wax on, wax off

Beauty is pain.

We've all heard this common expression before, but it's never hit quite as close to home as it did for me yesterday. 

I got my first wax - a Brazilian.

I decided to go for it all out because countless women get waxes every single day so I know it's somewhat normal, and feel like it is almost a rite of passage into adulthood (questionable). Am I justifying the pain that accompanies an unnecessary beauty practice such as waxing? Absolutely.

I do have to say the half-off special (for first-time guests) and my new white bikini really did all the convincing I needed - without even saying a word! Imagine that.

A whole crew of my friends also got waxes at European Wax Center yesterday, so I kept telling myself that if they could do it, I could do it.

A couple of tips: take an anti-inflammatory an hour before the appointment, try your best to relax during the appointment, and avoid exercising, tanning (both UV and spray) and hot showers up to 24 hours after the appointment.

It takes confidence to wear these!

Going to great lengths to feel beautiful is not a recent concept. Even though waxing may seem ridiculous to some, women were removing body hair in the Renaissance period using much more painful methods involving arsenic - ouch! Melting the hair off skin just before the flesh itself burns off is not something I would never volunteer to do.

Taking "pain" in exchange for "beauty" isn't really about looking good, but feeling good. It is about the confidence that comes as result of the practice. (By pain I mean getting your ears pierced, wearing 5-inch heels for more than three minutes, or getting a wax). 

When it comes to hair removal, to each her own.