Bikini line problems

[Breadcakes]

I'm going on a 2 week family holiday with DP, his parents, 2 BILs and their partners. We're staying in a villa with a pool that's right by the beach, so will be spending a lot of time in swimwear.

However. My bikini line hair grows so fast and I get thick dark stubble. I'll need to get waxed the day before I go and hairs will start noticably growing back within 3 days. If I shave, I get horrendous ingrown hairs so I'll just have to leave it. I can't afford laser treatment and a bit worried about getting it anyway because of stories about poorly trained technicians etc.

I love swimming and so sick of this and really anxious and self-conscious about it - I wish I could just carelessly whack on a swimming costume and enjoy myself, but I need to carry out meticulous maintenence checks every time I get into swimwear! I usually wear a swim shortsuit to my local pool to cover up the issue, but I don't want to spend most of the time wearing unattractive, practical swimshorts when everyone else will be in lovely bikinis! Any advice welcome!

Sorry to detail thread but do you use the ipl 3 times a week? Or you shaved 3 times a week? I’ve bought an ipl and need to get going with it

OP- does wax definitely grow back after 3 days if you’ve let it all grow out for a few weeks before hand? I would get some shorts but not long ones like cycling shorts. I have little surfer ones, they barely cover my arse but they do cover my bikini line. They’re quite loose fitting so I wear them over bikini bottoms because otherwise they’d be a bit gappy. But they look cool with a bikini or crop top

I bought a Philips Lumea a few years ago and even with sporadic use it has been fab. If you are going in the summer then you have plenty of time to get sorted. They are always bringing new models out so you may be able to get an older model for around £300. I know it seems expensive but it is definitely worth it in my opinion. I use a hair removing cream first and the the Lumea (they have to me used on hairless skin).

@Smithlets80 is absolutely right. They work quite quickly. You'd see a big difference by summer.

The darker the hair, the more effective.

Even the hair that remains is finer and therefore easier to shave or wax (without ingrowns or bumps).

I also agree with an at-home IPL device. Game changer.

OP, I feel your pain though. I also had dark coarse hair until I used the IPL. As your holiday is coming up shortly, you won't have chance to IPL effectively so you'll just have to go with a nice bikini/takini and either wax every couple of days or shave and deal with ingrown hairs. TBH, I don't think your family are going to be staring at your groin area so closely as to see the odd ingrown hair though! If they are, they're weird!

@Boxerdor mine is a Ulike branded one bought directly from their website and my instructions said use 3 times a week and has a table you can tick off with days. So Tues, Thur, Sat for weeks 1&2 then week 3 you move onto Tues and Fri. I started on the lowest setting for my bikini line with no issues so then increased up to the highest setting it has.

I therefore shaved my bikini line Tues, Thur, Sat despite all the red bumps and persisted. I cannot believe how many hairs are just gone. I am in maintenance phase so every 2 or 4 weeks depending on hair growth rate.

I've never had any ingrowing hairs from shaving. I use a men's razor, moisturise afterwards and lots of talc. You can buy talc free body powder if you want.

Shave daily or shave and then each day use a flawless trimmer.

I have had a Philipps epilator for ages and it's great, I take it on hols. Yes it is agonising but you only have to do it about every 3-4 weeks. I recently went on hols in Middle East and bought a couple of burkinis (leggings, little skirt and long sleeved shirt), and honestly the relief of not having my middle aged belly on show. I am going to wear them this summer just through choice!

When is the holiday?

If it's a few months I would buy a home ipl device - Philips lumea or similar and give it a really good go - use once a week after shaving - it will take a good few rounds to start seeing a difference as the hairs grow in different phases but eventually if you're using it regularly you'll be zapping the hair at the crucial time

If it's a few weeks to a month I would book in for salon laser - more expensive but you'll get results quicker

There's some great posts here. I always wear little light shorts over my bikini or swimsuit, or just use brief cycling shorts as bottoms. I hate worrying about my bikini line when on holiday!
Not like anyone will be looking or caring but you don't want to be fussing over grooming and hair removal when you could be enjoying yourself.

I use an epilator, I don’t find it agony on terminal hairs but it hurts with the finer hairs on my legs!

Sorry to Hi-jack this post. But those of you using IPL at home devices - what device would you recommend. I tried a cheap no-branded one from Amazon that didn't really achieve much so I've been put off spending big money - but am prepared to try if there is one brand/model that really comes highly recommended.

Honestly an epilator is your best bet for this trip, just buy it asap, and get used to using it. It pinches a wee bit, but is very bearable. For the future, the home IPL will eventually get rid of all the hair. I did mine (and armpits) more than 10 years ago, and there is nothing left.

@OlderandwiserMaybe I would definitely go for the Philips Lumea. Mine has lasted for ages. I go through phases of using it religiously and then sporadically but hair growth is still minimal.

I use an IPL too. A Braun one that I got in a sale.

It absolutely changed my life. I've had it a few years now and I just do the occasional shave and zap to maintain being hair free and to get any odd hairs that do manage to grow.

I so wish they had been available in my teens and 20s. Holidays were always spent fighting stubble and stubble rash even after waxing before going away.

In the summer my underarms were often sore and the skin looked so dark, it still looked like I had stubble even when I didn't.

The IPL means I can, and do, wack on a swimsuit without a second thought now as I know I'm 99% hair free all the time.

If you can't stand the epilator try an electric bikini trimmer and do a close trim rather than a wet shave, less problems with shaving bumps

Have you tried the Nair tough hair removal cream ? I gave it a go last Summer having had no luck with Veet/ Nair in years gone by. Absolutely brilliant !

@Nori10
@GinnlyMontpeler

What devices did you both buy?

I’ve looked into it before and there’s so many different ones that I don’t know where to start.

I got the Phillips Lumea Prestige (in the Amazon sale). It works best on dark and thick hair. Luckily for me, my Mediterranean heritage provided me with lots of that! 🤣

I have dark hair and since I hit 40 it seems to basically descend to my knees.
I wear bikino bottoms that are a bit shorts like but are more of a 50's style
Its mainly to cover my tum a bit (not saying you need that) but they do cover my pubes a bit so I only need a bit of a tidy

@Choochoo21 mine is this one

https://uk.ulike.com/products/sapphire-air-3-ipl-hair-removal?variant=44770181382431

Cheaper from them directly than from Amazon. I watched some videos on it from qualified skin people ie Cassandra Bankson and went with it. Am very happy. Pay close attention to the skin colour/hair colour to see how well it would work for you.

Thank you!!

Thank you!!

Agree with trying IPL, it’s a game-changer. Not sure when you’re going but it takes a few sessions to kick in so I’d start ASAP. You can then wax any remaining hairs before you go. I’d also suggest taking some cold wax strips with you (Veet does some and they’re easy to pack in your luggage) to do a top-up wax once or twice while you’re away if necessary. This should keep you hair-free most of the trip and you could use swim shorts or similar on the awkward in-between days.

I have very thick coarse hair too, which comes down my legs a bit. Reading posters who say "just leave it" doesn't feel feasible.

Maybe get a couple of waxes, so not just one right before the holiday, get them in the months running up to have your hair growing back in the same cycle.

Plus one to taking an epilator with you. If it's too painful use an electric razor (my epilator came with an electric razor) and some razor bump cream - I don't get as many ingrowns with an electric razor.

Epilate every night or two, so the pain is minimised by not pulling out loads of hair at once. Then go over with the electric razor. Finish with razor bump cream.

That swim suit from next looks amazing until it says... Loose an inch??

Why?? That would make me feel breathless and awful.

I'm so late to this epilator party, what do they do and are they painful