Gyms and tanning salons are becoming more and more crowded with students preparing to get the perfect beach body for spring break. Bikini waxes are another less commonly spoken of preparation for the beach can be helpful when wearing that little, exposing bikini.
Bikini waxes are perceived as painful and expensive, but aestheticians and experienced bikini-waxees claim they're worth every penny.
Senior Julie Orgish has never had a bikini wax, and isn't interested in trying one.
Orgish admitted she wasn't too excited to get a bikini wax after her sister's experience with a Brazilian wax. Brazilians remove all the hair.
"She said it hurt so much, she had to check and see if everything was still there," Orgish said.
If it wasn't surrounded by rumors of pain, she'd probably try it because of the convenience.
Senior Lindsey Kohlbeck has had several bikini waxes and prefers bikini waxes over shaving or depilatory creams.
Kohlbeck usually goes to The Ultimate Spa and Salon. A bikini wax will be part of her spring break preparation.
"It's not as bad as everyone thinks," she said.
Although waxing costs more than shaving, it's a lot less maintenance, Kohlbeck said.
Brittni Murray, an aesthetician at Spa at Riverfront, LTD. in Janesville, had a similar view.
"They all think it's going to be worse than it actually is," Murray said. "Once they've had it done; it's nothing."
Kohlbeck thought most women over-estimate the pain because they picture a Brazilian wax, leaving no hair after the wax, when they think of bikini waxing.
"It's not like, 'oh this feels great,' but it's not like I'm going to cry from it or anything," Kohlbeck said.
Kohlbeck said there's usually bruising after the wax, but it disappears in a day or so. Her first experience was pretty painful, but since she started going to The Ultimate, it's been much better, Kohlbeck said.
According to www.spaatriverfront.com, hair should be 1/8 to ¼ of an inch for wax to be most effective, and results last about three to four weeks.
Prices for bikini waxing vary from place to place. At Janesville's Spa on the Riverfront, it's $25-45 for a bikini wax, depending on how much the customer wants done, and $60 for a Brazilian.
The Wrinkle Shed, 511 Madison Ave., in Fort Atkinson offers a regular bikini wax at $20 and a French bikini at $25. A French bikini wax goes one inch in from the panty line and a regular is just around the panty line.
Owner of The Wrinkle Shed and licensed aesthetician Sherry Parker said wax must be applied in the direction of the hair and then ripped off the opposite direction. An area, the arm pit for example, may have hair going three or four directions, Parker said.
She treats first timers with "no scream cream," a cream that slightly numbs the area to be waxed. For more regular customers, they've developed bigger pain tolerance, or the skin is used to being waxed.
Parker and Murray confirmed popularity in waxing depends on the season.
"As soon as it gets warmer out, we wax all day," Murray said.
Some disadvantages of waxing are slight bruising, in-grown hairs, redness or bumps and ripping layers of skin off, Murray said.
Suggestions to reduce redness and bumps are aloe vera and a cold compress, like a wet wash cloth, Murray said.
The main methods of hair removal besides waxing and shaving are laser hair removal, electrolysis and depilatory creams like Nair.
Waxing isn't as cheap as shaving or depilatory creams, but it's cheaper than laser treatment or electrolysis.
Parker, who's been waxing since 2004, said the French was most popular over all.
"These days, all the suits are cut narrow in the crotch, so the French is much better," Parker said.
In Murray's experience of seven months at the spa, she has only had two males request a bikini wax. Back and eyebrow waxing are most popular with males, Murray said.
Seldomly do men visit Parker for waxing.
"They're chickens," Parker said. "Why wax when they can take the easy route and shave?"
Senior Dan Dudzinski said the only thing he's gotten waxed is his car. Going against what Parker said, he'd trying cosmetic waxing if there was no cost.
Parker thinks waxing is a feminine must.
"Nothing looks worse than a woman that needs to get a wax but doesn't," Parker said.
Kohlbeck recommends a bikini wax.
"If you're thinking about it, go ahead and spend the money," she said. "It's worth it."
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