Ditching the BIC: My Bikini Waxing Rebirth Moment

My first heartbreak and first bikini wax had a lot in common. For one, they both occurred when I was 17. Secondly, they both left me in tears. And third of all, they both scarred me for life.

I lost my waxing virginity to a friend who was studying for her esthetician license. She'd never waxed someone before and I'd never been waxed. There was no testing on areas of skin and no temperature check. There was only pain-pain of hair being ripped off my lady parts.

I cried. She cried. I left feeling like a damaged woman. I couldn't walk right for a week, and bought up nearly all the hydrocortisone cream CVS had in stock.

It took me a couple years to get over that experience. I told myself later: that was a total amateur waxing me-and I was so young. I was sure professional waxes would be quick and clean and over before I knew it.

So, in my early 20s, I made an appointment at a professional facility-which will remain nameless-and showed up with renewed confidence. But the situation quickly deteriorated. There's nothing good than can follow a woman telling you to get on all fours.

I cried. Again. And I realized the whole experience was not just terrible for the waxee-those waxers must take a kick to the face every now and again. The one I saw worked in a padded, soundproof room for goodness sake. I'm not a risk taker. If I need to go into a soundproof room, I'm over it. This was just an awful experience for all parties involved.

So I swore off waxing once more and I turned to the BIC. I became "secret shaver," trying to fit in during girl talk by boasting about how it's not all that bad, and how we all just put our heads down and deal with the pain of doing it, but in reality I never planned on ever going back to the wax.

The BIC proved far from perfect. Things got too rough too quickly. Razor bumps were not cute. And try to groom a landing strip yourself looking down? You'll do it sideways. Trust me.

But then, a godsend …

In spring of this year, I was invited to cover the Beauty Collection West Hollywood grand opening for the YOUTHblog, a beauty and lifestyle blog under my own product line. And there, I had the chance to meet Dr. Edna Ma.

Edna had a traumatizing experience with waxing, too. She loved the results, but found the pain absolutely intolerable. But Edna was an anesthesiologist, and decided to apply her medical training and actually do something about it.

Edna spent three years of research and hard work to create the BareEase & Cream bikini waxing kit-a kit that includes the highest grade of topical numbing cream available over the counter to apply before your waxing appointment, and a pair of pink latex underwear.

As I stood there, listening to Edna describe her miracle product to the small crowd of press and beauty-industry insiders in attendance, I felt a spark of hope. I had to ditch the BIC. So I bought a BareEase kit for myself and scheduled an appointment at Burke Williams the following week.

The day of my life's third-and potentially final-waxing quickly came. An hour before my appointment, I applied the cream as instructed, and slipped on the latex underwear.

I arrived at Burke Williams, palms sweating. The esthetician walked me to my room, prepped me, and gave me the signal she was going to start. I sat there with my hands folded on my stomach. She tore once, then twice, then again and again and I just lay there, numb to it all. The next thing I knew, she was telling me it was over, and asked me to my face "how did you not flinch even once?"

Edna and her BareEase & Cream have single-handedly got me back on the bikini-wax wagon. No more secret shaving, no more tears, no more sideways landing strips. So get your kits, ladies, because a 27-year-old woman walking out of a salon in tears is not a good look for fall.

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