Plus Size Brazilian Wax: Important Facts and My REAL Experience

For some reason, it’s the 21st century and plus-size women are still embarrassed to ask for pampering and grooming. A plus-size Brazilian wax shouldn’t cause anxiety, and yet it seems to be for a lot of bigger women. This just means we still have a lot of work to do in the body positivity movement!

So I’m here to give you the skinny on what a plus-size Brazilian wax is REALLY like. I’ve had a couple dozen Brazilian waxes done as a size 24, so I do believe I know what I’m talkin’ about here. Be prepared for a little humor, because it’s necessary when dealing with such a… sensitive subject!

My First Time Getting a Brazilian Wax

Preparing in the Room

My esthetician led me to the waxing room, told me to undress from the waist down before getting on the table, and left me alone. I took off my shoes, pants, and underwear, then wiped myself down with a nice-smelling feminine wipe from my purse. Weirdly, I couldn’t find a trash can, so I tucked it into an empty wrapper in my purse.

If your esthetician does NOT leave the room while you undress and you would like her to, don’t hesitate to ask for a private minute before she begins. It truly only takes you 30 seconds to take off your bottoms and hop on the table, so this shouldn’t be a big deal.

Getting into Position

When she came back in, she asked me to scoot my butt down toward the end of the table. Unlike a gynecological exam, I didn’t have to keep scooting until I felt like my entire butt was hanging off of the table. I had to leave some room to bring my feet up onto the table.

My first position was the butterfly: putting the bottoms of my feet together and letting my knees fall to the side. This opens up access to your vulva. If you have big legs and can’t bring your feet in enough to rest on the table, just scoot back up the table until you’re able to lie in this position comfortably.

I was waiting for the esthetician to say something about how weirdly puffy yet wrinkly my outer labia were, or how it was going to be impossible to wax between my thighs and groin. But she didn’t. No lingering stares at my vagina, no deeply frustrated sigh.

The Process

My esthetician went right to work. She had gloves on her hands and started out by spraying a mist of what I assume was a disinfectant all over the area and wiping it back off with a clean towel. Then she went to town with the wax!

This was my first wax of anything ever. I couldn’t see what she was doing, and while she’d told me she would be using a combination of hard wax and soft wax, I didn’t really know what that meant or how to tell the difference. She started out with soft wax and strips near my FUPA instead of going straight for the lips.

In order to get a smoother strip of wax and reduce the pain, she asked me to pull up on my stomach to stretch the skin taut and smooth, which I did. During the waxing, we talked about our kids and the weather. That alone helped my entire body relax.

The Pain

That upper part of my vulva was the most painful part of my wax. The thigh crease was a close second. And since she started with the top, I wasn’t sure I could handle the pain of her getting down to the more sensitive parts. Still, it wasn’t bad enough that I felt the need to shout. She commented on how high my tolerance for pain must’ve been.

When she finally got to the sensitive parts, she switched to hard wax. I was TERRIFIED. When she swiped over my clitoris with a blob of hard wax, I thought “Oh my god, this is it. My clit is about to be ripped off and ruined forever.”

And then she left the wax there. My anxiety peaked as she carried on using soft wax strips on my thighs and creases while she waited for the hard wax to become ready to pull off.

Then I felt her grab the top of the strip that began just above my fun button and ran down my right labia. I nearly blacked out trying to mentally prepare for the pain.

And then… It wasn’t that bad. In fact, I dare say it was pleasurable.

Hard wax is mankind’s greatest invention. It only pulled on the hair and left the skin where it found it. It’s a blessed experience. Once I was familiar with the hard wax, I was pretty calm and collected for the rest of the waxing. But then she asked me to roll over.

Oh, yeah. She’s supposed to wax my butthole now.

The Booty

I was particularly concerned about this part, because I have a HUGE butt. I wasn’t sure how she was going to get in there. I’d read that some estheticians require you to get on all fours with your whole butt on display for this part.

But she didn’t! She just wanted me to roll onto my side, hold my leg up, and pull my top buttcheek up with my hand. She said ALL of this like she’d said it a million times to every customer, so I didn’t feel called out.

