waxing rips the hair out of the skin and often causes pain. the pain increases in areas such as the genitals, especially for people who have not waxed before or do not wax often. redness and swelling also often occurs at the waxing site. waxing is itself a safe thing, but there are times when it is not safe to get waxed. when skin is sunburned, it is not good to get a wax treatment. allegic reactions can also happen with waxing. people with medical problems such as diabetes, chronic kidney or liver disease, skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, or weakened immune systems are advised not to get wax treatments at all. at least one woman, with diabetes, almost died due to getting a bikini wax and becoming infected and another woman was hospitalised after being waxed in her genital area. in 2007 the new jersey state board of cosmetology and hairstyling came close to banning genital waxing based on health concerns. there is also concern about the trend to remove all or most of the pubic hair from a person's genitals. dr. linda k. franks, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the new york university school of medicine, says "pubic hair is there for a reason—to protect the sensitive skin and mucous membranes in the genital region, getting a wax literally strips away that layer of protection." waxing can pull small pieces of skin off the body. this is usually minor and is not usual. skin infections can also occur such as staph, folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles). ingrown hairs are also quite common and can become infected.