About Brazilian Waxing

Modestly covered man and woman after Brazilian Wax

by Andrew Thompson

What is Brazilian Waxing?

A Brazilian wax is any waxing of your genitalia. Both men and women can get Brazilians. For men, they are often called Manzilians, but it means the same thing.

Other terms you might hear are 'extreme bikini' or 'boyzilian' or a dozen more designed to confuse you.

So, the purpose of this post is to provide you with an overview of what bikini and Brazilian Waxing is all about, and to help you choose an experienced therapist.

If you'd like to explore male or female Brazilians in greater detail, I perform these treatments every day. Here are their respective treatment pages.

Different bikini waxing styles

If you've never been waxed before, you're probably confused by all the jargon. Let's fix that.

Bikini Wax

For men and women, this is pretty much the same thing.

A Basic Bikini wax removes pubic hair along the outside of your leg crease, and optionally, your belly line - basically where your undies elastic sits.

If your pubic hair is long, your therapist will suggest that the remaining hair be trimmed or clippered so that you have a nice neat thatch remaining.

A female bikini wax is usually called a Basic Bikini. The male version is often called a Speedo Bikini after the swimwear briefs style.

G-string Bikini Wax

The G-string Bikini Wax is designed for women who like to wear g-strings (a.k.a. thongs) without opting for a more complete Brazilian.

With a g-string bikini, your therapist will go in from the leg crease a few centimetres and also shape the top of the thatch on your pubic crest.

They will then remove any fluff from the bottom of the bum cheeks.

Typically, men don't get g-string bikini waxes, favouring a Manzilian and full crack wax instead.

Brazilian Wax

Women's Brazilian Wax styles Men's Manzilian Wax styles

Brazilian Waxing is any treatment that waxes hair from your genitalia, i.e. labia, clitoral hood, penis, or scrotum. The perineum and buttocks crease (or 'crack') are typically optional.

The only variable once your genitalia is waxed, is how much hair, if any, remains on your pubis and leg crease.

Why do people get a Brazilian Wax?

Hygiene and feeling clean are the most common reasons, but also, Brazilian Waxing enhances the erogenous sensitivity of your genitals.

In other words, sex is better after a Brazilian wax.

People also book treatments because they wear skimpy or athletic clothing, or because their partners prefer it.

Also, female clients often book a Brazilian wax before going into labour.

There are dozens of reasons, but whatever the case, clients agree that it looks better and feels cleaner.

Choosing a Brazilian Waxing therapist

Whether you come to Man Thing or go somewhere else, here are the four best pieces of advice you'll ever read on Brazilian Waxing.

1. Is your waxer comfortable and confident?

Does the person on the phone sound nervous? Are they uncomfortable discussing details of your Brazilian Wax treatment?

If so, chances are they'd rather be doing something else.

Brazilian Waxing is a specialised field. Your waxer must feel confident with what they're doing, and completely at ease with the naked human body.

If not, they're likely to use awkward movements, and the session will be painful.

2. Is your waxer qualified in Brazilian Waxing?

Body waxing and pubic hair waxing are too different things.

You're about to let someone loose on your genitalia, so make sure they're qualified to perform Brazilian waxing.

A professional therapist won't be offended by your request. In fact, their credentials will most likely be proudly displayed on the wall.

If not, I suggest you go elsewhere.

3. Does your waxer have cheap days?

It's fine to run specials and promotions to attract new clients, but businesses need to turn a profit or they go broke.

If a salon offers half-price deals, cheap days or happy hours, it's not an instant red flag but ask a few questions.

Make sure you know all this in advance. I've heard way too many horror stories from clients about discount salons and waxing studios.

4. What type of wax do they use?

There are three types of wax used in professional salons: strip wax, hard wax, and film wax.

All types are applied with a spatula and are quite warm, between 40 and 60 degrees, but that's where the similarities end.

Strip wax requires a paper strip to remove it. It's great for large areas of the body like legs or back waxing, but it's not designed for genitalia, butt cracks, or the face.

For Brazilians and Manzilians, I've used hard wax exclusively for the past 25 years. At time of writing in 2025, I've begun trialling film wax on genitalia.

Early impressions are that it does seem better than hard wax for pulling out very short hairs while not causing trauma to the skin.

If your waxing studio uses hard wax or film wax, I think you'll find that's a good sign.