I’m not particularly strong, so holding my leg up in the air for several minutes is a LOT of hard work for me. My leg occasionally shook, and I could feel sweat forming in my buttcrack. Still, she never said a word about any of it.

Despite having survived the wax-on-clitoris event, I was pretty nervous about wax going across my butthole. But once again, it was not as bad as I expected. In fact, the butt strip was and continues to be one of the least-painful parts of a Brazilian wax for me. And I never realized how hairy my butthole must’ve been until had a SMOOTH one!

I have a lot of fine, soft hair that gets somewhat long over most of my butt. I thought maybe she would wax that too, but she didn’t – she stuck to the crack. You can probably pay extra to get your whole bottom done if you like, though.

Finishing Up

Once she was done with my butt, she had me roll back into the butterfly position. She took her tweezers to a couple of hairs that hadn’t come out with the wax. Then she spread some sort of lotion all over the waxed area to help calm the irritation and protect the skin, all with gloves still on.

Afterward, she left the room so I could get dressed. I hopped off the table and half of the paper strip came with me, thanks to the sweat acting like glue. I peeled the paper off my butt and wadded it all up to make cleanup easier on her.

She’d been throwing all the strips and hard wax on a large piece of paper on the floor so that she could just pick it up and throw it all away. I put the paper ball amongst the used wax so she wouldn’t have to touch it.

I walked over to the body mirror hanging on the door to check out my new smooth cooter. While I thought it looked a little funny, I loved how smooth it felt. You’re not supposed to touch the skin excessively for the first couple of days, but it’s hard to resist!

I found some tiny bits of used wax on my butt and thighs that I’d managed to pick up from the table while rolling around, so I pulled those off and made sure I was as clean as possible.

After getting dressed, I walked to the front counter, paid my esthetician with a 20% tip, and scheduled my next appointment for four weeks later.

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Tips for Your First Brazilian Wax

These are all the things I wish I’d known before my first Brazilian.

1. Don’t shave.

If you just shaved a few days before, the wax won’t grab the hair well enough to remove it. You’ll need to let it grow for at least a week (preferably two) after shaving to get to an optimal length for waxing.

2. Bush is okay.

If you DON’T normally shave, that is not a problem. You can trim with scissors if things are crazy, but you don’t have to.

In my opinion, if you can grab a wad of hair with your fingers and pull it away from your skin, you might want to trim a bit. This helps make the appointment faster, getting your vulva back into your undies that much sooner.

3. Exfoliate.

I didn’t even know what exfoliating meant until I started getting waxed. It’s the removal of dead skin cells, and this is important before a wax. It makes sure there’s not a bunch of invisible skin shed preventing the wax from getting a good grip on your pubic hair.

There are different ways to exfoliate. Use a body buff in a circular motion, scrub a granular product like sugar scrub over your skin, or use a chemical exfoliator.

For your first Brazilian, I would recommend applying a chemical exfoliant like Tend Skin to the whole front area with a cotton ball. Your butt shouldn’t need it. Do it the day before your appointment, then use a body buff on the area in the shower the next morning.

4. Don’t take aspirin.

Take Tylenol instead. Taking a pain reliever 30 minutes before your appointment is a great idea to help reduce the pain. But using a blood-thinning medication like aspirin can have the opposite effect! It increases blood flow to your groin. Ibuprofen can also make it harder for your blood to clot if you do start bleeding.

5. Wear granny panties.

Don’t wear lacy or tight underwear. While your favorite lace thong is going to feel AMAZING a couple of days after waxing, it can irritate your skin immediately after.

You may also have some unseen wax left behind that you don’t want on your good underwear. Just wear some comfy cotton undies to your appointment.

6. Consider wearing a dress.

This isn’t a massage and you don’t have to get naked. Your esthetician only needs access to your lower half. I enjoyed wearing dresses to my appointments so I was as covered as possible during the process.

If you have an apron belly, tucking your dress under can help absorb any sweat and make it easier to pull your stomach up. Just don’t wear your favorite designer dress, because accidents happen. You could end up with some wax on your clothes if they stay that close to your vulva.

