I’ve always wondered how I would maintain the ‘hair situation’ if I lived in the Caribbean. In colder climates women can enjoy a window of time to hibernate, re-grow or bask in their hippy hairiness before a visit to the beauty salon, but in warmer climates your body is constantly on show.

Before every holiday I undergo a list of grooming treatments to make sure I am beach and hot pants ready. Like most women I stay loyal to my threader who shapes up my eyebrows, the beauty spa and therapist who does my waxing and the nail technician who looks after my finger and toenails. It’s all about familiarity and being comfortable with the place and women who maintain the most intimate parts of your body. A large part of it is reassurance – knowing that they will do a good job makes it easier to lie down on the treatment bed and just relax.

Joanne (center)

Yesterday I desperately needed a maintenance check for the second week of beach lounging, so I was pleased to find out about Le Conch Health & Beauty Salon and even more pleased to know the owner Joanne Davison, originally from the UK, had trained in London. Looking at the treatment list added to my pleased state of mind when I came across the Vjazzel and Brazilian bikini waxes. That was the first time I had seen these kind of waxing treatments being offered in Grenada and I was curious to find out more.

The spa is popular and frequently booked up, but it wasn’t too hard to be seen, especially if you don’t mind waiting a few minutes and listening to the funny banter and girl talk between the clients and therapists.

The treatment rooms are dimly lit and air-conditioned, beauty therapist Navon applied the wax and used muslin cloth cut into strips to suit the shape and grooves of my body and for my legs she used larger cuts of cloth. It was the first time I had seen this technique and I was very impressed by how quick and pain-free the experience was.

Navon, who started out doing beauty treatments for friends and family was trained professionally by Joanne and now enjoys doing a wider range of treatments such as facials and massages and body treatments. The clientele, which consist mainly of students who enjoy preening through intervals of study gave Joanne the push to open a second spa in True Blue Bay Resort which is five minutes away from the medical school.

I am just happy that I can put my high leg H&M bikini bottoms back on and when I’m back on the island again, I have a new trusted beauty therapist to run too.