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It’s normal for people to pamper themselves with beauty treatments, and spa days can be especially luxurious.
For people with vaginas, the emerging beauty treatment of vajacials can be an attractive option for a self-care day—but what exactly is a vajacial, anyway? Are they safe? And what do they do to your body?
We’ll answer all these questions and more in this guide to vajacials.
What is a Vajacial?
Vagina facials aren’t exactly what they sound like. Although many people might assume that a vajacial is a facial for your vagina, it’s technically a facial for your vulva—the external portions of your genitals.
Also known as a bikini facial, vajacials are similar to facials in many ways (except for the fact that what goes on is nowhere near your face). These beauty treatments are topical and external like a regular facial, which means no products or objects should ever enter your body other than through your pores.
Vajacials are increasing in popularity, especially as a post-wax practice to help soothe sensitive skin and reduce discoloration. Vajacials shouldn’t hurt when done right—but that’s not always the case.
What to Expect During a Vajacial
If you’ve ever visited a professional spa to receive a facial, then the vajacial process might feel familiar to you. Since your esthetician should always be experienced, trained, and qualified to administer this non-invasive treatment, you’re likely going to begin the process in a clean, soothing, and private setting.
Vagina facial treatments generally last between 30 to 60 minutes, and you might see more than women waiting in line to get one. Like massages and facials, most locations that offer vajacials give you options.
vajacial treatments consist of:
- steaming
- exfoliation
- extracting clogged pores or hair follicles
- masking and moisturizing
- red light therapy
- skin-brightening
During a vajacial, you’ll lay comfortably while a specialist applies products to your vulva. You can expect them to exfoliate and rub creams from your pubic mound (where your hair grows) to your labia (your non-face lips).
It’s also standard for vajacials to include ingrown hair removal or pore extraction. Ingrown hairs are one of the main reasons people get vajacials. Vagina facials work best 7-10 days after you’ve waxed or shaved your pubic area.
Benefits of Vajacial Treatment
Many happy clients report that vajacials leave them feeling soothed and rejuvenated. These treatments claim to reduce ingrown hairs, unclog pores, tackle acne, moisturize skin, and calm irritation.
But it’s important to recognize that vajacials don’t always go as planned—and here’s why.
Risks of Vajacial Treatment
As with any trend, people are going to dive in without the proper knowledge or experience. The bottom line is that treating the face to a spa day is a lot less complicated than treating the vulva—and being a facialist isn’t enough to qualify someone to administer a vajacial.
Most estheticians out there giving vagina facials severely lack essential information about how the skin on your vulva can impact your hormones. With thinner and more sensitive skin, the vulva needs much gentler care than the skin on your face. And if you’re a person with menopause, vulva exfoliation could potentially cause cuts and scrapes down there.
On top of that, some salons may not be as clean as they should be. If the spa or salon offers blackhead or whitehead extraction, the office should be as clean as a doctor’s office—and they should never, ever reuse tools on clients.
Vajacials also leave you prone to irritation, inflammation, and infection—especially if you’re left with an open wound from an extraction (which is a typical part of the process). Many people also want lightening and whitening creams applied to their vulvas, but these products are known to irritate the sensitive skin on your vulva (not to mention, many of these products are untested).
Expert Opinions on Vajacials
With this information, it’s clear to see why many doctors believe that vajacials are doing more harm than good.
Experts agree that vajacials can be risky—but if you’ve already decided to get a vajacial, or you routinely get them, here are some expert safety tips:
- Ask your specialist about their knowledge of vulvar skin tissue and hormones.
- Ask where the sharps’ disposal is (where they throw away used needles).
- Observe whether the location appears sanitary and professional.
- Know which products are being used on you.
- Monitor how your vulva feels before, during, and after the treatment. Discomfort and pain (including burning or itching) are bad signs at any point of the process (even if your specialist says it’s normal).
Medical professionals understand why the treatment is popular, but they do not recommend it. Instead, they encourage people who want to smooth their vulvas to use a gentle exfoliator at home several times a week.
By rubbing an exfoliating product on the vulva (and never inside the vagina!), you can reduce or prevent ingrown hairs, lumps, bumps, and discoloration.
Alternative Methods to Achieve At-Home Vajacial Results
Taking a chance on an expensive vajacial treatment isn’t worth it. What is meant to soothe your special area can instead cause irritation, inflammation, more ingrown hairs, and even a nasty infection.
Plus, vajacials are nowhere close to a necessity. You can achieve the same results in your own bathroom without the luxury fanfare and the price that comes with it!
So, instead of going to the salon or spa, stay at home. Exfoliate with these highly recommended products.
- Tend Skin Solution for Ingrown Hairs and Razor Bumps – Tend Skin Solution is the best product for people who like all-in-one skincare. This ingrown hair cure should be applied after shaving or waxing. In addition to helping smooth your downstairs, it works well on the neck, face, chin, legs, and underarms. Tend Skin can also be used as a regular face wash for smooth, glowing skin.
- Shaveworks Cool Fix Aftershave – Shaveworks gel lotion is another amazing product that soothes skin wherever you need it. Apply after any hair removal, and you can expect any marks, spots, or irritation to calm down.
- Evagloss Roll-On Razor Bumps Solution – If you want something a bit easier to use, check out Evagloss’s roll-on aftershave. The roller design makes it fast and easy to apply the right amount anywhere you need it. Ensure you always apply on clean, dry skin.
- Bikini Zone Medicated Aftershave Cream – Bikini Zone is a great brand that offers many products for your, well, bikini zone. This medicated cream contains lidocaine, aloe, and menthol to help soothe irritated, itchy or inflamed skin. You should use just a little bit immediately after waxing or shaving, but you can apply more to make yourself more comfortable later in the day, too.