From Nervous to Smooth:My First Waxing Appointment

One of the things I dislike most about myself is my body hair. Over the years, I’ve tried several methods to remove it, including shaving, epilating, and using hair removal creams. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, but they all achieved the same goal: removing unwanted hair, albeit only temporarily.

I’d often thought about waxing, but never actually taken the plunge. A few factors held me back: the cost, for one, and finding somewhere I’d feel comfortable enough to have the treatment done.

Serenity Hair & Beauty salon in Church Walks

It was sometime last year that I first enquired about waxing at Serenity Hair & Beauty Salon, which is located near my workplace. My sister had mentioned the salon during a conversation and described it as a lovely little place tucked away in a passage off the main shopping streets called Church Walks. Given that it’s somewhat hidden from view, it seemed like the ideal choice for me. So, one day during my lunch break, I popped in and asked whether they offered men’s waxing services and if I could have a price list.

I returned to the salon in December last year, not for a waxing appointment but to have my nails done, as I had decided to start wearing black gloss nail polish full time. This was the first time I met Geri, the salon owner. She did my nails that day, and thanks to her friendly, down-to-earth manner, I immediately felt at ease. From that point on, I continued going to the salon whenever my nails needed redoing. She didn’t always do them herself on my visits, but she was always around, and I could see that she often carried out waxing treatments.

Geri

After a chat with my wife just after Christmas, I mentioned the idea of getting waxed and she seemed quite supportive. With the green light from her, all I needed to do was book an appointment at the salon. Things kept getting in the way, but at the end of May I contacted Geri about having my chest, back, and legs waxed. She messaged back to say it wouldn’t be a problem, but advised me to trim the hair first as it would hurt a lot more otherwise. I asked if it could all be done in one session, and she said she could do it if I wanted.

A couple of days later, I rang the salon, booked an appointment for the 18th of June, and paid my deposit.

Fast forward to Thursday morning just gone.

I won’t lie, I was a bit nervous about the appointment, but mainly because I knew it was likely to be a painful session. I was up early, dropped my daughter off at work, and then headed home to shower, shave, and trim some of the hair as Geri had advised. I trimmed my chest hair with scissors, but to be honest it was probably still way too long.

My original appointment was supposed to be at 10am, but Geri couldn’t make that time so it was rearranged for 11am. That left me with time to meet my sister and her young granddaughter beforehand and have a coffee. We met at around 10:25am, but the coffee plan went out the window and we ended up sitting in the park instead watching her granddaughter play on the swings. It was a warm morning, and I was already starting to feel sweaty, God knows what I’d be like by the time of my appointment.

It’s only a short walk from the park to the beauty salon, so just before 11am I made my way over. I arrived with about five minutes to spare and found Geri sat with one of her hair stylists. The salon was quiet for a change, no hair appointments going on, and I was the only customer there at that moment.

We made our way upstairs and into a small side room. Normally, when I visit the salon to have my nails done, I sit just outside that room and see other customers go in and out. Today, it was my turn.

the waxing room

 

The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was how lovely it was. It felt clean, bright, and welcoming. A subtle lemongrass fragrance filled the air, coming from what I believe was a scent diffuser, which added to the calming atmosphere. The air conditioning was running too, which was a welcome relief after the warmth outside and gave me a chance to cool down.

 

Geri told me she would start with my legs and asked me to take off my tracksuit bottoms and socks. Given that I had already enquired about having my toenails painted at the salon, it probably didn’t come as a surprise for her to see my shiny black gloss toenails on display, but I pointed them out all the same.

 

Once the tracksuit bottoms and socks were off, I got up onto the treatment bed, which was covered with a thick clear vinyl sheet, and lay down with my head slightly raised as Geri got to work.

LEGS

 

She started on my right leg, applying the wax. It was a pleasant sensation, warm, but not uncomfortably hot. It was actually quite relaxing. However, as Geri pointed out, I was being lulled into a false sense of security. Once she applied the paper strip and smoothed it down, that pleasant feeling was immediately replaced by a brief, intense sting as she pulled the strip away, removing the hair from my leg. This was the pattern for the entire leg waxing process, warm wax and a brief sense of comfort, followed immediately by a sharp sting as each strip was removed, repeated over and over until both legs were done.

 

a photo of my hairless pins

 

Geri told me I could put my tracksuit bottoms back on now and whilst I did so she popped out the room for a couple of minutes.

 

CHEST AND STOMACH 

When she returned, it was time to move on to my chest and stomach. Taking my top off in front of other people is always an uncomfortable moment, as I'm very self-conscious about my chest. I have what are often referred to as "moobs" rather than pecs, and I've written before about the complicated relationship I have with them.

