I think this is the most talked about item on the list. Could be because people are fascinated by the idea of Steven and I inflicting pain on ourselves for a bucket list item, but my guess is simply that people like thinking about me naked.
The time for talk was over though. It was time to get it done. Our first attempt was with a big salon in the city who, only thirty minutes before our appointment, informed us that we weren't allowed to take photos (despite us having asked weeks earlier). We cancelled the appointment in disgust. You can therefore thank us for that decision and also thank Soul's Desire for being perfectly happy for us to document the morning in pictures for your enjoyment.
Soul's Desire is a little salon that owner Cassie has built out the back of her house in Southern Canberra. It was the perfect venue for Steven and I to go to as it was quiet and private, allowing us to make lots of noise and joke around. I really like how one wall of the salon next to the bed was a large image of a forest - it really allowed you to focus on it and escape the reality that she was inflicting pain upon a region you tend to protect from pain.
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| Steven, ready to go and looking brave |
... Which weren't coming! Steven happily chatted away to me and the therapist only pausing briefly every now and then for a quick, "Ouch". It didn't sound too bad at all! Steven likened it to being hit with a paintball - a quick burst of pain/stinging, but afterwards it wasn't too bad. The therapist said that Steven has very "relaxed hair". We weren't really sure what that meant.
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| Steven: post-waxing, looking red and mildly shell-shocked |
I was ready.
I headed in and took off my clothes. I got to my shirt and pondered, "How necessary is it to take your shirt off when you're getting waxed down below?" I thought it was unnecessary, but then figured, that as Steven had his off, I may as well take mine off as well so he wasn't embarrassed. On reviewing the photos I now notice (as you probably do) that he had a shirt on the whole time! Guess that shows how much attention I pay when taking photos in a room with a man with no pants on!
Afterwards, when we were having coffee, Steven did comment that he thought it was strange when he walked into the room and I wasn't wearing a shirt, but he thought that it much have just been my preferred way to receive pain... Naked.
Anyway, it was time to get on with it. I took off my shirt; got on the bed and mentally prepared...
We thought for amusement we would film my reactions to the first strip, and here they are for your enjoyment:
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| Waxing in Progress... |
- Apply some pre-wax gel/cream stuff to the area - this felt fine
- Put a small amount of hot wax on the next area to strip - this felt strange, but not too bad at all
- Let the wax dry - the feeling I usually got was of impending dread
- Pick at the end of the wax to get it started - this hurt. It was like plucking the hairs one by one.
- Once the wax could be held onto, whip it off quick - this hurt too. Luckily it was all over in one go... but the pain lingered more than Steven had led me to believe.
It actually wasn't too bad initially. You could see in the video above I'm in pain, but not a huge deal of pain. However, as the waxing continued it got worse and worse as the whole area started to get more and more sensitive. Annoyingly also, the therapist had to pluck stragglers afterwards - it's much more painful to be plucking hairs in an area that's just been waxed than one that hasn't!
It turns out too that I'm a "giggler". Yes, I giggled a lot when getting waxed. Maybe it's my way of dealing with the pain. ... Though I'm not sure what that means for any improvised comedy I might giggle at...
Steven thought it would be funny to record me giggling while getting waxed:
The therapist commented that I had "healthy hair". I'm holding on to that and quoting it again here because I can then compare it to Steven's "relaxed hair". I think THIS must be the reason I was in a lot more pain than he was! It has nothing to do with him being braver! Nope, no sir-ee. No way Jose. Not a chance. I'm tough I am. Those screams? Nah, those are normal sounds when a young woman yanks healthy hair out of your private parts!
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| Brad: Post-waxing and looking red and relieved it's over |
My immediate reaction afterwards was that it was certainly unpleasant, but if the results were good and (as the therapist assured us) it got easier the more often you did it; then I could probably put up with this once every couple of months. Steven and I thanked Cassie and went to have a consolatory coffee.
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| I think this is the way I react to people after they've spent 45min inflicting pain upon me: By taking photos with them |
An hour later, I was feeling... Sticky. There was still little leftover bits of wax down there and it felt awkward. I tried not to concentrate on any other feelings going on in the region. I really wanted to have a shower, but resisted as the water was likely to feel kind of painful on my very sensitive sensitive parts.
Eight hours later I was feeling... More or less the same. So I went and had the shower. It stung! Carefully, I guided appropriately temperatured water over the area and cleaned up any remaining wax. I caught a glimpse of myself naked in the mirror, I looked... Different. Strange. Weird. Hard to put it into words. Different is probably most accurate.
One week later I was feeling... Let down. Too many hairs still around (or having grown back already) didn't really make it seem particularly smooth. My groin was a little scratchy.
Two weeks later and I'd made my decision... I'll never do it again. My hairs had already started growing back (seriously? After two weeks?), and I wouldn't want to have to get it done that frequently. While it's not too itchy, it is still mildly uncomfortable, and it's not worth the risk of ingrown hairs, the initial pain for little payback (in my opinion).
Thanks for the new experience Steven, I've learned something.
