Summer is right around the corner. With the temperatures rising, it’s finally time to rock those bare-it-all styles that have been hibernating in your closet for months now. Yep, we are talking about those strappy tank tops, daisy dukes, and bikini bottoms.
Step one in getting ready for your first beach day of the season is cleaning up your bikini line — but not all pubic hair removal techniques are created equal (we’re looking at you, bikini wax and razors). When you remove hair either through body waxing or shaving, the hair follicle often remains behind post-wax, which can cause ingrown hairs and irritated skin in your nether regions (yikes!).
Choosing one of these methods also brings up a lot of other questions
These days, there are so many different bikini line styles you can try out. Whether you are looking to stay au natural or take it all off, there is probably a style out there that is exactly what you want.
We’re diving into the most popular bikini line styles we could think of to help you get some summer inspiration. Many of these styles may also go by different names, so we’ve tried to include as many as we can (and like Shakespeare said, what’s in a name anyway?). Bring these names to your esthetician at your next bikini line waxing appointment or laser hair removal appointment to get exactly what you want, or get that same look easily at home with an IPL device.
Happy hair removal!
1. Au Natural
Before we dive into all of the bikini line lingo you may want to know, we want to remind you that you definitely do not NEED to remove anything. Many people like keeping things down there as they are. If that’s the route you want to go down, we respect it!
2. The Bikini Touch Up
If you’re not super comfortable with the idea of removing your hair down there just yet, this style is a great place to start. A bikini touch-up is just what it sounds like: a little clean-up around the edges. You will want to remove any hairs that would peek out of your bikini bottom. This is likely around the tops of your thighs and maybe some at the top of your pubic bone.
If you want to remove more hair, you always can — but it is not a bad idea to start small if you are a bit hesitant about taking it all off. It’s all about the baby steps.
3. The Classic Bikini
This classic hair removal style still keeps things simple and only targets the areas that would be visible when you are wearing a bathing suit, but with a little more taken off than just a touchup. That usually means a few inches around the sides and the top of the bikini bottom. Many places would call this the “standard bikini” or “Bermuda triangle”’ when it comes to bikini styles.
If you are having trouble figuring out how much to take off and you’re doing this method at home, try on some of your favorite bikini bottoms to get a sense of how much hair you need to take off.
4. The Landing Strip
Also known as the “french bikini wax” or the “Brazilian wax,” this style takes off most of the pubic hair around the front and sides of the pubic area but leaves the hair around the labia (the middle) alone.
This style is a great way to keep it smooth, clean, and pretty free of hair down there without feeling completely hairless. The name of the landing strip comes from the simple design. It is pretty much a thin, straight strip of hair. It’s a classic style and for good reason.
5. The Mini Brazilian
Looking to get a fresh, clean slate down there? “The Mini Brazilian” will be your go-to style. This technique involves taking all of the hair off of the front of your pubic area. It is called a mini style because while you will be totally bare in the front, you leave the hair in the back as it is. It’s kind of like a down there mullet.
6. The Hollywood
Also known as “The Sphinx” and a “Full bikini wax”,” this hair removal technique takes it all off. Yes, we mean all of it. From front to back and side to side, “The Hollywood bikini wax” leaves no pubes behind. So, even in your thong bikini, there will be nothing to see. Just make sure to use some sun tan lotion to maintain good skin care and prevent burning on your exposed bum.
It might be hard to really get it all off at home by yourself with a razor unless you are particularly flexible. We’ve all tried to turn into contortionists to get all that hair gone with a razor, so you might want to stick to in-office visits for the “Hollywood wax”.
7. The Freestyle
Let’s get funky. If you are taking on this DIY hair removal project at home anyways, why not get creative?
When it comes to hair removal, there really are no rules. Just suggestions. Go for a heart, a star, Harry Potter’s lightning bolt. The options are endless, though we admit the more basic the shape the easier this whole thing will be. But, hey we are all about the process, so go crazy!
Some Parting Tips
By now, you probably have a bikini line style in mind. There are a few ways you can get there, you can go to a waxer and get a wax or get a laser session with a professional. Or use an at-home epilator or our Lumi IPL Hair Removal Handset ($189.95USD). Lumi is a hand-held IPL device — but what’s IPL?!
This little marvel gets rid of hairs at their root using light pulses — it’s painless, convenient, easy… basically, everything other hair removal methods aren’t.
Best of all, this device stops hair regrowth for a long-term look you can rock at the beach for years to come. We’re talking noticeable results after four uses and full results after twelve. Wait, you’re sure this handset isn’t magic… right?
(Remember that the Lumi is not suitable for the ‘inner parts’ of your bikini area. Not to get too science-y, but this means you should never use it on the labia minora, vagina, scrotum, or anus.)
Get Bikini Season Ready
We hope this guide helps you find some inspiration for your next bikini line hair removal sesh. Whether it is your first time or you are a bikini hair removal vet, cheers to fresh, smooth skin all summer long!
Sources:
Laser Hair Removal: Benefits, Side Effects, and Cost | WebMD
Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment: Uses and what to expect | Medical News Today
