Dangers Of Bikini Waxing

By Margarita Nahapetyan

The start of beach season often means that many women will be doing popular bikini wax, and more specifically the Brazilian. Unfortunately, the bikini wax presents a whole new set of summer dangers, and ladies who wax down under are susceptible to cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection.

So what really makes the procedure so risky? The experts say that the hair we have hair in our nether regions is there to protect the sensitive skin and mucous membranes which are found in the genital area. When women wax their bikini line or go all the way with a Brazilian, they take away a layer of the body's natural protection, at the same time tearing off tiny parts of the skin's outermost layer. This way a portal is being created, allowing bacteria to enter the body through it and cause an infection under the skin.

What is even more, the waxing process also creates inflammation, which can trap bacteria beneath the skin. All of this becomes a good environment for skin infections, such as staph, folliculitis, and ingrown hairs. "Anytime you compromise the integrity of the skin, you are going to increase your risk of developing infection," explains Dr. Linda K. Franks, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine. The expert cautions that people who have weakened immune system or diabetes, chronic kidney or liver disease, skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, should avoid the procedure of waxing completely. For everyone else, there are simple ways to ward off danger.

There is no need to avoid the Brazilian altogether, just it will not hurt to follow few simple steps. First, before making an appointment, drop by to see how clean the place is, or ask if someone could recommend the place to you. Be absolutely sure that the cosmetologist or aesthetician you will be choosing, has a license of your state and has received training in Brazilian waxing. Ask a cosmetologist to apply a hard wax as it bonds more to the hair and less to the skin. Speed wax, in contrast, is soft and sticky, and is applied with a roller applicator. However, while it is fast and easy, the procedure turns out to be more painful and more likely to cause skin damage. The best alternative could be sugaring, a natural method that is milder for the skin, when compared to waxing.

Before starting the procedure, the professional should thoroughly wash hands, or at least use hand sanitizer. Double dipping into the wax is strictly forbidden because it introduces bacteria into the pot. In addition, the practitioner should be using brand-new spatulas available for each swipe to the skin.

Few days after the waxing procedure, it is recommended to apply an over-the-counter topical antibiotic cream and an anti-inflammatory 1 per cent hydrocortisone cream to the area. This would help to keep the inflammation down and prevent infection.

In the recent few years, bacterial infections caused by bikini waxing became so severe that this past March, for example, the state of New Jersey almost banned Brazilian waxes after two women were taken to the hospital after bearing it all. And in 2007, one woman in Australia with type 1 diabetes almost died of a bacterial infection she developed after a bare-it-all wax.