GOING for a bikini wax has to rank as one of the more uncomfortable things we go through, but it turns out there really is no reason to get worked up about it.
Beautician Sam Marshall specialises in intimate waxing and promises she's seen it all.
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"No nothing phases me. I do male intimate as well," she told The Sun Online.
"That’s still… if someone gets a you-know-what it’s always a bit awkward.
"It doesn’t happen than much, it’s just how you deal with it. If it doesn’t bother you then they won’t see that it does and it won’t become an issue. If you’re all, 'Oh my God!’ it’ll be a bit different."
Sam trains people in intimate waxing, and she's had male models get excited in that situation.
Far from being embarrassing, she sees it as beneficial to her students.
"I always say to my students I’d rather it happens to them first time with me than on their own," she explained.
"I’d warn them before [one model] came in because he used to always get one.
"I just said to the students, ‘So and so will get one,’ and then it was good because their first one happened with me. It is quite daunting.
"One of my models emailed me and apologised. He’s so adorable and he works lates, so you know when you get a morning one when you’re a man? If he works nights he doesn’t like to come to me too early in case it happens.
"He emailed me and apologised, he was mortified. I really felt for him as he’s a really lovely guy and he’s been coming to me for two years now. It’s not happened since!"
Dealing with erections is far from the only tricky situation beauticians find themselves in.
Sam has found odd things in the pubic area too, but still doesn't see it as a big deal.
"Nothing fazes me. I’ve picked poo out of people’s vaginas before," she said.
"Even that doesn’t faze me.
"I thought, ‘Is that a bit of hair there?’ I couldn’t work out what it was.
"Then I realised, after I’d removed it with cotton wool, what it was and just shoved it in the bin.
"Over the years there’s been the odd skid mark. I just wipe it away before they can see, which isn’t my favourite thing to do but I don’t lose sleep over it."
According to Sam, who's known as The Beauty Guru, beauticians are pretty much unshockable. No matter how embarrassing you think a situation is, the chances are they've seen it all - and more - before.
"Women coming on their period is something that comes up quite a lot," she explained.
"There’s no issue there at all.
"If someone’s going on holiday and they suddenly have an unexpected period and they need waxing there’s no problem with that.
"I did one girl who couldn’t use tampons yet and she needed it doing, she got on the bed, we did it and she got off. It was all fine, there was nothing to clear up.
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There are a few titbits she'd like to share though.
Don't bother trimming you hair before your appointment - you'll probably make it too short and the wax won't work properly.
Plus there's a tip to stop it hurting too much.
"Some clients find if they take a couple of painkillers beforehand it helps, but we can’t advise them to do that because it’s medication," she said, before joking: "Also, if you do have a large glass of wine it does really help, but we can’t advise that either!"
To maintain it at home, make sure you moisturise and exfoliate to cut the risk of ingrown hairs.
Bored of your standard bikini wax? Sam can help with that too.
Obviously there's your vajazzle option, as popularised by TOWIE, but Sam's been doing something like that for years.
It's called bikini gems, and she was applying them in the early Noughties.
"The hearts were quite popular but we used to get cherubs, a butterfly," she said.
"I used to do them on the poshest women that you wouldn’t even imagine!
"I know that’s being really judgemental, but quite well-to-do women that you wouldn’t even imagine had them used to get them."
You can also dye your hair if you want, which is something of a trend among older clients - who are also getting more and more into bikini waxing.
"They’re not doing what they did 20 years ago when they stayed with their husband until the bitter end when they hated each other," Sam said.
"People are getting divorced and going out dating again. This is why bikini waxing is becoming really popular in the over 50s."
Finally, if you ever worry you've over-shared when you go for a wax you probably haven't.
"I do get a couple of people who are like, ‘Oh yes, he loved it!’ I get that comment quite a lot," Sam laughed.
"I’ve had clients tell me about their sex life just thinking because I’m waxing down there it gives them the green light to say what they want. Which I don’t mind! They can talk about whatever they want."
