There are few things more awkward than having a strange woman apply hot wax to your happy place as you sit spread eagle before her holding your undies out of the way. Except, maybe, hoisting your leg up on your bathroom counter and doin’ it yourself.

Maintaining a nice coif (or lack thereof) downtown takes a lot: of patience, of work, or pain, and of self esteem. I mean, you don’t lay on a table with your legs wide open for just anyone (sober, at least). And being that it’s such a sensitive situation, there are bound to be some awkward experiences along the way.

After opting for a cheap wax in the back of a Korean nail shop in Midtown Manhattan, where the room was so small I had to rest my legs against the wall and use my pants as a pillow while the teeny lady did her work, I wanted to see if anyone else had similar experiences. Here is what the rest of the CollegeCandy team had to share – well, the ones who didn’t block the experiences from their memories. Share your own stories in the comments!

Beata – Notre Dame: I tried to do it myself once, with some warm-up aloe vera “waxing” gel.  Ended up with sticky green goo all in my lady parts. It took a very long time to get out.

Caitlin – University of Alabama: All of my bikini wax experiences have been normal, but one time I was getting my eyebrows done and my usual lady was out of town so I got stuck with the new girl.  She wanted to try the trimmer instead of wax, and she “trimmed” off half of my eyebrow.  “Oops” is never something you want to hear from your eyebrow lady.

Sara C-Fordham: When I was about nine, I went over to a friend’s house for a pool party and we were at that age where we still weren’t bashful about our bodies and changed in front of one another. Well, one of my girlfriends was maturing much faster than the rest of us, and when I caught glimpse of her bush I shrieked. “What?” she said. “Yours is coming. Just you wait.” The way she said it, it sounded like a threat, and I feared I would one day wake up entangled in a jungle. Fortunately, I eventually realized change comes slowly.

Liza M – Minnesota: I was in the bathroom with three other girls at a frat party when one of them decided she was going to hook up with one of the brothers there, but discovered that she wasn’t as…freshly groomed as she would like for this event. To deal with it, she grabbed one of the guy’s nasty old razors and shaved. Dry. Right there. In front of us. It was horrific.

Lauren – University of Michigan: I once tried to Nair the entire thing off in the shower, then spent the next 20 minutes splashing cold water on myself to stop the burning. I was red and swollen for a week. NEVER AGAIN.

Sara – NYU: I don’t do any of that. If shaving isn’t enough, he can, frankly, suck it.

Kayla – California State University, Sacramento: While shaving my cookie in the shower one day, I felt a sneeze coming on. I stopped shaving when the sneeze came, but kept the razor against my skin. Thus, a jerk of my hand in response to the sneeze caused a vicious slicing of my tender parts. Lesson learned.

Sarabeth – University of Texas: One time after a wax, I’m not entirely sure what happened, but when the hair started growing back I had a bald patch for almost 3 months. It looked sooooo awkward.

Lauren H – New School: I haven’t always been known for reading instructions well, so the first (and last) time I attempted to wax my own bikini zone… well, I figure that since the cloth strips were long, you were supposed to put a long on line of wax to take up the whole thing. So I covered about 5 inches of my groin in molten wax, patted my little cloth strip on and then ripped it off. And I then cried. A lot. I was bruised for a week.

Charlsie – Hollins: Recently, I was at a water park and to my surprise, I left a few stray hairs. Mortified, I was obsessed with fixing my bathing suit non-stop the rest of the day, even though I’m sure no one would have noticed but me.

Mechelle – Florida State: I have only waxed once. The guy I was dating told me I looked like “a naked mole rat” and I vowed never again. In his defense, I was trying to distract him from his zoology final.

Kari- Florida State: My very first Brazlian, the woman told me I was “beautiful” while looking pointedly at my hoo-ha. Not sure if she was referencing my or my vadge, but it made the rest of the appointment WAY awk.

Mandy – Hofstra: I’ve never gotten my netherareas waxed and here’s why: In highschool, one of my good friends wanted to do it and asked me to go with her….as in IN the room and everything. So I did, to be supportive. I held her hand as they dripped the wax on her sensitive bikini line and, despite the fact that she had taking a couple Advils before, she screamed bloody murder when they ripped the first strip off. I turned my head and saw blood coming from the area her hair used to be and decided this might not be a good option for me.  No thanks, I’ll stick to shaving…

Let me just tell you: I hate hair. I hate finding it in clumps in the shower, I hate it in boys’ armpits (and really hate it in girls’) and I hate it anywhere on my body except for my head. Even still, I’ve yet to go to a professional to yank off my unwanted foliage. Shaving is a major pain in my arse, but I’m just really scared of getting waxed.

