As anyone who has ever been for a wax can confirm, it’s unlikely to be the highlight of your week.
There you are, lying back half-starkers in front of a strange woman while she gets to work ripping out your hair – often from, ahem, sensitive regions.
So no, it’s hardly all that alluring.
However, most woman also admit that it’s a necessary evil – and one which at least leaves you smooth and hair-free for longer than two days (thanks, shaving).
There’s a lot to be said to a great waxist too – one that really knows that they’re doing and uses a decent product (we particularly love salons that stock the oh-so amazing Irish brand Waxperts).
Still – most of us have a least one waxing horror story: one that makes you shudder upon recollection.
And you’re probably not alone: indeed, Buzzfeed recently rounded up a selection of truly nasty tales… and here, SHEmazing! has selected the best for your, er, enjoyment.
1) “I work in a spa and heard an awkward shriek come from the waxing room. I asked my co-worker what happened.
“She told me she accidentally pulled the client’s tampon string, then tried to push it back in. Needless to say, that client never came back.”
2) “My legs had fallen asleep during the waxing. When I tried to get off the table, my legs gave out and I faceplanted half naked onto the floor while my waxer watched in horror.”
3) “At my salon I do all of the body waxing services. While in the middle of waxing a client’s backside, the woman farted and way more than just smelly air came out. It was a mess.”
4) “My first bikini wax was in high school. Two of my best friends waxed me while I laid on a coffee table in my basement.
“I guess you could say I was “surprised” by the pain, and I peed everywhere. I’m still embarrassed almost six years later.”
5) “Halfway through my bikini wax, the fire alarm went off and everyone had to evacuate the building. Let’s just say fire drills are not fun when there’s wax all over your downstairs…”
6) “I recently got my very first Brazilian wax. The lady had put two wax strips on the lip. When she pulled one, I shut my legs in pain, causing the wax to basically glue my vagina shut.”
7) “When I went into the waxing room, I started making casual conversation with the aesthetician and I jokingly asked her, ‘Do I have a normal vagina?’ She looked at me and just laughed, ‘Haha no.’ We didn’t talk the rest of the time.”
8) “One time I got into the position where you pull your knees up to your chest and I farted loudly right into the waxer’s face. I immediately yelled ‘SORRY!’ and didn’t look her in the eyes for the rest of the session.”
9) I thought it would be genius to wax myself. I somehow managed to drop A LOT of hot wax all over the main hoo-ha area, as in NOT the bikini area.
“After a few seconds the wax had hardened and I realised I had basically sealed everything together. I attempted several pulls with zero success.
“So I did the only thing I could think of: I downed a bottle of wine, took a deep breath, and counted to three.”
10) “It hurt so bad, I started crying and having an anxiety attack. The aesthetician said, ‘Oh I’m so sorry! I’ve never had anyone cry on me before.’
“Literally the exact opposite of what I wanted to hear in that moment. Terrible first experience.”
11) “The woman doing my wax would first put the wax on me and then awkwardly blow on me to cool the wax down. She would look up and smile every time she did it. It was traumatising.”
12) “It was my first time. The waxer looked at me and said, ‘Oh my god. You didn’t trim beforehand?!’ She sighed and got an electric shaver. I was mortified.
“I was even more mortified when she said, ‘You’re so dry.’ I didn’t say another word until checkout… 45 minutes later.”