/ FYI
Wax On, Wax Off: Essential beach hygiene
by Tom Lee
on Friday, June 03, 2011 12:00 AM
When it gets hot enough to fry an egg on the bonnet of a car, it's time to take off all those clothes, slip into swimwear and head to the nearest beach. Before you do, however, it's best to make sure that all the essential areas are sufficiently pruned in order to avoid embarrassing moments of hairy exposure.
Sun means beaches and beaches mean waxes - and not just for the ladies. The modern-day, metrosexual society in which we live provides no excuse for the hirsute man to let the fur take over. It's not just a cosmetic fad: less hair means less heat is being trapped in the body, and therefore less perspiration.
Before hitting the sandy shore this year, take a look over the parts of the body you need to consider before diving into the summer.
GIRLS
1 UPPER LIP - Especially for those with darker hair, waxing the upper lip is de rigueur. Unlike other areas of the body which are commonly shaved - like under arms and legs - shaving the upper lip will expose you to stubble, which is obviously not ideal should beach frolics lead to passionate smooches.
2 Under Arms - Choosing waxing over shaving has numerous benefits: waxing normally means no bristle for three to six weeks - much longer than if you shave. Repeated trips to a waxing salon also ensure hair will grow back softer than the rough grizzle typical from a razor.
3 Bikini Line - The most sensitive and terrifying part of the body to get waxed for most people is the pubic region. Remember that getting a bikini wax doesn't necessarily have to involve stripping it all off so you look like a pre-pubescent teenager; there are varying degrees of lawn trimming, from just a quick clipping to a complete Brazilian. How much grass needs to be removed from the green will largely depend on how revealing your intended swimwear is.
4 Legs - Just as for the under arms, waxing legs instead of shaving them is a more enduring option. Not all of your leg may need to be seen to - and removing tiny, invisible hairs from the body will encourage them to grow back faster and thicker. Waxing parlors can offer full-leg treatments, or just attend to the upper or lower portions of the limb.
BOYS
5 Eyebrows -No matter how macho you want to seem, the monobrowed Neanderthal is not an attractive look. Do the sensible thing and annihilate any traces of the follicles, returning to the Twenty-first Century.
6 Chest and Stomach - The growth in popularity of waxing these areas is largely due to modern-day sex symbols who, for the most part, have smooth chests and stomachs to enhance the appearance of the pectoral and abdominal muscles.
7 Back - While there was a time when Sean Connery's James Bond made chest hair a must-have for the domineering stud, tufts on the back have yet to be considered attractive during any part of history, and strolling down the beach in the guise of Big Foot is more likely to inspire cries of terror than wolf whistles. If the hair hasn't extended too far down the torso, just opt for a wax of the shoulder region.
8 Buttocks - For the more adventurous male who plans to sport a Borat-style mankini this summer, it's essential to have a bit of work done on those cherubic cheeks (you may have noticed that Sacha Baron Cohen's bottom was as white and spotless as the surface of the moon when he was sporting his saucy male bikini). Even if it's just a simple Speedo, a little spruce up round the groin area will prevent the appearance that a bearded gnome is trying to escape from your garments.