Beauty must suffer. In the name of good grooming, our moms and grandmothers endured painful eyebrow plucking, inhaling toxic perm solution fumes and the restless nights and stiff necks that were the result of sleeping in two dozen hard pink rollers.
We at BeautyNews believe that while it’s ok to be a beauty fanatic, it’s NOT ok to have to endure excruciating pain in the name of beauty. The one procedure that strikes fear in the hearts of most women is obtaining the very sexy but often unbearable Brazilian bikini line. Trust us, in pursuit of bringing you the best, one of our editors walked out in the middle of the procedure — tears streaming.
We think that if all soldiers fighting wars were interrogated by having their hair routinely stripped and ripped at the roots using hot wax, we would have world peace. Or at the very least, better looking soldiers.
Luckily, we found Danna Homburger, who gets our vote as THE best laser hair removal specialist in NYC. And we found Isabel Sutherland’s Brazilian sugar wax at the Aqua Vitae Salon.
Danna Homburger
Expert Electrolysis Inc. & Laser Hair Removal
57 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019 Suite 810
(212) 755-0671
BY APPT ONLY: Call Danna at (212) 755-0671. If you mention BeautyNews, get 25% off your first laser bikini treatment. Consultations are complimentary. Danna offers 50% discount for BeautyNews readers on a first- time 15-minute electrolysis appointment.
BN: What exactly is a Brazilian bikini line?
DH: A Brazilian bikini line is when hair is removed from the front, back and everything in between. Most of the time a “landing strip” or small “triangle” is left in the front although some clients want everything removed.
BN: How many of your clients request this and what type of laser do you use?
DH: Most of my clients request this type of bikini line. I use the Coolglide Laser. This laser is for ALL skin types including tan skin. The Coolglide laser can safely treat ALL skin tones with dark hair.
BN: How many sessions does it take to go to Rio?
DH: The number of treatments required can vary for each client. The minimum to see noticeable results is 3 treatments. I find six to eight treatments is the average to achieve 85-98% hair removal. The reason for this is that it takes you further along through the hair cycles.
BN: Why do you think that laser is better than waxing?
DH: I always have a consultation and explain the differences with hair removal methods so the client can make an EDUCATED decision, to reach the desired goal.
If waxing works for someone and they are happy with their results, then I say, “stick with it”.
BN: Do most clients find it less painful than waxing?
DH: YES, I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME. Many of my clients tell me they would have a drink before waxing and do not find it necessary with the laser. There is no ripping or pulling. You do feel a heat sensation but the treatment is so quick, the average Brazilian can take a minimum of five minutes and is so tolerable. The benefit is enormous.
BN: Do you get ingrowns?
DH: No. When you get rid of the hair, you get rid of the ingrowns. Unlike with waxing, ingrowns becomes a non-issue.
BN: What should our readers know about possible dangers or problems?
DH: With any treatment, the laser is as good as the technician that works it. Make sure that the laser specialist is using the appropriate laser for your skin type. Not all lasers are for all skin types. Make sure you get a thorough explanation of how hair cycles work. This is ESSENTIAL to effective hair removal. Understanding this can make all the difference in achieving the maximum benefits.
BN: Who wouldn’t be good candidates for this procedure and why? Who are the best candidates and why?
DH: Not everybody is a candidate for this method of hair removal. Lasers work best on clients with dark hair. For those clients with grey, white, blonde or red hair, electrolysis is an option for permanent hair removal with fabulous results.
BN: Is it permanent?
DH: Laser hair removal is FDA cleared for permanent hair reduction. I would never tell any client that they are going to get every single hair. What I can say is that the results are totally “LIFE CHANGING.” There is always the option to finish off hairs with electrolysis but most clients are so happy with the end result they don’t even bother. So many of my clients say “I wish I did this sooner,” “why wouldn’t everyone do this?” “I’ve become so low maintenance.”
BN: Do you have a Brazilian?
DH: YES!!!
The Sugar Wax
Aqua Vitae Medical Salon
Isabel Sutherland
1045 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY
212-570-2511
By appt only: 212-570-2511.The Sugar Wax Brazilian Bikini wax is offered at Aqua Vitae Spa for $75. Beauty News readers will get the treatment for $50 if they mention this article.
BN: Why is the sugar wax less painful?
Because it’s all-natural. The wax has sugar and the resin from petroleum makes the procedure less painful. Using a ball of warm sugar wax, I pull the ball back to extract the hairs. It’s much less jarring, although there is a bit of a sting, as with any form of waxing. You are ripping hair follicles out of your skin from the root, so it’s never going to be pain-free. Most clients experience little to no redness the following day
BN: What the other benefits of using sugar wax, as opposed to other waxes, like pine wax, bees wax, or tea tree waxes?
IS: It minimizes hair growth, so that hair grows back thinner and thinner. You get more for your money. Its money well spent, because instead of coming for a wax every 4 weeks, you can come every 6-8 weeks. The sugar is also an exfoliant, and it removes ingrown hairs. If someone comes to me with ingrown hairs, I use this wax to remove ingrown hairs. Nor does it not cause ingrown hairs.
BN: How did you discover this waxing method?
IS: I was living in Switzerland and I went to Egypt and heard about it. When I moved to the US, I found out about the company in Toronto. You have to be licensed to use sugar wax. You can’t use it just because you want to. You have to go through the training, watch a video, take an exam, classes, and you have to fly to Toronto, and get licensed. You have to do a lot of work to get the certificate, so a lot salons don’t want to do all that work to get licensed, which is why the service is not as popular.
BN: How long does the procedure take?
IS: Approximately 40 minutes
