Beauty : The bikini body
By Shereen Low
“Laser surgery is good, but you can’t sunbathe for at least six weeks after the treatment. And depilatory creams aren’t as effective with quick regrowth. “If you wax a few days before your holiday, your skin would have enough time to calm down and you can rest assured that you’ll be hair-free for about a month - enough time to get a smooth and even tan.”
 “Laser surgery is good, but you can’t sunbathe for at least six weeks after the treatment. And depilatory creams aren’t as effective with quick regrowth.
“If you wax a few days before your holiday, your skin would have enough time to calm down and you can rest assured that you’ll be hair-free for about a month - enough time to get a smooth and even tan.”
Thinking of a late break or planning some winter sun?
Danielle recommends waxing your legs, underarms and bikini line. “The Hollywood wax (where you’re left hairless) and Brazilian (with a  strip of hair) are our most popular treatments,” she says.
It’s easier if you head to a professional but if you’re brave enough to DIY, try Nads Hair Removing Gel, ?14.99 at Boots, Veet Warm Wax with green tea extracts, ?8.99, or Nair Easy Wax, ?7.99.
With the beach beckoning, it’s time to get that bikini body you’ve always dreamed of.
And it’s the little details that will really make a difference. Smooth legs and a spot-free back can be dealt with easily and will give you that little bit more confidence before you bare all.
:: SPOTS
Backs and shoulders which have been hidden throughout the winter now emerge from their hiding place, exposed in plunging necklines and backless tops and dresses.
 Unfortunately, this may sometimes result in a spate of spots, as your skin tries to adjust.
Using a gentle body scrub like Barefoot Doctor’s Undress/Destress body scrub, ?2 at Boots, or BeneFit Zaparella’s Bionic Blast body scrub, ?16, to exfoliate the dead skin cells will bring out brighter skin.
For spot-less complexions, try Origins’ Spot Remover, ?10, or Clearasil Rapid Action Treatment Cream, ?4.99.
:: CELLULITE
 Known as orange peel or cottage cheese, cellulite is the bane of women’s lives. It can affect anyone, regardless of age, weight and fitness levels. There’s an astounding array of pills and potions that claim to get rid of it - from tights and dietary supplements to gels, creams, sprays and patches.
Sadly, there’s no easy way to get rid of cellulite. Exercise and a low-fat diet will help, along with daily body brushing and drinking lots of water to help the detox process.
“There are various reasons that over 90% of women develop cellulite, but lifestyle causes such as bad nutrition and lack of exercise contribute to it,” explains RoC’s Nathalie Issachar.“Results achieved by creams can be enhanced by eating a sensible diet with lots of fruit, exercising regularly
and avoiding stress.”
Try L’Oreal Paris’ innovative PerfectSlim Patch, ?10.99 for six, or Garnier Bodytonic Rollerball Anti-Cellulite serum, ?6.99, Lirene Active Anti-Cellulite serum which works while you sleep, ?8.95, and BeneFit Jiggle Gel, ?17.50.
:: QUICK FIXES
Forget fad diets and binge exercising - you should gradually try to lose weight and tone up. This is healthier, and your new shape will last longer than just the summer months.
“Losing weight quickly makes the body go into starvation mode, and dieting will leave you irritable, lacking in energy, with food cravings, depressed and hungry,” says Kathryn Freeland, from Absolute Fitness, a London-based mobile personal training company (020 7834 0000 or www.absolutefitness.co.uk).
If you don’t have time for a long fix, try wraps or a salon treatment.  Shape Changers’ Quick Shape Wrap with aloe vera, dandelion, rosemary and witch hazel, from ?40 (0700 340 0217/www.shapechangers.co.uk),
can help you lose excess inches, tighten and sculpt your body in just 30 minutes, and Lancome Body Sculptesse Anti-Cellulite Wraps, ?29.50, is a DIY wrap you can easily use at home.
Arays Inch Loss treatment boasts that a session is equivalent to 300 sit-ups and 400 buttock raises, and with prices starting at ?25 (01202 299 228), you don’t have to work out at the gym.
Or splash out on Vacunaut (ideal for apple shapes) or Hypoxitherapy  (for pear and hour-glass figures). Vacunaut helps you gain a toned tummy immediately while you stroll along a treadmill, although prices are steep with a course of 12 treatments costing ?550.
For traditional cellulite creams, try the best-selling RoC Retinol Body Modelling, £14.95, or Dove Intensive Firming Gel Cream, £5.99, No7 Super Slim Anti-Cellulite Contouring Balm, £14.50 at Boots, and Shiseido Body Creator Aromatic Anti-Cellulite Sculpting Gel, £29.95 (www.shiseido.co.uk).
And Elancyl Svelt Sense Slimming Massage kit, £19.99 from Boots, consists of a glove and gel to combine massage and solution.
:: HAIR REMOVAL
The most effective method of removing hair before a holiday is waxing, according to Danielle Featherstone, co-owner of celebrity- frequented Strip wax bar in London’s Notting Hill (020 7727 2754 or www.2strip.co.uk).
“Shaving removes the skin, meaning your tan would turn patchy in places - it also leaves skin sensitive and sometimes prickly,” she says.
“Laser surgery is good, but you can’t sunbathe for at least six weeks after the treatment. And depilatory creams aren’t as effective with quick regrowth.
“If you wax a few days before
your holiday, your skin would have enough time to calm down and you can rest assured that you’ll be hair-free for about a month - enough time to get a smooth and even tan.”
Hypoxitherapy reshapes thighs, hips and bums while you cycle on a special bike, and 12 treatments will set you back £450. For both stockists, call 0121 333 6969.
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