Bare necessity

A hair removal procedure that’s painless and comfortable? That sounds too good to be true, even for a Brazilian hair removal virgin like me.
But since STRIP: Ministry of Waxing is bold enough to make this claim, I decided to take a leap of faith and experience for myself the Brazilian Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), a “semi-permanent hair reduction method that uses a broad spectrum of specially filtered light to weaken hair follicles from their very roots”.
Even if it may sting, how bad could it be? After all, my pain threshold has been trained under dozens of facial extractions and over a decade of dealing with menstrual cramps.
I was wrong, however, only because the little anxiety I harboured was uncalled for. Whatever nerves I had were laid to rest on the therapy bed together with my body. My Waxpert, Tracy’s nonchalant and communicative approach were pivotal in putting me at ease, so much so that I soon forgot that a stranger was having a full view of my privates! On the other hand, it helped that the bed was positioned in a way that I couldn’t see what was going on from the waist down.
The magic unfolded after a shave and slabs of cooling gel – “magic” being STRIP’s own IPL applicator, the Powerpac. Unlike the conventional 3cm IPL applicator used by many industry players – which emits a sharp burst of concentrated energy on any one area – STRIP Powerpac does the job without stinging and biting your skin.
Rather, the 5cm crystal applicator uses a gradual heating system, leaving your sacred area feeling pampered. True enough, it felt just like what the brand claimed: a warm and soothing hot stone massage!
Keeping the procedure frosty from start to finish, STRIP Powerpac is also equipped with a special cooling system that absorbs residual heat from the skin surface to further protect the skin from burns. And as the 40-minute pruning session comes to an end, Tracy made sure to cool down, sooth and hydrate the skin with some non-edible Ice Cream, STRIP’s award-winning moisturiser.
Before this, I never saw the need of visiting a professional to prune the nether region, especially with all the hearsay about the pains of waxing. But for a first-timer, STRIP’s Brazilian IPL set the bar high with the careful yet confident touches of its Waxpert, and its pain-free and (surprisingly) pleasant experience as a whole.
While STRIP has made hair removal a functional and delightful procedure for me, the steep rate of Brazilian IPLs can be a setback for even the middle class. Granted, IPL promises hair reduction of up to 80% over two years upon completion of six sessions (each carried out six weeks apart), saving you the time, commute and pain which you would otherwise pay for at waxing appointments.
Additionally, IPL saves on pre- and post-care treatment because the procedure itself helps reduce pigmentation and ingrown hair.
Now that STRIP is offering RM288 (normal price: RM900) to its first-time IPL customers, it’s an opportune time to test the waters for yourself.