When I first heard the word "vajacial," I was instantly intrigued. Let's face it, anything with the word "vag" in it is an attention grabber (admit it -- that's probably why you clicked on this story).
The service is exactly what the name sounds like -- a facial for your vaginal area (as in vulva, not your actual vagina), and it is currently being offered by Fuzz Wax Bar, a spa in Toronto dedicated entirely to waxing services for women and men. This "revitalizing" 20-minute treatment is meant to be done post-bikini wax (preferably about 10 to 20 days after) to aid in the removal and prevention of ingrown hairs and acne, while smoothing the skin and treating discolouration.
"It's amazing," one woman told me. "Your skin down there will be glowing and as smooth as a baby's bum once you're done!"
I've never really given much thought to the appearance of my nether regions, aside from hair removal. Did I really need my vaginal area to "glow" and be as smooth as a baby's bottom? Maybe, maybe not. But I was willing to try it out.
For a girl who doesn't even get regular facials, this type of service was quite the stretch. Sure, it seemed a bit naughty, and I worried about having this post on the interwebs for virtually everyone to see, but my curiosity got the best of me, and I quickly jumped at the chance to try it out (sorry, Mom).
According to the staff at Fuzz, a vajacial isn't just "fun" or for vanity's sake -- it's a clinical treatment meant to attend to the pubic region.
"Girls need help down there!" Fuzz co-founder Jessica Frampton told me. "Between working out, and tight clothes, things are rubbing and sweating, which can lead to problems."
These problems can include ingrown hairs, acne, lumps, and bumps, all of which can lead to bigger issues down the road.
And while getting a vajacial is an intimate process (you need to be undressed from the waist down -- and the lighting is anything but dim), Fuzz's "Fuzzologists" (a.k.a aestheticians) are committed to making the clients feel comfortable, and unembarrassed.
"If a client starts to feel awkward, it's my job to make her feel more comfortable with the whole process," Fuzz's head trainer, Jane, told me.
I was a little bit nervous when I first arrived at Fuzz's Bloor West location, but the friendly staff (along with Jane, who would be treating me that day) kept things really casual. A box of wipes greeted me on the treatment table, which Jane said I could use, should I feel the need to "freshen up."
She left the room as I quickly undressed, and readied myself to get vajacialed.
The first step? A wipe down, using an antibacterial "I love my muff" wipe (cute, right?). As Jane propped my legs open, she really wasn't afraid to get in there, and was totally calm and collected about it.
She used Fuzz's Skin Perfecting Body Scrub, a natural exfoliator made with sugar, glycerine and salt, to help get rid of any dead skin cells. As Jane scrubbed the area around the vulva and vagina, she continued to ask if I was uncomfortable (for the record, I really wasn't). She then put a hot towel over the area (legs and stomach included), which was probably one of the most pleasant parts of the experience.
Jane carefully inspected the skin to see if there were any problematic areas that needed to be tended to. She grabbed a lancet and a pair of tweezers and quickly got rid of a couple of ingrown hairs. While the poking hurt a little, it's minute pain compared to a Brazilian, or even worse, attempting to pick at ingrown hairs yourself.
She then applied a "V mask," a peppermint-infused cream mask that helps with ingrown hairs. (Fuzz's other co-founder, Florence Gaven Rossavik, later informed me this mask would be available for sale soon).
My friend's reaction when I told her about the 'V Mask'
The next part was the most interesting -- the high frequency wand. The wand is essentially a glass electrode filled with argon gas, that is then rubbed on the skin's surface. This enhances blood circulation, and allows the products to penetrate further into the skin.
The famous 'wand'
The wand was probably the most uncomfortable part of the vajacial for me, simply because it tickled like CRAZY. I could barely lie still as Jane used the wand on the sides and the top of my vaginal area (again, no labia treatment). When it was over, I felt very airy down there. She finished off with another hot towel to open up the pores, before applying a natural moisturizer.
Once the treatment was over, Jane gave me some tips on how to continue to care for my bikini line region. She advised me to exfoliate every other day, and to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize ("It gets constricted down there!").
She said in my case, I would probably only need a vajacial once or twice a year as a "treat," but that varies depending on the client. I was also ordered to avoid working out, using a tanning bed or sauna, or washing the area with harsh or scented products for the next 24 hours ... basically anything that would increase sweat from the pores. And as for any sexual encounters?
"Well, you know yourself best," Jane said with a laugh.
I walked out of the wax bar (in sweats -- I planned ahead to avoid any constricting clothing) feeling refreshed, kind of like how you would after a really good shower. I'm not exactly sure I saw a "glow," (Jane warned me I wouldn't see effects right away) but my skin was definitely smoother than it was pre-vajacial. And plus, I have a whole new word to add to my beauty vocabulary.
The Vajacial is available at Fuzz Wax Bars across Toronto for $50 ($40 for members).
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