It is important to follow a few basic steps when you prepare for a bikini wax. First, of course, you should not get a bikini wax if you are diabetic, suffer from psoriasis or other skin conditions, or if you take Retinol or Accutane. If you are unsure, ask you physician whether you can go ahead with a wax.

When people prepare for a bikini wax, particularly if it is their first time, one big consideration is pain. Aestheticians usually recommend that you not get a wax when you are menstruating or pregnant, as sensitivity to the pubic area is usually increased at this time. Additionally, you may want to take ibuprofen or aspirin an hour before the wax to cut down on pain. Waxing does hurt, but how the wax is performed can make it hurt less. Choose a person with a lot of experience, and if possible get recommendations from friends. Someone new to waxing will probably not be as efficient; so don’t have your waxing done at a beauty college.

To prepare for a bikini wax, you also need to be sure your pubic hair is of the right length. If it is too long, the aesthetician will probably have you trim it, or if it is too short, it may be hard or impossible to remove. Aestheticians recommend shaving the bikini area about three weeks prior to getting the wax, and if you plan a Brazilian wax, you will need to trim the hair to about ¼ to ½ inch (.63 to 1.52cm) if you haven’t shaved it three weeks before the wax.

Another important step to prepare for a bikini wax is to avoid swimming or sunning oneself for a full 24 hours prior to the wax. After the waxing, you will want to consider the same for a couple of days. The skin can have some redness or bumping, which can be helped by ice. There is also the occasional ingrown hair, which can be iced, and then have anti-bacterial cream applied to ward off infection. Aestheticians recommend gently exfoliating the pubic area before the wax, and then doing so regularly after the wax to cut down on ingrown hairs.

Some men also like to have their bikini area waxed, particularly if they wear bikini style swim bottoms. For men who need to prepare for a bikini wax, the above considerations apply. It is also important to check with the salon where you plan to have the wax, as some salons only accept female clients.

Another consideration when one wants to prepare for a bikini wax is what type of underwear, if any, should be worn. Usually wearing underwear is up to the person getting the wax. If you feel uncomfortable removing your underwear, choose a skimpy pair, preferably a thong, and the aesthetician will work around the undies, and ask you to hold them when he or she needs to wax a covered area.

Many recommend wearing old underwear, to prepare for a bikini wax, or those that can be easily washed, as occasionally residue wax will get on the underwear. Also an important tip is wearing pants or a skirt that can easily be washed, instead of dry-cleaned, so that if any wax gets on your outer clothes, you are not out the cost of dry-cleaning them.

Lastly, to prepare for a bikini wax, if you are planning a Brazilian, you may want to schedule at least 30 minutes, and occasionally more. The salon will usually tell you how long the waxing process takes, and the lesser the time, the better. However, some women feel that when the waxing is done in small patches, though the process takes longer, it is usually more effective and less painful. So this is an individual decision, and can be based on your level of comfort with the process.