Hair Removal Tips

Hair on a woman’s body is completely natural but many of us choose to remove bodyhair for various medical and cultural reasons. Many women prefer to get rid of hairfrom the parts of body like face, underarm, legs, hands, pubic area, etc. Medicalreasons for hair removal include hirutism, characterized by excess hair growth onthe face, especially the upper lip and chin, as well as on the chest, belly, back,legs, etc. There are various ways to remove unwanted hair. Types of hair removal methods Temporary hair removal—Shaving, tweezing, waxing, threading,bleaching, sugaring, depilatory creams. Temporary hair reduction. Permanent hair reduction—Laser hair removal. Permanent hair removal—Electrolysis. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Many factors like the type ofhair, area of body to be treated and amount of hair to be removed should be takeninto account while choosing the method of hair removal. Attaining hairless and smoothskin may be simply a matter of finding the method that suits you best.

Temporary hair removal methods Shaving Shaving is one of the most common methods to remove unwanted hair. Shaving is doneusing a razor that works by cutting the hair at the skin surface. It is most effectiveto remove hair from underarms, legs and bikini areas.
Shaving tips Use a shaving foam or gel to soften the skin to be shaved. Go slowly and shave in the direction of the hair growthto reduce cuts and prevent ingrown hairs. Apply moisturizer to soothe the shaved skin. Shaving Pros: Inexpensive, quick and painless. Cons: Regrowth of hair within a couple of days. Skin irritation,cuts and ingrown hair are some side effects of shaving.

Tweezing Tweezing involves plucking out hair one at a time by using a tweezer. It is mosteffective for small areas such as eyebrows, upper lip and chin. Tweezing tips To make tweezing easier, press a warm facecloth over the area of the skin to softenthe skin. If you find tweezing painful, you can press ice cube over the skinto numb the area you are going to work on. Always sterilized the tweezer byrubbing alcohol before use to prevent any infection.
Tweezing Pros: Inexpensive and good control for shaping. Cons: Time consuming, painful and temporary red bumps may appearafter tweezing.

Waxing Waxing involves applying warm or cold wax on area of the skin where unwanted hairis growing. A cloth strip or prepared wax strip is smoothed over the wax and quicklystrip off against the direction of the hair. Waxing removes hair at the root. Itis an effective method for faster removal of hair on large surface area of the body. Waxing tips Never wax a sore area, moles or skin that is sunburned or broken. Hair to be waxed should be at least ¼ inch in length. Wear loose clothing after Waxing.
Waxing Pros: Results last for a few weeks, regrowth of hair appears lighterthan earlier. Cons: Waxing can be painful. Temporary bumps and redness may appearon the skin after Waxing.

Threading Threading involves the use of regular cotton thread to remove hair from the surfaceof the skin. It is done by trained professionals in beauty clinics. Threading workswell for eyebrow shaping, removing facial hair and areas on the body, where smalleramount of hair needs to be removed.
Threading tips For mild irritation of skin after threading, apply ice packs on the affected area. Apply moisturizer to soothe the skin.
Threading Pros: Less painful, removes hair faster and suitable for all skintypes. Cons: May cause ingrown hair. Bleaching Bleaching is technically not a method of hair removal, but it makes hair less noticeableby removing the hair’s natural pigment. Active ingredients in bleaching agents arehydrogen peroxide and sulfates, which lighten the hair. Bleaching is best for faceand arms. Bleaching tips Always go for a patch test on your skin before bleachingto ensure that your skin is not allergic to the bleaching agent. Bleaching Pros: There is no regrowth of hair. Cons: Skin irritation may appear and are not suitable for coarsehair Sugaring Sugaring is similar to waxing, but uses a paste made from sugar, lemon and honey.It has same benefits as Waxing.

Depilatory creams These creams contain chemicals that weaken the hair at the skin surface, so thatthe hair can be easily wiped away. Do a patch test before use to ensure that itdoes not cause allergy to your skin. Never use on eyebrows or on broken skin. Depilatory creams Pros: Inexpensive and easy to use. Cons: May cause skin irritation, burns and ingrown hair

Temporary hair reduction method Eflornithine is a cream which does not remove hairbut slows its growth. It does not give instant results as other hair removal methodsdo. Eflornithine cream is used for treatment of facial hair and available by prescriptiononly. Permanent hair removal method Electrolysis Electrolysis involves the insertionof a small fine needle into the Hair follicle and sends a pulse of electric currentthat destroys the Hair follicle. It is an effective method for permanently removinghair, especially in small areas. Electrolysis Pros: A permanent solution. Cons: Expensive and painful. Permanent hair reduction method Laser hair removal Laser hair removal is a treatment using laser light to remove unwanted hair. Laser beam passes through the skin and destroys the Hair follicle (where the hair growth originates). It slows hair regrowth, which extends the hair-free period. Laser hair removal is most effective for people with light-skinned people with dark hair because the color pigment in the hair absorbs more of the light. The treatment also works for dark-skinned people but it does not work for people with white, blonde or light brown color hair. Laser hair removal Pros: Results last from several months to years. Cons: Skin irritation and hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin).