Styles

Bikini waxing may be classified into several basic styles^{[2](p139)[6][7]} which may have differing names.^[8]

• American waxing is the removal of only the pubic hair that is exposed by a swimsuit, depending on the style of the swimsuit. For a bikini, it would be hair at the top of the thighs and under the navel. It is also known as a basic bikini wax,^{[2](p139)[6][7]} or a bikini line wax.

• French waxing leaves a vertical strip in front (sometimes called a landing strip), two to three finger-widths long just above the vulva, and 4 cm (1½ inches) wide. It is also known as a partial Brazilian wax.^{[2](p139)[6][8]} Hair of the peri-anal area and labia may be removed. Removal of hair from these areas is also known as the Playboy wax^[7] or G-waxing. The landing strip wax has become popular with models who must wear garments of an extreme narrowness in the crotch region.

• Brazilian waxing is the most known of bikini waxes, and involves the removal of all hair in the pelvic area, front and back, while sometimes leaving a thin strip of hair on the pubis.^{[2](p139)[6][7][8][9]} It can be used by those who wear thong bikinis.^[10] It is a form of bikini waxing, and involves the complete removal of hair from the buttocks and adjacent to the anus, perineum and vulva (labia majora and mons pubis).^[11][12] If a thin vertical strip of hair is left, it may be called a landing strip. Brazilian waxing is also known as a full Brazilian wax, full Bikini wax, Hollywood wax or the Sphinx.^{[2](p139)[7][8]} The Sphynx variety involves the complete removal of all hair in the pelvic region. The name is derived from that of a naked breed of cat from Canada. The smooth-skinned, hairless Sphynx cat was a genetic oddity discovered in Toronto in 1966. Some salons refer to "the Sphynx" as "the Hollywood".