I wouldn’t let my 30-year-old daughter get a bikini wax, but that’s just me. Personally, I don’t think the excruciating pain involved with waxing one’s nether regions is proportionate to the benefits of sporting a smooth bikini line. You may not agree with me, but I know at least two women in New Jersey who do, and they are fighting to protect others from the pain of a “Brazilian” bikini wax, including teenage girls.
The women gained the attention of New Jersey’s Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling after they filed a lawsuit following hospitalization for infections they contracted after getting a bikini wax. Now the state is moving to ban genital waxing—-again.
Yes, again.
According to New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the cosmetology board, technically, genital waxing has never been allowed in the state. New Jersey allows waxing of the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms—-that’s it. However, because “Brazilians” weren’t specifically mentioned by name in the initial mandate, state regulators haven’t enforced the law.
Officials with the National Cosmetology Association and National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology say they are unaware of another state that has banned genital waxing, which means your teen daughter could mosey up to any spa in the nation right now and have her hair down there ripped away, if she so desires.
The upside of genital waxing is that you don’t have to worry about stray hairs making an unwelcome appearance at the pool or beach. The downside is that a “Brazilian” can be dangerous in that the hot wax can irritate or tear delicate skin in the bikini area, resulting in infections, ingrown hairs and rashes.
Despite the risks, spa owners say hundreds of thousands of teenage girls, women (and some men) pay up to $75 to get their genital area waxed to accommodate skimpy bikinis. In New Jersey, salon owners are upset about the proposed ban, saying that discontinuing the popular service could serve as a major blow to their businesses, especially with swimsuit season right around the corner.
The New Jersey Board of Cosmetology meets next month to decide whether to move forward with the ban. If it passes spa owners say they fear their customers will travel across state lines to get a “Brazilian” or worse, some might even try to wax themselves.
Not my daughter.
How about yours?
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