It’s about that time, ladies. As we prep our skin to illuminate and our hair to bear summer’s impending heat, there’s a far more important area that requires a little pampering. The magical (trust us on that) Brazilian wax is an absolute treat for your lady parts. If you’re not familiar with the popular wax, it’s the “full monty” of waxes, removing any and all hairs from everything down under. Wax expert Mara Thomas of Bella Wax Center gave us the top tips to getting and maintaining the perfect Brazilian wax.

1. GET YOUR EXFOLIATION ON: You should exfoliate at least twenty four hours before your wax to remove any dead skin or ingrown hairs. You can make an easy at-home scrub by simply combining sugar and baby oil.

2. WAIT THREE WEEKS, THEN WAX:  If you’re a consistent trimmer, wait three weeks before getting your Brazilian wax. The hair should be at least a quarter of an inch long.

3. HARD WAX ONLY:  I only use hard wax because the strips are too strong and the bikini area is so sensitive. For some people, the strips can cause the skin to tear. With hard wax, you can apply it twice in the same area for a cleaner wax.  I won’t lie – they’re both painful, but the hard wax is a little less painful.

4. USE NUMBING CREAM: If you’re incredibly sensitive, you should apply a numbing cream about forty five minutes before your appointment. EBONY TIP: We dig BareEase Pain Relieving Cream.

5. WAX ROUTINE: My routine is to apply a pre-wax, along with some cleansing oil, followed by an application of powder to dry the skin and make the wax stick. Clients may also want to consider taking aspirin before waxing, which does help a little.

6 POST-WAX REMEDY: Immediately after waxing, have your specialist use a calming oil that contains chamomile. Also, avoid any product that contains alcohol, along with hot showers and sweaty workouts. Your pores will be open and you don’t want to irritate that area.

7. LONG-LASTING: Your Brazilian may last anywhere from four to six weeks. However, be mindful that your hair grows faster in the summertime. Exfoliation is best to maintain your wax. Try to do it three to four times a week.

8. BARE BENEFIT: The hair grows in much softer and thinner because you’re snagging it from the root. When you shave, you just take off the top coarse hairs. Waxing also allows the hair to grow in more sparse each time, which is a great benefit!

Atlanta locals can check out the Bella Wax Center at www.bellawaxcenter.com