Hair removal at the beautician and intimate trimmer: length and timing for perfect hair removal

Got your intimate trimmer handy and a beautician appointment in a few days? The question that's nagging you: should you use it beforehand or not?

Spoiler: It depends entirely on the service you choose. Some techniques love short hairs, while others require a minimum length to be effective.

Services requiring short hairs (1-2 mm)

Laser hair removal and pulsed light (IPL)

This is the most obvious case where your intimate trimmer becomes essential. For permanent hair removal, hairs should be no more than 1 mm long—and that's non-negotiable.

Why this specific length? Because the light must target the melanin in the hair down to the root without scattering on the surface. With hairs that are too long, you risk burns and reduced effectiveness.

Perfect Timeline: Use your intimate trimmer without a guard to shave as close as possible (the skin protection and ingrown hair guard leave about 1mm). You can use it 1 to 2 days before the session. The hair will have time to grow slightly while remaining at the ideal length.

Important point: Above all, never use wax or an electric epilator before these sessions. It is essential that the hair bulb be present under the skin.

hair remover

Hair removal creams work very well on short hair. If your hair is too long, the cream may be less effective and require longer application time (with a greater risk of irritation).

Your trimmer can therefore shorten the area before application with the appropriate setting (3mm or 6mm depending on the initial length), especially if you have particularly thick or long hair.

Professional shaving

Even though the beautician will shave everything, arriving with already trimmed hair makes her job easier. She won't need to "trim" before shaving, which optimizes your session.

Services that require length (2-5 mm)

Waxing

Here's where it gets tricky. Wax needs bristles between 2 and 5 mm to grip well—ideally 2-3 mm. Too short, and it won't grip anything. Too long, and it's more painful and less effective.

If your hair is too long: You can use your clippers on the 3mm setting a week before your appointment to shorten it, then let it grow back to the right length.

If you've just shaved your hair short: You'll have to wait for it to grow back to at least 2 mm. Patience is worth it for effective hair removal.

Sugaring hair removal

Same principle as waxing: this natural and less irritating technique requires hairs of 2 to 5 mm to work well.

Sugaring pulls out the hair like waxing, so it's the same logic: cut it short if it's too long, wait for it to grow back if it's too short.

Electric epilator

The electric epilator works like a multitude of small tweezers that pull out the hairs. It therefore needs to be 2 to 5 mm long to properly grip them.

Please note: this technique is rarely offered for the intimate area by a beautician because it can be painful on sensitive areas.

Services without length constraints

Hair bleaching

Bleaching doesn't remove hair; it just makes it less visible by removing its natural color. Length, therefore, doesn't matter.

You can use your front clippers (at your preferred setting between 3mm and 12mm) if you want to cut shorter, but it's not mandatory.

Threading

This technique is mostly used for eyebrows and the face, and very rarely for the intimate area. It works regardless of the hair length, but requires great precision.

🪒 Summary table: intimate trimmer and beautician services

✋ Mistakes to absolutely avoid

❌ Before permanent hair removal (laser/IPL)

• Using wax or hair removal in the previous 4 weeks
• Arriving with hair that is too long (more than 2 mm)
• Forgetting to mow 1-2 days before

❌ Before waxing

• Mow the same day
• Leaving hairs too long (more than 5 mm)
• Arrive with uneven lengths

Our practical advice for 2025

Communicate with your esthetician. Don't hesitate to ask for their preferences and advice based on your hair type and the service you've chosen.

Test at home first. Before committing to an expensive service, try out different lengths with your clippers to see what you like.

Plan your sessions. If you alternate between different techniques (at-home trimmers, salon hair removal), organize yourself to maintain the right lengths at the right time.

FAQ: Intimate trimmer and beautician

Ultimately, using your intimate trimmer before the beautician is mostly a matter of timing and communication. Each technique has its own specificities, but with the right information, you can optimize your sessions and feel comfortable with your intimate care choices. So, don't hesitate to ask your beautician directly about the ideal conditions for your appointment.