7. Take feminine wipes.

I like to have peace of mind when it comes to someone getting real close to my private parts. I always keep some feminine wipes in my purse. After arriving for my appointment, I use the restroom, then take a wipe to my vagina, thigh creases and butt crack.

8. Communicate with your esthetician.

Tell her it’s your first time. Even if you’ve already told her during booking, you’re not her only client and she may not remember. Reminding her this is your first-ever Brazilian wax will trigger her to be more vocal about what she’s doing and what she expects you to do during the process.

9. Get clarity on the price.

You shouldn’t be charged more for having more skin. Waxing your FUPA should be included in your experience! That is not your “lower stomach” and should not incur an extra charge.

10. You’ll probably sweat.

No matter how air-conditioned the room is, I get sweaty at every. single. wax.

You’re fat, nervous, and getting into yoga-like positions to get your crack waxed. Your esthetician will not think you’re gross – she knows you’re a human. If the table cover sticks to your skin and starts to disintegrate, just pull the pieces off your butt when you roll over. No big deal.

11. Your skin might peel afterward.

After my first time, my skin peeled, a lot. I did NOT expect it because I’d never heard or read anything about it before.

Immediately after my first wax, all of the skin was a decent shade of red. I am very fair-skinned and just had a bunch of wax ripped off, so that was decidedly normal. However, about two days after the wax, I noticed that almost all of the skin was peeling like a sunburn. It threw me for a loop, but once I gently exfoliated the loose skin off, it never happened again. Not even after future waxes!

I did NOT exfoliate prior to my first wax. The lesson here? EXFOLIATE!

How to Stop Being Embarrassed

What everyone says is 100% true: your esthetician has seen. it. ALL. The reality is YOU don’t know what all the other vulvas in the world look like.

YOUR vagina is not going to shock and awe. And even if you’ve got something just a little bit unique going on in your nether regions, any esthetician worth her salt will never say a word about it. You’re paying them for a service, and it’s their job to get it done. Period.

I went into my first Brazilian wax at nearly 28 years old and around 275 pounds, and it went far better than I could’ve hoped for. So much so that I kept going back every month for years!

Benefits of Brazilian Waxes

I’ve got enough extra padding that I literally cannot see my vagina without looking in a mirror, and since I don’t have a mirror in my shower, shaving near that area is hazardous at best.

For a plus-size woman, just not having to shave blind is by far the biggest benefit of getting waxed! But there are more benefits to be had as well.

• Time saved: Waxing takes about as much time, if not less, as trying to shave all those same spots in the shower – and you don’t have to do it nearly as often.
• Lasts longer: With shaving, you’ll have stubble the very next day (and nothing itches more than a stubbly vulva). With waxing, it could be weeks before you feel any hair growing back.
• Soft, subtle regrowth: Since waxing pulls hair out by the root, it will not be all grow back at the exact same time. The tip of the hair will also be softer.
• No more cuts: Waxing can cause some bleeding, particularly if it’s your first time or you have coarse, dark hair. But it’s nothing compared to the bloodshed a tiny razor nick can cause.
• Nothing gets missed: No matter how thin or flexible you are, there’s no way you can see all the parts a Brazilian wax gets. And I don’t ever recommend shaving your butthole – that itch is unbearable.

How Long a Brazilian Wax Lasts

You can be silky smooth for up to three whole weeks! To maintain a Brazilian wax, most women need to go every 4 weeks or so. As a dirty blonde with softer pubic hair, I stretched it to five weeks in between.

You’ll have about a two-week period of regrowing hair so that it’s long enough to be pulled out again. Remember that the regrowth is subtle and not at all like having stubble. It’s not nearly as bad as shaving and then waiting a week for it to grow back out.

The longer you get waxed regularly over time, the slower your hair growth in that area will become. Women who get them done for years and years sometimes have very little hair growth that needs to be maintained. Then you can add an extra week or two in between appointments.

Where to Get a Brazilian Wax

Ask your friends for recommendations.

If you’ve never talked to your friends about pubic hair, you might not even know you already know someone with a Brazilian waxing experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for their esthetician’s name.

