What Is a Bikini Wax? Brazilian vs French vs Hollywood Styles Explained

A bikini wax pulls pubic hair out from the follicle with warm wax, so results outlast shaving by weeks — but the four style names below aren’t standardized, and neither is the price.

The gap isn’t in the technique; it’s in the vocabulary. Ask for a French bikini wax at two salons on the same street and you may be quoted different prices and different treated areas. The American Academy of Dermatology describes the process the same way everywhere — clean, dry skin, warm wax in small sections, let it grab, remove quickly to pull hair out at the root — but no official body regulates what “Brazilian” or “Hollywood” includes. So treat the style name as a starting point, not a booking. Describe the areas you want treated, and you’ll get the result you pictured.

The Four Styles, Ranked By How Much Hair Comes Off

The classic removes the least, the Hollywood everything, and the French and Brazilian sit in between — with boundaries set by the salon, not by industry standard.

• Classic bikini: Clears hair along the sides and top of the pubic area so nothing extends past a swimsuit or underwear line. US listings often run $20–$35 and take about 15–20 minutes.
• French bikini: Usually takes off more at the front than a classic and often clears the labia, leaving a narrow strip or triangle. Conventionally it excludes the perianal area, but plenty of salons define it otherwise.
• Brazilian: Removes most or all hair from the front, labia, and perianal area. You can ask for bare skin or leave a strip at the front. US listings often run $45–$75 and take 30–60 minutes.
• Hollywood: Everything front to back, no strip, no patch. Some salons treat “Hollywood” and “full Brazilian” as interchangeable, so state the result you want.

One catch before you call: upper-inner thigh, lower-stomach strip, and buttocks may each be separate line items. Ask about inclusions when you book to avoid a surprise on the bill.

Bikini Wax Style Comparison

Those are market listings, not regulated rates. One set of published figures puts a standard bikini wax at $35–$60 and a full Brazilian at $55–$90 at independent studios; another lists a classic at $30, French at $40, Brazilian from $35, and Hollywood at $120. Same names, wildly different numbers — region and salon explain most of it.

Prefer to wax at home? Our tested bikini wax kit roundup covers what actually works on delicate skin.

Safety Rules That Matter More Than The Style Name

Skip waxing on sunburned or very sensitive skin, and skip it entirely while on isotretinoin — the AAD advises waiting six months after your last dose — because medication-thinned skin can lift or tear when wax is pulled. Tretinoin and antibiotics get the same caution.

For a Brazilian, book a trained professional: genital and perianal skin is too delicate for trial and error, and wax that’s too hot can burn it. Watch the applicator — the AAD recommends a fresh wooden stick for every application, since double-dipping can spread bacteria and hot wax isn’t hot enough to sterilize it.

For at-home waxing, follow the product directions, warm the wax as instructed, and test a dab on your inner wrist first; it should feel warm, never painful or burning. Temporary redness is normal, but if redness or swelling lasts past two days, the AAD says see a board-certified dermatologist. The American Academy of Dermatology’s waxing guide walks through the full precautions.

Which Style Should You Book?

Book by description, not by name: tell the esthetician which areas you want hair removed from and which you want left alone — that one sentence prevents almost every mismatch.

1. Decide your desired finish: full bare, strip at front, or just past the swimsuit line.
2. Confirm inclusions when you book: labia, perianal area, buttocks, lower stomach, inner thigh.
3. Ask what the quoted price covers, and whether a patch test is available.
4. Check your medications against the contraindications above before your appointment.