Bikini wax: Here are the 5 health risks you need to know about

While feeling smooth down there may be all aces in your book, getting a bikini wax can put your vaginal health in danger. If you're one of those people who go to the salon regularly for a bikini wax, you're definitely familiar with it. Emma Kaywin, a sexual health journalist and activist based in Brooklyn talks about the possible health risks of getting a bikini wax.

Infections

Vaginas are made of the mucus membrane, which is a more sensitive sort of skin than normal skin and pubic hair acts as a protective barrier. Waxing or using razors can cause tiny rips or cuts. Pulling the hair out of your bikini area raises the chance of bacteria getting into microscopic skin tears that were never meant to be there. The tears and bumps after waxing can become home to bacteria that can cause bacterial infection cellulitis, staph infection and folliculitis.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Skin-to-skin contact is how some sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) spread. However, skin damage also facilitates their entry into your body, and the damage does not have to be visible to be present. Microscopic tears, such as those left behind when you rip the hair out by the roots count. Skin trauma increases the chance of herpes, HPV, HIV, and other STIs.

Burns

Familiar much? Burns can occur even when a qualified professional knows how to maintain wax hot enough to perform without harming the skin. However, finding the appropriate temperature is a delicate balance, and if you're not careful, hot wax can completely burn you. Different waxes require different temperatures, but the general rule is that it should move like honey and not sting like hell when it comes into contact with your skin.

Ingrown Hair

Every time you pull off your hair from the roots, you risk getting ingrown hair. The logic is simple – you remove hair to give space for new baby hair to grow. Now, these new baby hairs are thin and weak and can have trouble finding the right way to the surface. If these hairs get trapped under the skin, it can cause an irritated bump and possibly an infection too.

Scarring

However unlikely, scarring can be a possible health risk of getting a bikini wax. If your skin gets irritated chronically after the wax, it can lead to scarring.

Read More

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