There are mani-pedi bars, blow-dry bars and, well, martini bars, so it was only a matter of time before a waxing bar opened up.
At the new Waxon Waxbar, located in Summerhill at 1246 Yonge St., approximately $70 will get guys and gals a little Brazilian action down below in just 15 minutes thanks to a new concept in waxing.
Twenty-six-year-old Lexi Miles is opening the bar this month as a place solely dedicated to the removal of all that body hair — quite the trend these days, as much for men as it has been for women.
Much like nail bars, customers can walk in (or make an appointment) seven days a week.
What’s most interesting about this concept is that Miles has designed the “bar” with both men and women equally in mind, offering the Manzilian along with the Brazilian bikini wax for women. (Yes, everything is removed below the belt.)
“I purposely set up the place to look like a bar or lounge,” says the Summerhill resident and former management consultant. “It’s not feminine at all. The colours are grey and white. We have five wax rooms, and no one will be sitting in the waiting area. Waxon will also be the first place in Canada to offer the cream to anesthetize THAT area for men before they wax.
(The cream was devised by Dr. Edna Ma, who just happened to be a contestant on Survivor: South Pacific, for those that are interested.)
“Our waxologists are very specialized in knowing men and their needs. Men are prone to reactions and ingrown hairs more than women. When doing a Manzilian, the male has to help. There’s way, way more stuff going on down there.”
They also offer the “Speedo” for men who don’t want to be completely bald where the sun don’t shine. The idea for a wax bar came to Miles almost two years ago.
“I was a consultant and in and out of Toronto every week. I could never book in advance to get a waxing, or I was about to go on vacation or a hot date and couldn’t wait for a wax,” she explains. “I thought, ‘We have express nail bars. Why not a wax bar?’ I remember specifically talking to a friend at a football game in Detroit about it and asking why we can’t have a fast, convenient place you could stop by after work or call the day before that just focuses on waxing while making the environment fun.”
People, she says, are so busy these days that they need services like these that are available on a whim. For example, she recently had a girlfriend who realized just days before her wedding that she hadn’t booked any of her waxing appointments.
Also these days, she says, if you don’t wax, it’s considered “dirty.”
“And more and more waxing is being talked about and written about, especially for men.”
When I ask if her boyfriend waxes down there, she says, “He has to!” On the other end, when I mention to a male married friend that every guy these days “manscapes” down there, he sighed and said, “I’m so glad I’m married.”
Waxon also offers “the Divider,” which will get rid of male problem areas such as uni-brows, the dreaded back run and even nose and ear waxing, so men will no longer have to shove tweezers up their nose or into their ear. (Is there anything LESS attractive than seeing that? Likewise, is there anything more disgusting than seeing hair in your bathtub after your man decides to shave his chest? GET A WAX!) “We have covered every area of the body. My dad got his ears and nose done, and surprisingly it doesn’t hurt. My dad and my boyfriend are the biggest wusses ever, and now they get waxed all the time,” says Miles.
For men, especially those who exercise or do sports, waxing is great because sweating irritates the area, Miles explains. “For women, waxing is cleaner and sexier. For men, you know, it could even attract women.” (Quite possibly the number one reason men would want to get this done.)
She understands that men may be a little afraid at first.
“Half my guy friends are like, ‘I can’t wait until you open. I’ll be your number one customer.’ The other half,” she says, and laughs, “are like, ‘What are you doing?’ and want to know what the waxologists look like.” (For the record, they’re all attractive.)
Miles is already looking to expand into at least two more Toronto locations before opening other locations in other cities.
“At Waxon, we focus on one thing and do it really, really well. For us, that’s waxing.”
So women, get those sexy bikinis out.
And men? Well, get out those Speedos! (And maybe head to a real bar after for a shot!)
Post City Magazines’ columnist Rebecca Eckler is the author of Knocked Up, Wiped!, and her latest books, How to Raise a Boyfriend and The Lucky Sperm Club.