They represent an ongoing conflict between my masculine and feminine sides, a feature I both appreciate and resent, depending on how I'm feeling. As a result, being bare-chested around anyone other than close family can leave me feeling exposed and embarrassed.

Although I felt relaxed and comfortable in Geri's company, there was still a slight sense of unease as I removed my top. Nevertheless, needs must, as they say, so I lay back on the treatment bed and let Geri get to work once again.

The process was much the same as it had been for my legs, but this time the sting was noticeably more intense in certain areas of my chest. Fortunately, chatting with Geri helped distract me from the discomfort, and before long my chest was gradually becoming hair-free.

I could also tell that she was being especially careful around my nipples, taking great care not to get any wax on my piercings. It was reassuring to see how mindful and professional she was, particularly when working around such a sensitive area.

Every now and then, Geri would ask me to help by pulling the skin taut, making it easier for her to apply and remove the wax effectively. Little by little, she worked her way across the area, and before long my chest and stomach waxing was complete.

With the treatment finished, Geri invited me to take a look in the mirror and admire my newly smooth, hair-free chest. However, I wasn't particularly keen to see myself in what I often think of as "male mode," especially with my rather ample assets on full display. While the waxing results were impressive, looking at my reflection still stirred up some of the complicated feelings I have about my appearance.

BACK

Finally, it was time for my back. Geri adjusted the treatment bed so that I could lie comfortably on my front, and once I was settled she began the waxing process. By this point, she had noticed that I had started to shiver slightly, so she thoughtfully switched off the air conditioning to help me warm up and stay comfortable.

Almost immediately, I realised that I had saved the most painful part until last. In terms of discomfort, having my back waxed was even more intense than having my chest done. Unlike my chest, I hadn't trimmed the hair on my back beforehand. I wasn't exactly a woolly mammoth, but there was certainly plenty of growth that needed removing.

As we chatted, Geri explained that back waxing is often more uncomfortable than other areas because the hair tends to grow in multiple directions, particularly around the shoulders, shoulder blades, and lower back. Ideally, wax is removed in relation to the direction of hair growth, but when the hair grows in different directions it can require different pulling angles and techniques, which can increase the discomfort.

Whether it was the amount of hair, the varying growth patterns, or simply the fact that my skin had already endured two rounds of waxing beforehand, my back certainly gave me plenty to think about every time another strip came away!

Eventually, my back was finished, and there was just enough time left to tackle the upper parts of my arms. Geri had noticed that they were still quite hairy, while my lower arms remained relatively smooth from when I had recently shaved them before getting my wrist tattoo.

It hadn't even occurred to me to include my arms in the session, but since there was time available, it seemed a good opportunity to achieve a more consistent look. After everything else I'd been through that afternoon, a little more waxing hardly seemed worth worrying about!

It took Geri just under an hour and thirty minutes in total and overall it had been worth the discomfort to have finally braved my first waxing session and all that was left to do was settle the bill.

Despite now feeling a little tender in the chest and back I left feeling happy, I was silky smooth and I'd been in great hands.  Geri had been so understanding and made me feel totally at ease during my treatment.  We'd had great conversation and hopefully I'd made her work a little more enjoyable.

Despite feeling a little tender around my chest and back, I left the salon feeling genuinely happy. Not only was I silky smooth, but I had also been in excellent hands throughout the appointment.

Geri had been incredibly understanding and had made me feel completely at ease from start to finish. We'd enjoyed some great conversations along the way, which helped distract me from the more uncomfortable moments and made the whole experience feel relaxed and enjoyable.

As I headed home, I couldn't help but hope that our chats had made her afternoon a little more enjoyable too.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Looking back, I'm glad I finally took the plunge and booked the appointment. Waxing was something I'd considered for years but always seemed to find reasons to put off. Whether it was concerns about the cost, worries about the pain, or simply feeling self-conscious about my body, there was always an excuse to leave it for another day.

Yes, parts of the treatment were painful, particularly my back, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. However, the discomfort was temporary, and the results made it worthwhile. More importantly, the experience reminded me that many of the things we build up in our minds are rarely as intimidating as we imagine them to be.

What made the biggest difference was feeling comfortable and accepted. From the moment I walked into the salon, Geri treated me with kindness, professionalism, and absolutely no judgement. For someone who can sometimes feel self-conscious about expressing the more feminine side of themselves, that meant a great deal.

Will I do it again? Absolutely. The pain fades surprisingly quickly, but the feeling of smooth skin lasts much longer.

Most of all, I'm pleased that I finally stopped thinking about it and just did it. Sometimes that's the hardest part of all.

Thanks for reading, 

Lotte x