Published 27th March 2016
There are many different types of hair removal techniques and they are of varying degrees; from cheap to expensive, painful to pain-free, long lasting or short lived, time consuming and the list goes on. But as men and women, no matter the cost, we choose to do it anyway because it enhances our beauty and builds our self-esteem and confidence.
In addition to the most common methods of shaving and waxing, there are other options such as depilatory creams, sugaring, laser removal and electrolysis. Note also that tweezing and threading are most commonly used on the face and eyebrows because they are a long lasting and esy to do. So, regardless of whether you want to remove the hair from your legs, bikini line, underarms, face, back or chest, you should choose the method you believe most suitably fits your pocket, benefits and lifestyle.
Shaving
Shaving is the most common and one of the cheapest type of hair removal techniques. Shaving work by cutting the hair off at skin level and if done correctly it can be painless and results in satisfactory appearance. With the use of proper shaving cream or oils one can reduce the getting cuts, having razor burns, bumps or any other post-shave irritation. The lubricant reduces friction between the blade and the skin. Electric razors are less likely to produce irritation depending on the type and your preference you can choose to purchase replacement blades or heads for your equipment. Note, shaving doesn’t remove all the hair and result on perfectly smooth skin and the hair usually start growing back in three days. Shaving must therefore be repeated frequently.
While shaving is affordable and a quick way to remove hair it can result in razor burn, appearing as a red rash and can be itchy and swollen. A great way to relive this is with the use of a cold compress (ice cubes in a towel), apple cider vinegar (dab a little on a cotton ball and apply to affected area) or even aloe vera.
Depilatory Creams
These are creams that have chemicals that work by dissolving the hair. They are usually applied to the desired area, left on the skin for about three to five minutes to be effective and then wiped or washed off. The hair is removed from slightly below skin level but are not very effective when it comes to coarser here. They leave the skin a little smoother than shaving, have a slight tingling sensation and are typically painless, however, the chemicals of the cream has an offensive odor. Note, that if you are experiencing any pain or burning sensation, stop and wash it off. Pain means that either your skin is too sensitive or the cream is left on for too long.
If you happen to get burns while using this method, it’s best to rinse the burn with cool water immediately. Ensure to apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment to the area to prevent infection. Do not use soap on the effective area.
Waxing and Sugaring
These are two ancient techniques used to remove hair. They involve applying a molten solution of sugar-impregnated cloth or wax to the skin and then quickly ripped off pulling the hairs out with it. It is important that the hairs are long enough, at least a quarter of an inch to be grabbed. Waxing and sugaring are painful options as they remove the hair from the root but the effect lasts longer. If you rely on waxing as your main form of hair removal, your hair will become finer over time which in turn makes the experience less painful over time. With sugaring, because the paste doesn’t stick to the skin as much, it’s reportedly less painful than waxing. Note, that if the solutions are too hot, skin burns can occur. Both sugar and waxing takes about six weeks for hair to grow back.
After waxing, to soothe the skin you can apply an after wax cooling product or aloe vera or aloe vera based gel.
Plucking, Tweezing and Twist Threading
These methods involve pulling hair out one at a time. They are very effective but also tedious. This constant plucking can result in enough inflammation to produce dark spots around the areas that are plucked. Note, permanent hair loss can occur if plucking is performed repeatedly over long periods of time. If your skin becomes red after tweezing or plucking, hold an ice cube or pack over the affected area to reduce pain, redness and or swelling.
Laser Hair Removal
This is a long term hair removal option that involves destroying your hair roots with light. This option can be permanent, it reduces the amount of hair one has and makes it lighter. The best place for it to work is where you have darker hair and lighter skin because the laser detects pigments. As a result, it will not remove white or blonde hair and can burn darker skin. For optimal results it usually takes up about six or twelve sessions and you might want to have touch ups every six to twelve months. This option is a little pricey depending on the size of the area being treated.
After laser hair removal treatment, to ease discomfort you can apply aloe vera gel, ice packs, moisturizer or even sunscreen because the skin area may be sensitive to darkening.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves threading a thin wire to the root of each hair follicle and then applying electrical current to destroy it. Depending on the nature of the device, the follicle is destroyed either by heat or sodium hydroxide. Whereas laser hair removal is not always the best option depending on your hair or skin type, electrolysis can work for any type. As the treatment only removes one hair follicle at a time, the process is very time consuming and painful.
So whether it’s shaving, waxing, laser treatment or whatever you choose to remove unwanted hair, you have the right to be sexy, smooth and confident. You can find all your hair removal treatments on our website by searching for a local beautician.
Blog written for PamperPad by Michelle Murphy
