7 Dermatologist-Approved Ways To Prevent Bikini Rash This Summer

We’ve made a national pastime out of complaining about bikini shopping. But if you ask us, far more excruciating (and less discussed) is what it takes to prepare your body for bikini shopping — and for wearing a bikini every single time thereafter.

No, we're definitely not talking about rigorous fitness routines; after all, the first and only step to getting a beach body is to have a body. This is about the measures we take to clear the hairs that insist on cropping up just outside the bikini line. Whether you shave, wax, or sugar, none of it is pleasant — and nearly all methodologies can spur redness, bumps, and irritation (which, frankly, we’re not convinced looks any better than exposed pubes).

As New York-based dermatologist and dermatopathologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, explains, "Bikini rash, also known as folliculitis, ​happens because of inflammation around the hair follicle that occurs after shaving or waxing. ​Because the hair is generally coarser in the bikini area relative to other parts of the body, irritation from shaving or waxing is more common.​"

It’s a raw deal, but our quest for smooth skin prevails. So this swim season, why not circumvent the whole masochistic cycle by preventing bikini rash before it sets in? Two dermatologists help us formulate a game plan, ahead.