Have you heard of vajacial?

If you thought that pampering the portion between your legs ended with bikini and Brazilian waxing and tattooing, you are wrong.

Here's the latest in the beauty book — vajacial. A revitalising treatment, it's popular in the West, with actress Isla Fisher making a mention of it in an interview recently. And now, it has come to India as well.

What's vajacial? It's basically a facial for the vagina and is mostly done after a bikini or Brazilian wax. Beautician Meitei, who offers this service in her chain of parlours, says, "Waxing or razor removal of hair can sometime leave the skin red and irritated. Vajacial exfoliates the skin around the vulva and leaves it supple and relaxed. The procedure usually goes on for 60 minutes and includes exfoliation through scrubs, packs, mild bleaching and steaming and removal of ingrown hair with the help of tweezers." While most parlours offer vajacial in their services, it's not included in the menu card. Says Ruby Matthews, who runs a spa salon, "In the West, especially in New York and Los Angeles, there are dedicated vajacial parlours and bars. The procedure is also found on their menu card and are also often referred to using various names. But back home, not all women are comfortable exposing their privates at the parlour. In fact, there are not many who even opt for Brazilian waxing. So, we offer vajacial to only those customers who are regular at our outlets and are comfortable with the whole procedure." Meitei adds, "We've done vajacial for at least 10 women since December. Our clientele includes women who are off on their honeymoon, pool parties or a vacation abroad."

Mixed reaction from women Vajacial has featured in the list of beauty services in the West since 2010. In fact, a 41-year-old woman from Kent performed this treatment on three women live on TV recently and their feedback was telecast on the show. Rakshinda K, a final year MBA student, says, "The razor marks on my vulva would irritate me continuously and after a point, I'd stopped shaving off hair from the nether region. But when I tried out vajacial, I found it soothing. It actually made my skin baby soft. I think it's important to not ignore your privates and a one-hour procedure at least once in three months will help exfoliate the skin." While there are takers for this beauty treatment, not all are smitten with it. In fact, reactions to vajacial from women across the spectrum range from 'gross' to 'what's wrong with a warm bath and some simple scrubbing after waxing'. Rohini K, a financial analyst, says, "I find it surprising that women wouldn't mind putting their nether region through torturous procedures — from colouring pubic hair and tattooing the vulva to decking it with crystals. Subjecting such sensitive skin to bleach, scrub and steam is not my cup of tea." Agreeing with her is Vinuja Saksena, an advertising professional, "This whole procedure sounds like anything, but fun. I'm not against caring for the lady pocket, but what's the point of bleaching and making the skin around look a shade whiter? I think it's just another way of making a woman feel insecure about her own body."

How safe is the procedure? It's reported that a vajacial can reduce vaginal dryness in women who have hit menopause and also tighten the skin around the vulva. Reportedly, it also increases the sex drive. But, how safe is it? Not much, says clinical cosmetologist Dr Anusha Manini. "The area around the vulva is extremely sensitive and using chemicals down under is absolutely not advisable. It's important to keep your privates hygienic and soft, and for that, you don't necessarily need to go to a spa. Cleansing it with mild soap water, medicated PH balance solution and applying coconut or olive oil will do the trick," she adds.

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