Help, I’m torn!

Love it: It’s the summer, so clearly we’re all showing a lot more skin than usual. Whether you’re keeping smooth for a specific hottie or you just want to look perfect in a bikini, hair removal is a must. Waxing lasts a lot longer than shaving, which sounds like heaven to this compulsive hair remover. My shower is tiny, so it’s extremely difficult to get my shave on. Plus, I love the idea of getting worked on by a professional. Whether you’re getting a manicure, changing your ‘do, or, in this case, getting your legs waxed, going to a salon always makes you feel classy.

Loathe it: Um, duh, waxing hurts! Like most people (besides those crazy S&M peeps), I’m not a fan of pain. I’m the kind of girl who used to run around the examining room to escape getting a booster shot at the pediatrician and nearly passed out when I got my ears pierced. Though I’ve clearly matured since then, I still try to avoid pain at all costs and I’m not going to pay someone to torture me with hot wax. I’m also not really into the idea of letting my hair grow past the stubble phase in order to be waxed – that’s just disgusting. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the numerous yoga-like positions required for an in-depth Brazilian. Do I need some stranger getting her hands near me in a downward dog? I think not.

So seriously, guys – it’s summer and I want to look good. Should I walk my little legs over to a salon to get waxed, or stick to my traditional shaving routine?

I know what you’re thinking: Waxing my own bikini line? ARE YOU INSANE!?Well the answer is no, I’m not insane. Just very frugal and, to be honest, curious. I’ve been shaving my bikini line for years and recently tired of that. The hair would grow back so quickly, coarser than before and I was ready for a change. So I decided on waxing. And instead of paying at least $30 at a salon (the cheapest I was able to find in my town), I decided that I had enough knowledge and a high enough pain tolerance that I was willing to give the DIY bikini wax a shot.

From my experiences, it is not that bad. Sure, I would prefer many things to waxing my bikini line (like medieval torture), but it wasn’t the horrific experience some report it to be, even doing it myself. In some ways it’s even better – no strange woman lookin’ at your hooha.

So, I’ve compiled a little guide of tips and tricks for you adventurous girls who want to try an at home bikini wax! Take a deep breath and read on.

1. Choose your weapon wisely.

Not all wax kits are created equal, girls! Make sure you find one that is specifically for the bikini line or for several areas including bikini line. Some waxes are very harsh and inappropriate for your sensitive areas. Also, make sure that you use hard wax! In my experience and those of the many others I know who also torture wax themselves, the soft wax is not a good idea for your bikini line (the skin is too sensitive and not taught enough).

My favorite kit is the Alexandria No-Heat Hair Removal Kit. It’s reasonably priced (only about $10!) and contains a large container of wax, which will last you for at least 6 or 7 waxes, I’ve found. And the fact that it’s no-heat is great because it involves no prep work and there is no risk of burning your sensitive skin. One last thing: try to find a water-soluble wax. This means that if you realize it hurts too much you can just clean the wax off with warm water. It makes for a super easy clean up and no scary commitment issues.

2. Pain Control

I don’t have any issues with pain when I wax, but many people do. Popping a pain killer (Tylenol or Advil…not Vicodin) an hour before you wax will be sure to make it more pleasant. Also, don’t wax while you’re on your period. You’re more sensitive to pain, so you’re basically setting yourself up for failure!

3. Perfect Your Technique

Just like anything else, waxing takes skill, so I suggest waxing something much easier first, like your legs. You’ll develop the technique and learn what works and what doesn’t. For instance, you have to apply the wax in the direction of your hair growth, which can pretty tricky with the bikini area (those hairs grow in every damn direction!). You also have to make sure you apply the wax strip in the correct direction and, although most kits don’t explicitly say this, rub the strip REALLY well on your skin to grasp the hairs well.

You also want to pull the skin around the area taught to decrease the number of times you have to go over the area (by pulling the maximum number of hairs), but also, to reduce your pain. Lastly, you MUST pull down, not up. This requires a bit of an explanation: when you pull the strip off (in the direction opposite to hair growth!), leave the strip as close as you can to the skin, instead of pulling the strip up and away. This is proper waxing technique and pulling up and away doesn’t work. Plus it hurts like a biatch.

There you have it! Your own little care package for those about to venture into the world of DIY Bikini Waxes. I wish you luck!

