless and inexpensive, but its results only last for 1 to 3 days.

Plucking, on the other hand, makes use of tweezers to remove a small group of hairs. Its results last longer than shaving, but the method is time-consuming as hair is removed by the root, one strand at a time.

Several creams and gels that promise to remove unwanted hair are also available in the market. Since not all products are as effective as claimed, experts have advised the public to test a small area of the skin first to assess for irritation or allergic reactions.

For those with a bigger budget, there are laser treatments, which provide long-term reduction of hair.

Source: ABS CBN News

Tweet

Read more...