The Brazillian Wax

What in the world possesses us to remove our bottoms in front of a stranger, have hot wax smoothed over our most sensitive area and have it ripped off a few seconds later in excruciating pain, all by nothing more than our own personal desire to get a Brazilian wax? Everyone has a different reason for why they get a Brazilian wax (convenience, less irritation than shaving, etc) but what’s the real process and the difference between a bikini wax and Brazilian wax. For some of the timid out there, let’s fill you in on the process.

1) Your friendly and licensed esthetician will allow you to dress out of your clothes in a private room. She will most likely give you something to wear or drape over yourself so you are not sitting and waiting uncomfortably.

2) The esthetician will apply some sort of product, like oil or talcum powder, to the skin so the wax will remove hair – not layers of skin.

Note: If the hair is longer than ¼ inch, expect you esthetician to trim the hair down so it is easier to wax.

3) Now the fun part starts. Hot wax is smoothed over a section of hair to be removed and allowed to cool for a few seconds. There are different types of wax popular for a Brazilian: strip and hard wax. Strip wax is what is used, for the most part, for eyebrow waxing and also used in that infamous waxing scene of the hit movie 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hard wax, on the other hand, hardens without the need of a strip and is pulled off when it has cooled enough to change from a liquid form to a solid (this is Chemistry at its best!). Many people prefer hard wax to strip wax but it is a personal preference. You may want to ask when you make an appointment what type of wax will be used for your own knowledge before you go in.

4) The removal: The strip/wax is pulled in the direction opposite of the hair growth in one swift, pain-free motion… Ok, so maybe not pain-free but won’t it look and feel nice when you’re done? Some people say to take an aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before to handle the pain, but you can live without it. Really, it’s not too bad.

5) This process is continued until you are as smooth as a baby’s bottom from front to back.

Note: It is very important that you make a note if the esthetician is double-dipping their stick. This is very unsanitary and can cause many bacterial infections.

6) Tweezers are used to remove any hairs that tried to escape the goopy wax. Some think this is the most tedious and painful part so beware.

7) Finally, soothing lotion or oil is applied to help with redness, irritation and ingrown hairs… Whew!

So that’s it! You’re done. I know it might not have been fun, but it’s like going to the gynecologist: You are forced by yourself to go and afterward, even though you hated it, you are glad you went for your personal well-being. Plus you only have to go back every 3 to 4 weeks.

Now I know you’re wondering the difference between a Brazilian wax and a bikini. Well, the Brazilian has a few options. You can have your esthetician remove everything from everywhere, or they can leave what many call a “landing strip” or a little vertical strip of hair in the front which will be trimmed. Estheticians can get creative by giving the remaining hair a design, such as a heart. A bikini wax, however, removes hair that follows the panty line. According to some estheticians, once you go past a certain point in the front it is considered a Brazilian so you may want to ask your particular esthetician where their boundaries are.

You are now a well-educated, informed individual about Brazilian waxing so go out and have fun getting waxed! And remember to thank your esthetician no matter how painful the session is – they are just doing their job.

Vicki Taylor

– Marketing Manager

Fall into Cellulite Removal

Do you ever feel like you cannot get a grasp on the seasons of the year? By the time we get used to Summer, swim suits and hanging out by the pool, then the Fall season comes speeding up forcing us to cover-up our toned bodies that we worked so hard for. The fact of the matter is that every three months we have to buy a new wardrobe and filter out the clothes we won’t see for another year.

So now that Summer is just about over, we know that in about six more months those more revealing clothes are going to come out of the boxes in closet, which also means CELLULITE! It so convenient to put on the long pants and shirts that cover us up all Fall and Winter but it is so challenging to remove the cellulite. So let’s remove it for good!

Cellulite removal is difficult so it is important to know why. There are three components to why cellulite happens: 1) Waste, 2) Water Retention and 3) Poor Circulation. This vicious cycle starts with waste, or impurities, that clog and pollute our bodies. These are things like medications, sugar-free foods, smoke, pollution, alcohol, and preservatives. Basically, these are pollutants that your body cannot filter out naturally. Secondly, water retention is an imbalance of fluids which is regulated by hormones, sodium and your kidneys. For example, if salty foods are consumed in excess, then your blood becomes saltier as well. This forces cells to pull water out to dilute the blood. Finally, poor circulation is a direct result of a lack of oxygen to the cells. Low oxygen decreases fat burning around the cellulite. In essence, cellulite is waste- and water-logged cells with no oxygen, making cellulite removal a definite challenge.

During the Fall and Winter we pile on the clothes and sometimes some pounds with warming comfort food and holiday sweets and treats. This also means the impurities build up around the holidays. Even if you hit the gym everyday you might not removal all your cellulite (This is why you see the fittest of people with the cellulite dimples on their legs and thighs.) So to survive in the cold seasons this year, remove those impurities and avoid the foods that create cellulite, especially artificial sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame, etc. If you’re going to have a soda, don’t do the diet. Your body can actually process the real sugar out – the fake stuff just gets stored in the body. Also drink plenty of water and avoid the high sodium foods. And lastly, get your exercise and you will easily fall into cellulite removal.

