A facial… Down There?

A common issue we see in our clients are those unsightly and often painful ingrown hairs. Women who shave their bikini area are especially prone to ingrown hairs, however they turn up anywhere hair is commonly shaved and removed including face, neck, under arms and even legs. Ingrown hairs look like pimples or scattered pinpoint tan or red bumps. They are usually associated with improper shaving and in serious cases can be cosmetically disfiguring. An ingrown hair occurs when the sharp tip of the hair curls back on itself, becomes trapped, and grows sideways into the skin. It’s especially common in the pubic area, or anywhere the hair is thick and course. Waxing definitely reduces the risk for ingrown hairs, however we always recommend an ongoing proactive approach to beauty. By being proactive, you will reduce the risk of getting one that may leave you with a scar or discoloration.

It is important to exfoliate the skin daily. Consider the care and tending we do to the skin on our face, but nowhere else really. Why do we do that? In reality, our skin is the body’s largest organ. Keeping this in mind, I recommend giving yourself a facial… down there, and anywhere you run the risk of getting an ingrown hair. This facial for your vagina, also known as a "Vajacial" is actually a new beauty trend in the industry. We like it! But no need to go to a fancy salon for your Vajacial. I'll tell you how to do it at home.

The easiest place to do it is in the shower. All you need is a face scrub that ideally contains salicylic acid, however, any scrub will do. Scrubs are granular products that are used to buff off upper layers of dead skin cells. I like to recommend the classic and commonly found Apricot Face Scrub in the peach tube by St. Ives because although I find the beads in that scrub too large and course for the face, it's perfect for the body, particularly the skin in the pubic region. Plus it’s inexpensive. Target sells a good one under their “Target” brand as well. Use the scrub on your pubic skin or bikini area daily. This will exfoliate the skin. Exfoliation removes the dead cells from layers of your skin to reveal live cells, giving the skin a better appearance and less risk for trapping hair as it grows. Dead cells also block off oxygen to the skin, making it unable to breathe. In addition to causing ingrown hairs, this contributes to pores filling up, resulting in breakouts. After the shower, apply toner to a cotton pad, and put it on the skin using upward strokes. Toners containing glycolic, salicylic, or other alpha hydroxy acids can help to prevent ingrown hairs. If you don’t have a toner with those ingredients, just use the one you have. Toners give your skin pH balance, shrink pores, and some of them even moisturize. Follow up with body lotion or my favorite beauty weapon, Vanish PFB.

There are many products on the market with claims of preventing ingrown hair. I find this one works best. Vanish PFB is a serum that is specifically for ingrown hairs, razor burn and bumps resulting from shaving, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis and laser hair removal. It has exfoliating and moisturizing ingredients that feel great on the skin and deliver results. To use, roll-on Vanish PFB to the ingrown hair morning and night. If you don't have an ingrown hair, use it once daily as part of your vajacial for maintenance and as a preventative measure. I especially recommend using it two days prior to waxing/hair removal. You can find Vanish PFB in our salon for $26.95, as well as Numb it, the lidocaine numbing gel from the same line . If you have questions about this product, how to treat ingrown hairs or how to best prepare for you next waxing appointment, feel free to give us call. We'd love to hear from you.

P.S. Ladies, you may consider this product for your man. Most likely he could benefit from Vanish PFB too. He’ll thank you for it.

Stay Beautiful! xo