all male staff

FAQ Waxing @ The Body Barber™

So many questions, so little time ...

When should I NOT get a wax ?

You should refrain from using waxing as a hair removal method if you are using Retin-A within the last 3 months, Isotretinoin within the past 4 months or other keratolytic medications or topical creams used to increase skin exfoliation. 

Recent sunburn or recovering from a recent laser procedure or chemical peel.

Botox, Juvederm or any other injectables less than 72 hours prior to waxing please let your aesthetician know.

For more do and don't, see waxing pre and post care.

Do you wax women ?

Yes we do, and yes we have female clients coming in for their waxing needs.

Whilst some come in just for their legs, stomachs or bikini lines, others are more comfortable and will get their Brazilians done as well. Though we target the male community we are comfortable with treating all gender identities as long as you are comfortable with a male performing the treatment.

Does it hurt?

Crikey what do you reckon uh! How good is your pain threshold? We have clients that nearly fall asleep during a wax and others that grit their teeth and cry murder, then there are those that look at us with a smile and a glint in their eye …….. but we don’t go there.

It hurts for that split couple of seconds after the initial ‘rip’ and then is over. I guess it’s a bit like getting spanked when you were naughty ... though the 'pc' world has ruined that too.

Other factors such as whether you have a flu or cold can make the experience more painful ... stay at home ! Taking anything that increases your sensitivity will also make it more uncomfortable, for obvious reasons, so don't do the Dutch courage thing and have a few shots at the pub before coming in.

Air temperature, if your body is cold or you are feeling a chill that can also make it feel as though it is a more painful experience as the skin tightens, likewise, in a warm environment the skin relaxes.

One thing that I truly believe though is that if you THINK it will hurt, IT WILL. The power of the mind is an amazing thing and once you accept how it feels and don't think about what is going on so much, it's not that bad, honest !

Will the hair stop growing?

No, but it will reduce. Again everyone is different, thanks to genetics, but some clients I have experience fewer and fewer hairs growing back to the degree it would be easier for me to pluck them out than to wax.

Having said that, I think it is more of an age attribute. Over the years as our clients have aged their body hair growth has also slowed down, or stopped completely, only to reappear from your nose or eyebrows and ears I'm afraid .... What is with that ???

What is Brazilian Waxing?

Just as the name suggests, the term Brazilian originated from the women of Brazil and their love of looking very sexy in the skimpiest of bikinis. A Brazilian waxing has a small narrow section of hair left just above the vagina, be it a small strip, triangle, square, rectangle or oval shaped. All hair is taken in between and includes your anus.

If we get a male asking for a 'Brazilian' or 'Manzilian' our question would be "please explain ?" and generally the response we get is "I have no idea". Should someone ask for a 'boyzilian', well that's just a bit of a concern really.

With the amount of 'yes do that' and 'no not that' within the male genital area, and so many combinations there of, we prefer to be more direct and just be told what 'bits' you want done. For the record a BSC ext would be our closest to the female 'Brazilian' (balls, shaft, crack + speedo and does NOT include your arsecheeks)

The 'Hollywood' is the term referred to having ALL the hair removed. At The Body Barber™ we would call this the BBS works when referencing the male equivalent.

I have just clipped my hair, can I have a wax?

You know what happened to Samson when he cut his hair don’t you! Ideally for us, don’t clip your hair; if we think it needs to be clipped then we will do it before waxing at no extra charge.

Because body hair grows in different stages and rates, sometimes you will find that some of the hair has yet to grow out. You may have clipped, or shaved several weeks prior to coming in, but some of that hair has yet to grow out and presents itself as what we call 'secondary regrowth' and still a stubble.

How often do I need to get waxed ?

As one of our clients once said, "I know when it's time to come back in and see Zaque when my wife stops paying attention to me"

Hormones dictate our hair growth, some clients may experience slower or faster rates of growth than other guys of similar ages, talk to us and we'll schedule your mantenance schedule accordingly.

You will need at least 3 - 4 weeks growth of hair before it can be successfully removed by waxing. Please don't shave or remove hair via other forms between appointments either should you plan on returning within 6 weeks.

To maintain your smooth appearance, we recommend regular waxing every 4 - 6 weeks. This also puts you in to our 'Mantenance' category which provides you with discounted services. Bookings 6 weeks after your last appointment revert back to full pricing.

How long does my hair need to be for waxing to be most effective?

In order for waxing to be most effective hair length should be 5mm, but this can vary depending on the type of hair it is. Depending on the area, sometimes we prefer to work with hair that is at least 10mm long to get the best results from the more coarse hairs in places like around the anus.

