I just had my first wax in over a year 4 weeks ago. It hurt like hell but I have hardley any regrowth and look forward to my next appt in 2 weeks. IMO I found the bum crack the least painful and around the button the most painful. I leave a landing strip as well. I am not comfortable being totally bare down there but I keep the strip very short. I had my legs waxed at that appt as well but only the one time to get a head start so I can maintain. $90 every 6 weeks is a little out of my price range. When the growth of my hair is a little more regular which I am hoping it will do over time I plan on maintaining down there with my epilady although it seems to work better with coarser hair and not so well with fine blonde hairs that tend to be the regrowth. Shaving is just a PITA because it seems to be back the next day and it's thick and itchy but it is hard to stop when you have already started IYKWIM.

Oh yeah, how do you prepare for the pain? You don't I am actually really ticklish in my leg creases so when the wax gets put on I am giggling histarically(sp) until it gets ripped off