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Wax Removal of Body Hair

Aug 17, 2010 | By Jeffrey Traister

Waxing is a popular method for removing unwanted hair throughout the body. Waxing removes the hair from the root, leaving the skin smooth until hair grows back. Waxing is done by spreading wax over the specific area on the skin, pressing a cloth or paper strip on the sticky surface of the skin and then pulling against the hair growth to remove the hair.

Types

Hot wax and cold wax are common waxing treatments, according to TheHairFacts.com. Hot waxes are made from beeswax, applied to the skin, left to cool and then removed. Hot wax is ideal for sensitive parts of the body, where hair is dense and course, such as the bikini area and underarms. Cold waxes are made from sugar or honey and are ideal for large areas of the body. Cold wax is applied to the skin and promptly removed. Waxing is repeated after hair grows back, every four to eight weeks.

Styles

Bikini waxing is a style that removes hair in the bikini line area. Brazilian bikini waxing removes hair from the genital and perianal area, sometimes leaving a strip of hair above the vagina. Hollywood waxing removes all body hair and leaves you completely hairless. Many salons provide these styles for females and some, even for males. Removal of pubic hair has become vogue, especially in young women. Research conducted by D. Herbenick at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine discovered that total pubic hair removal among females was associated with younger age, being partnered but not married, experiencing cunnilingus in the past month and having a more positive genital self-image and sexual function.

Expert Opinion

In an article on www.Jetsetlife.tv, Andreia, the owner of Brazilian Wax by Andreia salon in Atlanta, says, "Often Brazilian wax is performed with wax and strips of cloth. This tends to break the hair instead of actually pulling it out at the root. However, because we use real Brazilian hard wax to pull the hair out by the root, our Brazilian wax last for 3-6 weeks... Hard wax is much easier on the skin than strips with sticky waxes, and results in less pain."

Side Effects

Pain, redness of skin and ingrown hairs are common side effects from waxing. Exfoliating the skin without the use of lotions can help prevent ingrown hairs, according to an article published on www.Jetsetlife.tv. Waxing can also leave a sticky residue on the skin that does not easily come off with water.

Risks

Waxing has health risks. Research published in the journal Burns reported 2.5 percent of patients admitted to Royal North Shore Hospital in Australia with burns had hair removal wax burns; some of the patients required split skin grafting and removal of dead, damaged or infected skin. Research published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases reported a 20-year-old woman became infected with Streptococcus pyogenes and Herpes simplex in her external genitalia two weeks following a Brazilian style bikini waxing that included her mons, pubis, vulva and anus.

References

Article reviewed by demand53656 Last updated on: Aug 17, 2010

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