Vicki Taylor

- Marketing Manager

The Weight Loss Pill

In society today we have a pill for everything. There is a pill to take to avoid pregnancy, one for an increased burst of energy – all you need to do is just go to your local drug store and stand in the “Pill Aisle” for awhile only to find out that there are a vast array of different pills that could make even a hypochondriac go completely insane. But now there is the weight loss pill which is increasing in popularity as people decide to better their lives and lose weight. The question is: Do they really work? It seems that the answer to this rides on each individual opinion and different factors.

First off in evaluating weight loss pills is the cost. It seems the more effective weight loss pills, or the ones with better reputations, cost as much as a high-class monthly gym membership or even more. Couldn’t this money be put to better, more effective use? Try saving it for a trip you deserve or buying fresher foods which we all know cost more than unhealthy food with fillers and preservatives.

Beside the cost of weight loss pills, how does the effectiveness measure up? The super-model body is not considered a “real woman’s” body by many. Just look at the Dove line of commercials and products made for real women. Young women and teenagers are especially susceptible to do anything for a model’s body which makes consuming diet pills extremely dangerous. As discussed on the website HealthAtoZ, nutritionist Frances Berg said, “”People should not be using these appetite suppressants. Lose-weight-fast gimmicks and schemes have not helped anyone. Often a person will regain more than they lost.” She also stated that weight loss pills have been known to cause strokes, insomnia, irritability and mood changes, seizures, heart and kidney damage, and abnormal heart rhythms.

The truth of the matter seems to be that there really is no true quick fix. From personal experience, I can say that hard work and self-discipline over time – although difficult to master – with healthy eating and exercise can be a true fix. I think many of us are afraid of what the “healthy life” includes. Exercising will make me tired and eating healthy food will make me gag. However, exercising is addicting and I know I would rather be addicted to working out than to a pill that claims this, that and the other. Unfortunately it is true that we all won’t look like Olympic Medalist Dara Torres, but when it comes down to it, which would you rather want: The permanent results that will last a life time or the quick fix with a weight loss pill? All I know is that I want you to be healthy and happy for the rest of your life.

Vicki Taylor

– Marketing Manager

The Dangers Of Weight Loss

I once heard someone say, “If food had no taste, no one in the world would be overweight.” This is an interesting thought since people would only eat when they become hungry rather than in times when we are stressed, sad or other situations that trigger unnecessary consumption of food. Thus no need for weight loss.

What ever happened to the Food Guide Pyramid? You know, that triangle shaped object that guided how much of what foods we put into our body. Despite its decreased popularity, Health.gov still refers to this as the way Americans should think about consuming foods.

So why do people still fall victim to fad diets like low-carb and sugar-free? With numerous books coming out about how fad diets work it is easy to succumb to the temptations. It seems that people become frustrated and impatient when diets do not work at the speed we want them to, which makes sense. According to numerous sources, including Helpguide.org, healthy weight-loss is between 1-2 pounds a week, which does not sit well with our fast-paced lives.

Unfortunately though, rapid weight loss is appealing – harmful and possible dangerous – but appealing. Starvation, skipping meals, avoiding dietary groups, or simply not consuming enough calories set a person up for yo-yo diets. With this method, there will never be the accomplishment of permanent weight loss which can keep lowering a person’s self-esteem, confidence and self-image because of the continued failures.

Low-carbohydrate diets, which I would rather call high-fat diets, are just that. How can restricting a food group that the body needs for energy help you? It can’t. This means low-carb dieters are loading up on fats and proteins which have been shown through a study reported by Foodnavigator.com that this type of dieting can actually increase the risk of developing kidney stones and bone loss (osteoporosis), which is something no woman can joke around with. Don’t get me wrong, protein is definitely needed for repairing sore muscles, but too much of any food, vitamin or supplement can shock the body in a potentially harmful way. But know that just because there was a book written about a diet does not mean we have to read it.

Frustration can also lead to other types of “quick fixes” like liposuction. This is viewed as a quick fix because in many cases it is only a temporary solution. With liposuction, there is an obvious removal of fat cells from certain problem areas of a person’s body. However, the remaining fat cells do not reposition over the body. This means that if a person has this procedure performed on only the stomach and does not change their eating habits, weight will then be gained in the thighs, arms, face, etc. We encourage a change in eating habits, exercise and the removal of impurities to help reshape not only our body but lifestyle, too. With body wraps and healthy dieting, skin will also become firmer and tighter.

My suggestion: make modifications to your current diet little by little. This way you will learn to actually like healthy food in your own time. Here are some modifications I taught myself:

· Switch to non-fat milk

· Avoid soda, artificial sweeteners, and dilute juices with water to decrease sugars

· Make and bring your lunch from home – saves you money too!

· Snack on fruit, nuts and granola bars instead of things like potato chips and cookies

· Doctor Recommended: Consume plenty of fiber (25-30 grams per day)

· Engage in cardio exercise daily

These are simple and safe and avoid any dangers in weight loss.

Vicki Taylor
Marketing Manager
Simply Beautiful Salon and Spa