Check reviews on Google and Yelp.

Look up “Brazilian waxing near me” and Google should be able to give you a starting point. Actually read the reviews for local companies. You’ll get a good feel for how professional and courteous the staff is. A reviewer might even mention being a plus-size customer themselves!

Call with specific questions.

While many business websites have contact forms, I don’t recommend trying to ask about this particular topic through a form. They might not even understand what exactly you’re asking, and too often the emails from those forms get lost or go unnoticed.

Actually call a spa or wax center near you and clearly verbalize your concerns. This is the only way they can clearly alleviate them! Get specific and let them know you’re plus-size using whatever terms you’re comfortable with (big, fat, heavy, overweight, etc).

You could even tell them your actual weight. After all, once you’ve been waxed, your number on the scale will not be the most intimate detail you’ve shared with them.

No esthetician should have a problem waxing a woman of any size, professionally speaking. There’s a tiny chance you’ll come across one with a personal objection to it. It’s okay, she just doesn’t want to make as much money as the real professionals. Move on!

If you’re concerned, clearly ask if their waxing table can handle your weight and is nice and wide. If you’re worried about how an apron belly might get in the way during a Brazilian wax, ask if they have any experience with it! You’ll be surprised at how eager most estheticians are to make this experience possible for you.

Meet in person before booking an appointment.

Ask if you can have a little “tour” of where you’ll be getting waxed. This will give you an opportunity to see if the personality of your esthetician meshes well with yours. You can also look around for the esthetician’s certifications hanging on the wall.

Don’t do it at a nail salon – go to a waxing center.

European Wax Center is purported to be plus-size friendly. I haven’t personally tried them because the nearest one is almost an hour away. But there are countless reviews and stories online about how excellent their customer service is!

What to Do After a Brazilian Wax

Post-Brazilian wax care is SUPER important. Don’t think you’re done just because your esthetician is! You can expect to be tender and swollen immediately after your first wax. This should go away in a couple of days, and it shouldn’t be as bad with future waxes.

What NOT to Do

If the area becomes particularly inflamed, extremely painful, or has any other signs of infection, you should see a doctor immediately. Don’t get too sweaty and don’t get in a hot tub or bath for at least 24 hours after your wax.

You’re not supposed to have sex for at least 24 hours after a Brazilian wax due to an increased risk of infection and skin irritation. You also shouldn’t use lotions, oils, perfumes, or anything else near that area for a couple of days.

You do NOT want to exfoliate with a body buff for a couple of days, because it will hurt and irritate the skin. Rinsing your lady bits with water during this time will be fine. But after that third day, you should carry on exfoliating the area during every shower.

What You SHOULD Do

24 hours post-wax, use a chemical exfoliant. Waxing is easier than shaving, but it’s not without maintenance. You should apply a chemical exfoliant to your whole vulva and bikini line with a cotton ball after every shower. Do not apply it directly to your inner labia or anus – it will burn like a mother.

I personally use Tend Skin and notice a difference when I slack off. It helps keep away red bumps and ingrown hairs really, really well. It does sting upon application, especially the first time or two after a wax, but it doesn’t last long and is much better than getting those red bumps.

Getting a Brazilian Wax During Pregnancy

I don’t recommend getting your very first wax while in the second or third trimester. That increased blood flow is going to amp up the pain factor. But I definitely do recommend it during pregnancy in general!

Just don’t get a wax the day of or even before a c-section. You’ll want to give yourself a week or two in between for the pores to close. This makes sure you’re not increasing your risk of infection during surgery.

When getting a Brazilian wax at nine months pregnant, you’ll need to be very careful about lying flat on your back for too long. You could cut off a major artery carrying blood between you and your baby. Feel free to ask for a break to sit up in the middle of your wax if something doesn’t feel right!

You might also have to try different positions than you’re used to in order to get your wax completed. That all-fours position may end up being the only way to get a proper butt strip done. For me, I was able to do everything during my wax at nine months pregnant the way I normally did!

After childbirth, you should wait at least 6 weeks to get another wax (whether it was a vaginal or cesarean birth), and even longer if your incisions haven’t fully healed.