You may notice a small amount of regrowth after a week or so. It may take up to 4 treatments for your hair to get on a growth cycle that gives best results.

Does it hurt less the second time?

We think so, but then others would say no. The second time you know what to expect and therefore aren't as anxious. When you are on a 'mantenance' program and coming back within 7 weeks you not only benefit from a discounted rate, the hair is still young and soft and more easily removed. For those of you that leave it 3 or 4 months between waxes, then you can expect to feel like it is your first time again, especially when talking about your man bits !

Will I be absolutely smooth after my first wax ?

Define smooth ? It is very possible when you have virgin old growth forest to be cleared you will get a smooth result. But it is very common to feel a bit of stubble afterwards or within a few days.

This happens with thick and coarse hair and is more common with hair on your legs, lats and the pubic area. As your body hair has three different hair cycles, each lasting about 4 - 6 weeks, it's important to wax consistently every 4 weeks for the first three or four treatments so that you can get each hair cycle on its own waxing schedule. Black or very dark hair will be more noticeable simply because of it's colour and you may see tiny black dots of emerging hair just under the surface.

Hair will never synchronise entirely so you won't be going to bed with no hair and waking up with a full fur pelt, everyone's body is different and therefore you will have a different experience to anyone else.

Ingrown Hairs / Folliculits

These things will be annoying and piss you off no end. A result of shaving and waxing they can be quite common in the speedo area or over the pubic bone when all pubic hair is removed. We will always point this out to anyone that is deciding on whether or not to go the 'full monty'.

In a nutshell ingrown hairs occur when a new hair grows into the skin rather than out of it. This could be due to having dry skin that is a little too tough or it grows horizontally under the skin, some nationalities experience their hair curling in a tight ringlet just under the skin. Ingrown hairs may also be a result of waxing when the follicle opening is damaged and any new hair catches whilst growing out and therefore grows in instead of out. When cluster of small red bumps or white-headed pustules develop around hair follicles it's referred to as folliculitis.

Sometimes these ingrown hairs result in red irritated bumps, the white cells that have accumulated in trying to defend the body from any foreign bodies accumulates and present as the white pustules. Most common is with Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria which is a bacteria that lives on the skin all the time. Causing damage to hair follicles by shaving, waxing or wearing tight clothing, as well as soaking in a hot tub or pool that's not maintained well make you more susceptible to folliculitis.

To help avoid ingrown hairs try to use an exfoliating mitt or a body scrub when showering but wait a few days after getting your wax as your skin may still be sensitive.

Will it make my hair grow back thicker, I heard that when you wax or manscape you end up with more hair than you started with ?

Ok, lets start with your first concern. Will it make my hair grow back thicker ? When you mean thicker we assume you mean size of the hair and the answer is no. The same as when you go bush and cut a tree down you are left with a stump, so too when you shave your body hair. As your hair grows, out you feel stubble (think your beard), it is like that thick tree trunk growing and not a fine whispy sappling blowing in the wind. So yes, when growing out, your hair will feel thicker when it has been either cut, shaved or snapped off.

Do you end up with more hair ? When you manscape on a regular basis you forget how much hair you originally had in the beginning as you tend to not let all the old growth forest come back to take over your back yard. When for some reason you do, it's like going away for a 6 month holiday only to find that nice, neat and tranquil back yard has regrown in to the forest that was there before the developers came in and built your house. If it's been a 3 or 4 year holiday it will be the same but even more of a shock due to hormones and genetics determining how much hair you are going to have on any given body area.

Other influences such as steroids, supplements, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) can encourage the growth of more hair.

 

Bookings

Planning ahead:  (noun + adverb) ( planɪŋ /Ə’hƐd )

You need to get off your arse, get your shit together and book your appointments NOW, or else risk missing out, pretty simple really

Be warned !! If you send a text “can I have a wax?”, my answer will probably be “I don’t know, ask your mother”, think about it ! I need as much information as possible to be able to answer your enquiries.

Please ensure your
initial text includes the following:

Tue - Sat 10:00 till 20:00 (I'm a 24hr guy) Sun/Mon CLOSED

If you call and I don’t answer, I’m busy devoting my expertise to a client and so don’t interrupt their service which, if you’re here as a client, you would appreciate.

Last thing, I DO book out several days in advance so if asking “what are you doing tomorrow?” I may just say “unfortunately, not you”..… and remember to laugh, life’s short.

follow: instagram.com/thebodybarber