In what may be a delicate step, the New Jersey state Board of Cosmetology and hairstyling is moving toward banning, well, pube waxing. “The state has no business in the nation’s bedrooms,” said Canada’s Prime Minister in 1967, Pierre Trudeau. But what business does the state have in the nation’s bikini bottoms? In what may be a delicate step, the New Jersey state Board of Cosmetology and hairstyling is moving toward banning, well, pube waxing. Recently, two women on a mission to combat their bikini line were hospitalized for infections following Brazilian bikini waxes, and one, of course, is suing. Technically, the state has never allowed genital waxing-only the face, neck, abdomen, legs, and arms are permitted. Apparently the genital area is not part of any of those areas.

And if the state knows what area it is a part of, it’s not telling. But because bare-it-all Brazilians weren’t specifically banned, wide-eyed regulators have been winking at the law. The hot wax used in genital waxing can irritate or damage delicate skin in the bikini area, say skin care experts. This results in infections, ingrown hairs, rashes, and way more than we need to know right now. However, millions of women-and some washer believe soon is beautiful, and many New Jersey salons offer rip-and-tear there for about 50 bucks US. The state Board of Cosmetology meets in April to decide on banning the procedure, which skyrocketed to popularity-first in Brazil, to accommodate skimpy thong bikinis-and then spread like a tsunami over beaches around the world. Ah, Brazil… where waxing is about as big a deal as a manicure or a pedicure…

But the New Jersey ban could take effect in may, just in time for summer swimsuit season, and salons that continue to perform it could be fined. Will how New Jersey beaches ever survive this one? One spa owner says that waxes produced most of 1,800 bikini business performed last year were Brazilian-style. Her customers, she adds, think their bikini lines are nobody’s business but their own. She says many customers would likely travel across state lines to get waxed, and some might even try to do it themselves. Check back with Spacelocker for before-and-after photos, as soon as they become unavailable.