My roomie once said, in a conversation that I very much regret missing, “You know, I could see why you would trim your bush if it got a little out of hand…but I don’t know why the hell you would cut the whole thing down. It just makes your lawn look funny!” And, no, we were not talking about horticulture.

Au naturale doesn’t really seem to be the method of style in female nether regions. It supposedly looks neater when it’s taken care of. I know a lot of girls who keep themselves trimmed, and quite a few who wax. It’s easier than shaving, I’ve heard said. You don’t get the obnoxious bumps that you normally get when you shave that inevitably leads to impromptu itchy dances. Not to mention it’s a lot neater and it takes longer to grow back. I never really supported it; it didn’t even seem like it was worth the effort to me, not to mention I’m not sure how I feel about men who want their women’s parts to look prepubescent. Still, I’d heard so much…

And so, in another one of my infamously stupid ideas, I decided to get a full Brazilian wax last summer. For those who don’t know, there’s a difference between Brazilian waxes and bikini waxes. Bikini waxes are really more like a neat little trimming so that, as the name suggests, you can wear a bikini confidently. Brazilian waxes are when you get everything – EVERYTHING – waxed off. Mind you, no one was going to be seeing the result of this wax except for me. It was nothing but curiosity.

And yes, curiosity really does kill the cat. Warning: this gets a little graphic from here on.

It took me a little while to just work up the nerve to go to an actual clinic. The middle aged Chinese woman looked like she really could’ve care less that a very hesitant young female had just stumbled into her salon and stammered out a request for a Brazilian wax. She smiled and wordlessly led me to a back room, far removed from everyone else getting pain-free beauty procedures. She told me to remove everything from the waist down, then said she would be right back and left my to my privacy.

For a second, I stood in front of the mirror and stared. My bush was, well, bushy. Like it’s supposed to be. Why was I doing this? What was wrong with me? I had a moment where I realized that this was a very very bad idea, but the woman had already come back in.

I never really thought a woman rubbing talcum powder over my privates was something that’d ever happen to me in my lifetime, but there I was, lying on my back and hearing the woman patiently explain, “This is so the wax doesn’t stick to your skin.”

The actual applying of wax was definitely the calm before the storm. It was VERY warm, bordering on but not quite hot. I must’ve been wincing in anticipation, because the woman comfortingly offered, “It doesn’t hurt as much as everyone says it does.” And at first, she was actually right! It hurt, there’s no lie in that, but only a little more than leg waxing. I was actually rather surprised – especially because I have such a low pain tolerance. Before I knew it, my mons – the little mound of flesh right above your goodies – suddenly felt pretty naked. “I can actually do this,” I thought to myself, rather pleased. I was getting a wax and it wasn’t bad at al-

“This might hurt a bit.”

That was the only warning I got before she yanked back on the strip on the left side of my labia. I’m pretty sure everyone in the salon heard my animalistic yelp of pain. I almost kicked the poor woman, I think. I distinctly remember crying. I had barely recovered when she ripped off the other side.

It was around that time that I decided Brazilian waxing must’ve been some form of torture invented by the Brazilians to punish women who had done something horrible. I must’ve looked ridiculous on that table, shaking and twitching, clutching and ripping at the paper sheet beneath me and trying very, very hard to retain my dignity by not crying. There was one final yank, but it didn’t hurt anywhere near as badly as the two before it had.

“There. All done,” she said in a practiced voice as she wiped off the remnants of talcum powder and wax with a warm cloth. “You can stay in here until you’re ready to leave, if you’d like.”

I remained on the couch/table device that seemed like something I would’ve found in the doctor’s office for a good few minutes. Then, slowly and awkwardly, I eased myself off of the table. I started to put my undies on, but it hurt far too much to actually let them stay on, so I just slid on my skirt and awkwardly waddled out.

Once I got home after a bus ride that tested my ability to stand on constantly lurching public transportation with my legs slightly apart, I stretched out on my bed with a mirror to check myself. I was still a little red and tender to the touch, but the soreness had gone down significantly – and by the end of the day, when I was getting ready for bed, it was mostly gone.

Now, I won’t lie. I did feel pretty clean for a good month and a half or so, until the hair finally started growing back. But that, really, is the only plus. Some people say that sex is better after a Brazilian wax, and while I didn’t have the opportunity to test that out, old Ramses and I didn’t notice much of a difference. Now that my bush has grown back most of it’s foliage (a surprisingly itchless process), admittedly, I do sort of miss that clean feeling. But I will not, not, NOT go through that again ever in my life.

Okay, maybe for my wedding night, but that’s it.