Hollywood or Brazilian? Waxing terms for beginners

Swot up on your waxing lingo so you can ask for exactly what you want when booking a waxing appointment for the first time:

Full leg, 3/4 leg and half leg

Full leg covers the calves, knees and thighs finishing at the knicker line. Therapists will often remove hair on the toes too if requested. A 3/4 leg wax will stop mid-thigh and a half leg will end just above the knee.

Basic/regular bikini

Hair outside of the knicker line is removed to tidy up the edges.

Full bikini

Like a basic bikini but a little extra — hair is removed from the top and a bit more from the sides to create a neater and better defined ‘triangle’ shape. Perfect for a first-time bikini wax.

French bikini

All hair is removed from the pubic area apart from a small strip at the front.

Brazilian bikini

Hair is partially removed from the front (leaving behind a strip or triangle shape) and completely waxed away from behind too.

Hollywood bikini

Everything off! No hair is left at the front or behind. This treatment is definitely not for those who are completely new to waxing. It might be an idea to work your way up to this full treatment until you feel completely comfortable.

Eyebrow shape

Hair is removed from centre of the eyebrows and below the eyebrow line to create a tidy finish. Hair can also be removed from the tops of the eyebrows for a sleeker look. A full-on re-shape will transform your eyebrows but a simple tidy up is usually sufficient if you keep up with regular appointments.

Upper lip

A quick wax to remove hair above the lip. Usually completed with just a couple of strips applied along each side of the top of the lip area.