A wax would be a must for this bikini.

Few things can turn a woman into a baby like a bikini wax.

It hurts like hell. But the pain is over in seconds, leaving the skin soft and hairless.

"You can't eliminate the pain," says Ursula Kummer, a 20-year veteran waxer at River Oaks Derma Culture Spa. "Anytime you pull hair from under the skin, it's going to hurt."

Even with other hair-removal options such as lasers and threading available, waxing is one of the most popular methods of getting rid of unwanted hair, especially during the summer.

A waxing professional applies hot wax to the skin, then gently presses and rubs a dry cloth on top of the wax. The cloth is quickly ripped from the area to remove the hair from the root. The process may sound archaic, but it produces results that can last four to eight weeks, depending on how fast the hair grows.

Cold waxing involves a strip with preheated wax that is rubbed into skin and removed in one quick pull. Hot waxing is more common because it tends to be more effective.

Before you have a wax job, Kummer recommends avoiding lotion and other moisturizers; they can prevent the wax from adhering to the skin. Taking ibuprofen about an hour before the session can help stave off the pain.

Waxing also is known to produce ingrown hairs, but Kummer says using a loofa sponge to exfoliate the skin while bathing several days after the wax can help prevent them.

"The new hair that comes through after a wax will be a fine tip, not blunt like you get from shaving, and it is more likely to grow inward," she says.

Waxing also leaves pores open, and they can become clogged with dead skin and bacteria, which also can lead to ingrown hairs or bumps.

Products like Pre-Kini can temporarily numb the skin before waxing. Products with aloe vera or cucumber can heal and cool the skin after a wax. And products such Bikini Bump Blaster and Jurlique's Honey Cream help keep the skin smooth and free of ingrown hairs.

Many women prefer waxing over shaving, Kummer says, because over time the hair becomes finer and there's less of it.

"When you shave, the hair gets stronger and darker over time; all you're doing is cutting it back. With waxing, the hair (weakens) because you're actually pulling (it) from the root."

Waxing is done more frequently in the summer because hair grows faster during hotter months.

Bikini waxes cost $30-$60, depending on the type. There are many varieties, though one of the most common is the "Brazilian," in which a small strip of hair is left in the bikini area. The "full Monty," or what Krummer calls the "sphinx," is a wax in which all the bikini hair is removed.

But Kummer warns, "The more you take off, the more it's going to hurt."