Review: Back waxing for men at Strip

What I got done

A full back wax. I couldn’t face the legendary ‘back, sack and crack’, nor the straight ‘boyzilian’, the most common male waxing treatment at Strip. But I did want rid of the unsightly sprouts of fluffy hair on my shoulders and lower back.

Where I got it done

Strip at Dempsey. Strip started in Singapore in 2002 as part of Cynthia Chua’s Spa Esprit beauty empire, and soon went global, propelled partly by smart, funny branding – ‘2,533,340 beautifully pruned bushes and counting’ reads the website, which shows the brand’s signature hairy orangutan. The Dempsey branch in the Beauty Emporium is typically cool – all airy industrial chic, with none of that prissy faux-Thailand vibe you get at some beauty/spa places.

What it was like

I’d been warned repeatedly that a back wax would be painful, both by female friends and staff at Strip. It was, but it wasn’t that bad. The sensation was like being covered with a warm glue stick, and then having a large plaster placed on it and ripped off – only a few rips at the hairy top-centre of my back were truly painful. My waxer was very quick and efficient, and good-humoured about my mild wincing (I didn’t scream) – she admitted only afterwards that she’d never removed so much hair in one session.

Strip only use the best products and are obsessive about hygiene (every customer gets a personal wax pack), so there was an element of trust that helped during the painful bits. It only took 20 minutes or so to clear my whole back. Afterwards, my skin did feel tender and there were red marks, but these had cleared up by the following morning. The whole experience was quick, fuss-free and impressive. But I’m still not getting a boyzilian.

• See more: Chest hair waxing for men, anti-frizz treatment for women