Brazilian waxing refers to a removal of almost everything, front to back except for a thin strip of hair on the pubis. An extreme form of bikini waxing, it involves a complete removal of hair from the buttocks and adjacent to the anus, perineum and vulva (labia majora and mons pubis). Waxes that completely remove the pubic hair are known as a full Brazilian wax, full Bikini wax, Hollywood wax or the Sphinx. While mainly associated with females, genital waxing also has a male clientèle.

In spite of the name, Brazilian waxing is not particularly popular in Brazil, where it is considered extreme. There is no name or nickname for Brazilian waxing in Brazil, where it is simply referred to as “removing all the hair”, or as “complete groin”. The waxing style which leaves a small strip of hair is known in Brazil as cavado, a word that means “to miss peripheral material” and is also applied to small bikinis. In Brazilian Portuguese, “to wax” is depilar, which means “to remove hair” regardless of the method.