What Every Man Needs to Know About Waxing

Acknowledgements A special thanks to my clients who shared their fears, agreed to let me experiment on them, and allowed me to build this body of knowledge that can now be shared. We have learned a lot from this little thing called hair.

Table of Contents Introduction 1 Why Do Men Remove Their Hair? 2 Comparison of Waxing to Other Hair Removal Methods 5 How Much Does it Hurt? 7 What are the Advantages of Waxing? 9 What are the Disadvantages of Waxing? 11 How is it Done? 13 Hard Wax vs. Strip Wax 15 How to Find a Waxer 17 Safety and Sanitation Issues 22 Confidentiality 24 Smart Questions to Ask a Potential Waxer 25 How Services are Priced 28 Tipping Guidelines 30 How to Prepare for Your Appointment 32 What to Expect at the Appointment 35 Insider Tricks to Reducing Pain 39 What Hair Can Be Waxed? 42 Caring for Your Skin After Waxing 64

What can go wrong? 69 Ingrown Hairs 74 Recap of Important Tips 78 A Final Note 81 About the Author 7

Introduction If you are a man who wants to remove some of your body hair, waxing is an affordable and easy option that you should consider. Waxing used to be something only women did, but that is certainly not the case today. As more men look for ways to remove unwanted body hair, waxing is becoming increasingly popular with them as well. Many men are curious about waxing, but they don t know where to get trustworthy information about what it s like for a man. Does it really hurt that bad? Is it embarrassing to take off your clothes? How long does it last? Most men have no one they can talk to about their questions and concerns. You may already know men who get waxed, but chances are they aren t talking about it. Put ten women in a room and nobody will bat an eye if someone brings up waxing. Put ten men in a room and they will all act ignorant about it, even if they aren t. Hair removal is something that most men are not comfortable talking about, and that s OK! It s easier for women in many ways, and that is why this is written just for men. This publication is designed to take the mystery out of men s waxing. It will provide you with the basic information you need to decide if waxing is right for you. Once you have made that choice, it will explain how to find a good waxer, what you can expect during the appointment, and how to take care of your skin after waxing. It s also going to provide you with many insider tips on how to make the experience the best possible. I have waxed hundreds of men during my career as a waxer, and in the process I ve learned what your fears are and what kinds of questions you have. I have seen every kind of body, every kind of hair, and I know all the tricks for how to make it as easy on you as possible. I m going to share information that only the best waxers know. After reading this, you ll be able to make smart choices about waxing. Next ~ Why Do Men Remove Their Hair? Page 1

Why Do Men Remove Their Hair? Despite its growing popularity among men, there are still a lot of inaccurate stereotypes floating around about why men want to remove their hair. One of the reasons it is so hard for many men to talk about hair removal is because they are afraid one of these stereotypes will be applied to them. In my years as a waxer I have encountered a good deal of judgmental attitudes from both women and men when I tell them what I do for a living, so I'm not going to pretend it doesn't happen. A comment that I hear too often regarding men's waxing is, "You must get a lot of gays." Actually, no. The percentage of men who get waxed and who are gay is the same as it is in the normal population. There is nothing at all about waxing that points to a person's sexuality. This is a stereotype born out of ignorance, but don't feel bad. A similar thing happens to women. People also say to me, "I'll bet you get a lot of strippers." Actually, no. There's nothing about waxing that would indicate a woman is a stripper, but that's another story. Long before waxing became popular, men were removing their hair with whatever method they could find. Athletes do it, body builders do it, and a long time ago warriors did it. They all did it for good, practical reasons and that's probably why you are doing it, too. I always ask my clients why they are getting waxed so I can understand them better, and there is a recurring theme of why men get their hair removed. I will highlight the most common reasons. It makes them feel clean. Feeling clean is the number one reason why men remove their body hair. Having a lot of body hair means that you trap a lot of odors and sweat. That's what hair does best. It traps the natural odors that your body produces in sweat and from around your genitals. That might have been a nice feature of hair back in the stone age when smelling rich and ripe was an acceptable thing, but it doesn't fly too well in the modern era. Removing body hair will Page 2

