Hair Today Gone Tomorrow …or not
With the temperatures rising, shorter hemlines and sleeveless shirts will certainly call attention to any unsightly underarm stubble, leg hair, and basically any unwanted body hair that may be seen today, there are so many ways to remove it, so which one is right for you? Why tweeze when you can wax, and why wax when you can zap those suckers away? Well, each hair removal options has its ups and downs, so read up for the inside scoop on hair removal.
There are two general categories of treatments for unwanted hair:
- Temporary—Shaving, plucking, waxing, bleaching, and removal of hair with a chemical depilating agent.
- Long-term or permanent—Laser thermolysis to destroy hair follicles and make them incapable of growing new hair or electronic destruction of hair follicles (electrolysis).
Shaving
 |
|
Shaving is a temporary hair removal method. It is inexpensive, but for most people the hair has started to grow back by the following day. To prevent stubble, you must shave once or twice daily. Razors come in all varieties.
How It Works: Using a razor, a person removes the tip of the hair shaft that has grown out through the skin. Some razors are completely disposable, some have a disposable blade, and some are electric. Guys often shave their faces, and women often shave their underarms, legs, and bikini areas.
Best For: Fine to coarse hair on the legs, the underarms, and, for some, the bikini line.
How Long It Lasts: 1 to 3 days
Pros: Shaving is fairly inexpensive, and you can do it yourself. All you need is some warm water, a razor, and if you choose, shaving gel or cream.
Cons: Since shaving slices off hair at the skin’s surface, stubble returns quickly, in one to three days. There’s also a chance you’ll nick yourself, especially on bumpy areas of the body, like the knees and the ankles. Razor burn, bumps, nicks, cuts, and ingrown hairs are side effects of shaving. Ingrown hairs can happen with close, frequent shaving. When the hair begins to grow, it grows within the surrounding tissue rather than growing out of the follicle. The hair curls around and starts growing into the skin, irritating it. |
Tips: You'll get a closer shave if you shave in the shower after your skin has been softened by warm water. Go slowly, pulling looser areas of skin taut before running the razor over them. Change razors often to avoid nicks. Using shaving cream may also help protect sensitive skin, like the skin around the genitals. If you’re nervous about cutting yourself, you can try an electric razor instead.
Although most people shave in the opposite direction from the hair growth, if you want to avoid ingrown hairs it can help to shave in the direction the hair grows.
Plucking
Tweezing
Best For: Eyebrows and stray hairs
How It Works: Using tweezers, a person stretches the skin tightly, grips the hair close to the root, and pulls it out.
How Long It Lasts: 3 to 8 weeks
Pros: Plucking is time-consuming because you can only remove one hair at a time. However, it's inexpensive because all you need are tweezers.
Cons: Plucking can be painful, so it's best to do it only on small areas, such as the eyebrows, upper lip, and chin. If the hair breaks off below the skin, a person may get an ingrown hair. After plucking, you may notice temporary red bumps because the hair follicle is swollen and irritated.
Threading
Best For: This method is a common form of facial hair removal, particularly suited for eyebrow shapes.
How It Works: It uses a cotton thread which is twisted and pulled over the unwanted hairs. This action lifts hair directly from the follicle and only a slight pinch is felt as the hairs are removed.
How Long It Lasts: 3 to 8 weeks Pros: Inexpensive: a relatively cheap form of hair removal due to its basic nature and use of naturally-occurring materials. Fast: experienced practitioners can treat small areas of unwanted hair very quickly. Precise: individual hairs can be treated when required, making it ideal for eyebrow shaping. No skin damage and infection: threading is suitable for all skin types. |
|
|
Cons: Painful: due to the tugging action of the cotton thread, treatment can be painful on sensitive areas of the face such as the upper lip. Skin irritation: the potential exists for irritating the skin when pulling hairs directly from their follicles. Not suitable for large areas of the body.
|
