Top 10 Tips for getting a Brazilian or Hollywood style waxing

Hubby and myself are going on a mini-vaca for his birthday.
We will be joining an event in the swinger's community with K.O.S. for their annual Guadalupe River Trip.
What does this mean?? I desperately need a wax!!!
I've gotten my appointment all set up with the wonderful folks over at, The Waxing Bar for next week and thought I would share my top ten tips for getting a successful waxing done.
Enjoy!

Brazilian and Hollywood waxing is pretty much used interchangeably. Depending on your salon, they may use both names to figure out how much hair you want to remove.
Most typical, the brazilian wax gives you the option to remove all the hair on your pubic area, or to leave a small patch of hair. If your salon has the Hollywood waxing service available, that would be complete removal of hair.

With both/either of these styles, hair is also removed from the buttocks, around the anus and all the way up between the booty cheeks.

So, without further ado.. my top ten tips!

1. 
   
   Plan on making your appointment about a week after your period. You may have a higher threshold for pain at this time, as well as being less emotional than you would a week prior to the arrival of your period. Also, if you are a person who is known to cry during that time when you watch chick flicks, then you most certainly will while they are waxing away at your naughty bits.
2. Clean & Exfoliate! I'm sure you bathe regularly, but be sure to pay special attention to the area to be waxed and also exfoliate the day prior. You can use a mesh sponge for exfoliation or a gentle facial exfoliation, but please be sure to read the warning label to see if there are any warnings against using this in the genital area. Exfoliation will allow any hairs that may be under the skin to emerge and will help clear away any dead skin cells.
3. Take a break from tanning and exposure to sun. To avoid any negative reactions, it's always best to avoid the tanning beds and sun exposure to the area for 24 hours prior to your appointment and 24 hours afterwards.
4. Hair Length. Make sure your hair is at least 1/4" long. Your hair will take approximately 2 weeks for this growth. If you hair is shorter, it is possible that they will not be able to wax and will send you home. If your hair is a bit longer, then they may be able to trim it to the appropriate length.
5. Embarrassed? Try going by the salon prior to making your appointment and talking with the staff a bit. Just remember that they are just like your obgyn in the fact that they do this each and everyday. The more relaxed you are, the less pain you will feel all around.
6. Pain Prevention. A dose of Advil or Tylenol taken 30-45 minutes prior to your appointment will help reduce the pain. If you are really worried about pain, some salons offer a dulling creme or spray that will help as well. Be sure to check with the salon. If during your waxing, you find that it is too painful, please let your esthetician know of your low tolerance, and they may be able to help dull the pain even more.
7. Natural Pain Prevention. Believe it or not, breathing and coughing are also good ways to help to prevent or relieve pain. When the strips or wax is pulled, breathe out and this will help to diminish the pain somewhat. Coughing while the strip or wax is just about to be pulled is also a great way to help out. Believe it or not, it actually does work. Focus your mind on something else and the pain won't be near as bad.
8. Type of Wax? There are a few different varieties of waxes out there, and for any kind of waxing done in the genital area, a hard wax will prove to be less painful. Be sure to check with your salon to see if they offer hard wax.
9. Referrals. Always check with your friend to see if they are able to refer a salon or a particular esthetician. A good esthetician could be all the difference in a great waxing job! If you don't know anyone, check your local online area pages to see the rating of salons or use a general google search for recommendations.
10. Post wax care. Take warm NOT hot showers for the rest of the day, don't wear tight panties, keep your hands off of the area as to not encourage bumps and irritation, avoid sexual encounters for 24 hours, and do not exfoliate the area for at least 2 full days.

Keep all the above in mind, as well as any other information that your salon will offer you.
First time waxing can be a scary thing, but if you arm yourself with knowledge, you can make it a much better experience.

Do you have any tips and/or comments to add? I'd love to hear from you!