The different ways to tame your hair down there

Because summer is here, talk among women about going hairless in our bikini area is rife. And the reception to our recent article confirmed it further: There is a growing curiosity about it. 

READ: Grow it out, trim, or try hairless? The benefits and possible risks of going bare down there

As such, a follow up. There are more ways than one to get rid or tame the hair down there, and which option is the best for you depends on more factors than just your budget and your pain threshold. We break the options down.

Illustration by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/GMA News

SHAVING

What it is: Because of the convenience of being able to do it on your own, and in private, shaving your pubic hair is what most women do when they first start tending to that area.

Shaving down there should be done after you cut the hair as short as possible, since razors are made to shave off short strands of hair.

Pain Factor: When done correctly, snipping away hair and shaving is virtually painless—that is, if you shave with, not against, the growth of your hair. This is to avoid any ingrown hair, or cutting yourself in the process—if any of these two happen, then there will definitely be painful bumps in the area. Redness or itchiness sometimes happens during the next two to three days, but it’s completely normal.

Schedule: As often as needed, depending on how fast your hair grows down there, and if you find the need to do it. It would roughly take two days before you see hair growing in that area again.

Pros: Shaving can be done quickly and on your own time, and without needing to make an appointment or go out of your home to do it. It’s also one of the more affordable options, since all you need is  a pair of clean scissors (look for one that’s made especially to cut hair along the bikini area), a good razor, and shaving cream.

Cons: Hair in that area grows quickly, so you have to take the time out to shave every other day. If done incorrectly, you have no one to blame but yourself if you get ingrown hairs, nicks on your privates, or cut yourself with the scissors—yikes!

Price: Roughly around Php 1,000 – Php 1,500, depending on the type of products you buy and how much you use each product. You can use a razor roughly around five to seven times before you’ll need to throw it out.

WAXING 

What it is: Waxing has steadily become more popular throughout the years, thanks to a growing number of waxing salons opening across Manila. It's become more accessible to more women, and the techniques have promised to be quick and less painful than before.

Depending on the procedure you get, hot or cold wax is applied on the area, a waxing strip is smoothened out on the area, then quickly pulled out, pulling the wax and hair with it. Some salons offer creams to apply for after care, to soothe the area.

Pain Factor: If it’s your first time to undergo bikini or brazilian wax, then it will be a considerably painful. Some women have opted to taking painkillers prior to the procedure, but they say that you get used to the pain after going through it a couple of times.

An expert from Lay Bare, a salon specializing in waxing, says, “We have thousands of clients who do it regularly, and the more they do it, the more tolerable it becomes,”

Schedule: Some waxing salons would recommend you going back for a wax every three to four weeks, but one of the great things about consistently going in for a wax is that it makes the hair growth slower and finer, making the time in between appointments every two to three months.

Pros: An expert from Lay Bare says, “Aside from the comfort it provides an individual as it leaves the skin feeling fresh and clean, it also exfoliates the skin. It also saves on grooming time. Also, Brazilian waxing removes hair from the root, ensuring that the incoming hair growth is thinner and sparser.”

Cons: Because of the pulling and the heat, there is usually swelling and redness after waxing. Also, if you entrust your vag to the wrong hands—aka, an affordable but not so reputable waxing salon, or a newbie waxer — then you can walk out of there with more pain or worse skin irritation than usual. A user said that a previous salon might have contributed to her getting a Urinary Tract Infection!

Price: P500 – P2,000 per session, depending on the waxing salon

SUGARING 

What it is: The procedure of sugaring is much like waxing, except rather than using wax, sugaring uses all-natural ingredients. As the name suggests, ingredients would be white sugar, lemon juice, and water. Because it’s all-natural, it’s touted to be a better procedure for those with sensitive skin. Like waxing, a sugar paste is spread on the area, and a strip is put on and ripped off, pulling the hair and sugar paste with it.

Pain Factor: It’s still as painful as waxing, so if it’s going to be your first time, you might want to choose to get anesthetic or a painkiller beforehand.

Schedule: After your first session, you’ll probably see hair back there in roughly a month’s time.

Pros: If you’ve got sensitive skin, meaning the waxed area stays red than usual, or you’ve gotten an allergic reaction to the wax or after wax cream, then sugaring might be a good thing to try out!

Cons: If you’re not used to the pain that comes with waxing, sugaring will highly be like that as well. Also, Some women might find it uncomfortable to have food-grade materials ~that close~ to their private parts—just saying.

Price: P800 – P1,000 per session, depending on the waxing salon

LASER

What it is: If you’ve undergone a basic facial with pricking, or laser hair removal in your underarms or legs, then that’s more or less how laser hair removal will be done down there.

A small, pointy wand zaps the hair out, one by one, and then a gel or cream is applied to soothe the area. Each session takes around an hour.  

Pain Factor: Maricelyn Canon, Head Nurse of Wink Laser Studio, says, “Clients feel a brief, tiny sting, which is comparable to a snap of a rubber band, that subsides quickly after the treatment.”

If you’ve undergone eyebrow threading, or a basic facial with pricking or extracting, or had laser hair removal in your body, like the underarms or legs, then that’s more or less how it will feel like down there. If you haven’t gone through any such procedure, it’s much like an ant bite or insect bite—but a lot of it, one after the other. You may opt to get an anesthetic, if necessary.

Schedule: Laser hair removal usually entails four to eight sessions for the hair growth to slow down. And considering the sensitivity of the area, you need to schedule a session every four to five weeks, depending on your specialist’s recommendation.

But after completing all sessions, you’ll only need to pluck or shave off a stray hair or two when you see it, if the need arises, and that’s it!

Pros: Canon says, “Laser hair removal on the private area is considered harmless, and under safe radiation, which does not cause any harm to our cells.” You’ll be hair-free far longer than waxing or shaving could ever do—sometimes months at a time.

Joyce* completed eight sessions of laser hair removal via IPL with a dermatologist. “At first, my dermatologist was against it, because he didn’t see the need for me to do it,” Joyce says, “But I insisted on it, and I got less conscious over it with each session we had. Now I only need to pluck a stray hair or two once or twice a year!”

The minimal discomfort of getting lasered down there is worth the time and effort—and perhaps the money spent on it. 

Cons: While a session takes around an hour and the pain is bearable, like being bitten by an ant over and over again, it might be the length of time that you’re---err, exposed—to your dermatologist or skin specialist, which makes some women shy away from this option.

Note: breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women are advised not to undergo laser. Canon adds, “Anti-inflammatory creams do travel through the skin to our blood supply, so it’s best to postpone laser treatments until the client has stopped breastfeeding.”

Also, be wary of amateurs doing this procedure—it can definitely backfire and literally burn or scar you.

Laser hair removal is more of a long term solution, and while you’re going through the sessions, you’ll need to pair it with either shaving or waxing to tend to the hair in between sessions.

Price: It’s around P1,500 – P8,000 per session, depending on the area (either bikini line or full brazilian), and if it will be done by either a specialist or a dermatologist. Select establishments offer a lifetime package, which will be more economical in the long run.

How would you know which option is right for you? Go with what’s within your budget—and since time is money, you should also consider the amount of time you’ll be spending on each session. — LA, GMA News