definitely decrease the amount of odors that your body holds next to it, and it will give you a feeling of hygiene that is much appreciated by many men. Being hairless is less itchy. Hairs act like little antenna all over our body, picking up sensations from the environment and relaying their signals to the brain. This often results in hair being an itchy nuisance, always tickling and making you want to scratch. Getting rid of the hair eliminates the itchy feeling. Hair gets pinched in clothing and hurts When body hair is long you run the risk of it getting caught in things and that hurts. This is one of the reasons why athletes get rid of their hair. If they have to wear tight clothing for their sport, long body hair will pull like a mother as they get dressed and undressed. People who wear tight belts or other gear for their job also complain of body hair getting pinched. For many people, getting rid of body hair means getting rid of the pain. Having no hair makes the muscles look better. Body hair has a softening effect on the visual appearance of the skin. When hair is removed, skin naturally looks firmer and tighter. If a man is working on his physical health and wants to see the results of his hard work, he will be able to see the definitions in his muscles much easier if the hair is removed, especially on the back and stomach. This is why body builders always remove their hair for a competition. They know that the crisp, hard definitions they are trying to achieve will be softened by body hair. They like the way it looks. Removing body hair because of vanity is a perfectly acceptable reason. Patches of hair on your back don't have to be tolerated, they can be removed. Overly dense brows can be thinned. Crazy hair sticking out of your ears can be eliminated. Removing hair to look good is a sign of good grooming. Does it make your junk look bigger? I've seen a lot of "before and after" situations in my career, and I don't think it makes it look bigger. But it does make it look cleaner, and that's a good thing. Page 3

It's respectful to their sex partner Not only does hair trap odors, it is also a source of a great deal of friction. It's not particularly pleasant to have in the mouth, either. I don't need to tell you the benefits of having less hair down there, but it doesn't mean you are sexually promiscuous if you get your junk waxed. It means you are a thoughtful and clean lover. Increasingly, I am noticing women saying that if they are going to get their hoo-hah waxed, then the guy is going to get his junk waxed. It's only fair, they say, and I can't disagree. Both parties should experience the benefits of hair removal. I don't want to look like my Dad. I can't tell you how many stories I have heard about a guy noticing how hairy Dad is and saying to himself, "Not me ~" Our genetics has a great deal to do with the amount of hair we grow, and if you look like your old man and he has a lot of body hair, chances are pretty good you will, too. The only way you can avoid looking like your Dad is to remove your body hair. Page 4

Comparison of Waxing to Other Hair Removal Methods There are four common ways that hair can be removed from our body: shaving, waxing, electrolysis and laser. Shaving Shaving is the least expensive method because you can do it in your own home. However, some body parts are difficult or impossible to shave and shaving makes some people s skin painfully irritated. This is what we call razor bumps. Shaved hair grows back very fast, sometimes overnight, so it requires a lot of maintenance. Shaved hair feels very coarse and stubbly when it grows back and is not pleasant. Electrolysis Electrolysis is a method of removing hair by inserting a thin wire into a follicle and discharging an electrical current. It takes several sessions to be effective and it is not without pain. It works best when the area to be treated is small because it treats one hair at a time. But if you have enough time, money, and patience you can treat large areas. Electrolysis is the only method of hair removal that the FDA considers permanent. Once the follicle is destroyed, hair never grows from it again. Laser Treatment Laser hair removal is quicker and less painful than electrolysis, but it is not pain-free. It is the most expensive option but it is fairly effective and widely available. It does not always permanently remove the hair, however, and there are cases where hair has started growing again several years after receiving treatments. It may not remove 100% of the hair, even though that is what people want. It will not work on hair that is blonde or gray, or if the hair and skin are both dark. For those people, laser is not an option. Page 5

Waxing Waxing is the best option for most people because it solves all the problems of the other methods. Waxed hair does not grow back rough and stubbly like shaving, and it doesn t cause as much irritation for sensitive skin. Waxing is less expensive than electrolysis or laser treatments, falling within the purchasing power of more people. Waxing can be done on all colors of hair, and can be done on almost every part of the body. With the right kind of wax, you can even wax the inside of your nose and the rims of your ears. The only hair that is not recommended for waxing is hair on the scalp and whiskers on the face. Waxing is not a permanent solution, but it is relatively low maintenance and can eventually cause hair to grow less dense. You won t see these results in just a few sessions, but men who have been waxing for several years definitely grow less hair and it is easier to remove. Next ~ How Much Does it Hurt? Page 6

About the Author Judy Zifka is a licensed Esthetician who is recently retired and living in Portland, Oregon. For the past 12 years she has specialized in the fine art of waxing and skin care. Not satisfied with just doing a good job, Judy has made it her business to truly understand the art of waxing and has explored the science behind her techniques. Her research and experience have led to groundbreaking new approaches that improve our ability to manage inflammation and control pain during waxing. Judy is also the author of "Everything a Woman Needs to Know About Waxing," and Everything a Waxer Needs to Know About Inflammation. She is currently working on a new book called "The Secret Intelligence of Hair that will explain how hair has evolved with human culture. If you would like to comment on this publication or share stories about your waxing experiences, Judy can be reached through her web site at www.waxingwithjudy.com Page 7