I came across this posting on Craig’s List this morning and felt it was a good one to address an issue in manscaping.

“I am getting a brazilian wax today… got my nerve up and am going to go in and do it! I need some advice from women – non biased advice from strangers so to speak.

Any preparations for this? Like a few shots of tequila??
Do I get it ALL taken off? or leave something in front like a patch or strip of some sort. Not really much material on this online…
AND, I have read that they will (or can) take all any hair on the “back” side of your nether regions… I mean, REALLY? is it needed? I dont think I am hairy back there. and who looks? I am Str8, and my woman is all for this.. but didnt really go into details on it. just wanted it smooth in the front playground area – got tired of nubby scratchy surface.

And, finally. will it hurt??

Advice ladies?”

Here is my response:

” Yes, it’s going to hurt. I do not recommend using any painkillers or alcohol as it thins out the blood and could lead to bleeding. As that hair has never been yanked out before, there may well be a little bleeding – don’t freak out, it’s not much, but it’s possible. You do not want to aggravate this with alcohol or painkillers. The only pain killer you could take is Tylenol. Acetaminophen works differently than aspirins, ibuprofens or naproxen sodium. Don’t be surprised if there is a little (really little) swelling in the area after. You can take something after and use cold compresses to relieve any residual pain. The worst pain is right after it’s pulled.

The amount of pain is relative to a couple of things. First, how coarse is the hair? Finer hair isn’t quite as painful as coarse hair. Second, the hair needs to be trimmed down a little. The longer the hair, the more opportunity for the wax to get matted in it and just make it more miserable to get up with the wax. Wax should be applied in the direction the hair grows and pulled the opposite direction. Much easier accomplished if the hair is trimmed down to actually see the growth pattern.

The style is a matter of taste. What does YOUR woman say?

What’s really important here is taking care of it afterwards. When hair is removed in this manner, the pores can get clogged with sweat and dead skin. This clogs the pores and can lead to ingrown hairs (pimples) which will be very uncomfortable as the new hair tries to grow out, not to mention not very attractive. You want to add GENTLE exfoliating to your grooming routine. Ask your girlfriend about gentle body scrubs (Softsoap has a great coconut one). Use a GENTLE exfoliating scrub once or twice a week to keep the area smooth and allow the new hair to grow back freely.

Good luck! You’re a brave man!”