healthy body tips

Removal of unwanted hair is a mere cosmetic procedure. Here’s a low-down on different methods of hair removal.


For soft, beautiful skin!

Social conditioning emphasises on smooth, hairless skin, which makes hair anywhere on the body except the scalp, a taboo. While this is mostly the case for women, there is an increasing pressure on men too to go the same route.

Common Hair Removal Techniques

Shaving:

Shaving is the cheapest hair removal method. There are different types of razors available in the market today. You can choose between razors with moisturising strips or twin blades for easier shaving. If you’d like you could also get an electric shaver. Although shaving is the quickest hair removal method, the hair growth afterwards is known to be thicker and coarse. Additionally, hair grows back faster when you shave. It is definitely not advisable for women to shave their facial hair.

How to shave:

It’s better to shave body hair after a hot shower, as it helps soften the hair, making shaving easier.
Apply shaving foam or gel, as it helps the razor glide over the skin easily.
Shave in the direction of hair growth. Shaving against hair growth can cause redness, rashes, and ingrown hair, which are all painful.
Finish it off with a moisturizer.


Hair removal creams/lotions:

Hair removal creams are quite popular with women. These creams contain chemicals that disrupt disulphide bonds (chemical bonds that hold the skin and hair cells together). However, one must exercise caution while using these hair removal creams or lotions, because if they are left on for too long they can melt away skin cells. Also, always do a patch test on a small skin area at least 48 hours before you use this method of hair removal. This method shouldn’t be used to remove facial hair.

How to use a hair removal cream:

Apply to the area with unwanted hair and leave it on for 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the rate of hair growth.
During this time, the chemical dissolves the hair, resulting in a jelly like substance. This must be washed or wiped after the appropriate time.


Waxing:

Waxing is an effective means of removing large amounts of hair at one time. It is a painful method alright, but is extremely popular with women. This method can be used to remove hair on the arms, legs, the bikini line and even the face. Waxing removes hair from the roots, therefore, after waxing, hair takes a while to grow back, and is also finer in texture. The biggest drawback of waxing is that one will need to wait a while for the hair to grow a considerable bit before waxing again.

How to wax:

Heat the wax, and spread it on the skin in the direction of hair growth.
Use a cloth or waxing strip to pull off the hair in the opposite direction of the hair growth. This pulls hair out of the follicles.
Clean skin with a wet cloth to remove any waxy residue and follow it up with a moisturiser.


Sugaring:

This method is similar to waxing. Sugaring involves application of warm hair removal solution with a palette knife in the direction of hair growth. A cotton strip is used to cover the solution and is pulled away in the opposite direction. Hair takes about 6-8 weeks to grow back and the new hair are fine and soft as in the case of waxing.


Electrolysis:

This is a permanent hair removal method, and will require multiple sittings. An expensive technique, electrolysis must be done at a reputed place, under a qualified cosmetologist. This method requires inserting a small needle into the hair follicle and passing a low-charge electrical current. This burns the root, preventing it from growing back.
After an electrolysis session, slight swelling, scarring and redness might appear. This usually disappears in a few days. If it lasts for more than a week, consult your cosmetologist immediately.


Laser hair removal:

This too is an expensive, permanent hair removal method, which must be done by a qualified cosmetologist. Here, a black activating lotion is evenly applied on the area to facilitate absorption of laser energy by the hair follicles. This method is best suited for people with thick body hair. As in the case of electrolysis, laser hair removal too will require multiple sittings.