Take it Off

Photograph courtesy of Lars Klove/Getty Images

PREP WORK 

Beaucage Salon’s Katherine Silva recommends making the pilgrimage to an aesthetician once a month, starting six months before the wedding. “You want your body to be used to the treatment,” she says. Resist the urge to tweeze or shave before your appointments—the longer your hair is going in, the better the results. And be sure to forgo the tanning booth—exposure to faux rays can exacerbate skin irritation.

FACE AND BROWS

The upper lip and chin are the most common requests, but Silva says brides are increasingly removing dark sideburns, which can create shadows in photos. Her rule of thumb: “If you can see it, don’t bleach it. You’re not fooling anyone.” For eyebrows, she recommends perusing magazines for a shape you like—then letting hair grow out for at least two weeks preappointment.

BIKINI, LEGS, AND UNDERARMS

Exfoliate! Sloughing off dry skin before your wax paves the way for a clean break. For a more- bearable bikini wax, do it two weeks before your period (when your pain threshold is highest), and take two Advil before waxing to minimize discomfort and reduce inflammation, advises Silva. And whatever you do, don’t put deodorant on newly waxed underarms. “It’ll turn into a burning, stinging mess.”

Beaucage Salon, 71 Newbury St., Boston, 617-437-7171, beaucage.com.