Before you think of hair removal, it’s important to learn about the different types of hair present on your body. Hair is made entirely of a hard protein known as Keratin, which also makes up your toe and finger nails. Hair grows from beneath the skin’s surface from the hair root, inside a hair follicle. The hair follicle is a small tube inside the skin.
Vellus and Terminal Hair are the two types of hair. Vellus hair is short, fine and very soft and it grows on the face, chest and back of women. It can be seen prominently in women with darker complexions. Vellus helps to maintain body temperature by insulating it. Terminal hair is darker, coarser and longer and grows on your head and during puberty it starts growing under your arms and in the pubic region. Hair removal can be done at home, but it becomes more effective when done by professionals.
Hair Removal Techniques
There are many techniques for hair removal, but here are six techniques which are used most frequently. These are shaving, waxing, depilatory creams, threading, electrolysis and laser treatment. Sugaring is an age old technique of hair removal and has been practiced from the times of Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen who was renowned for her flawless beauty. While some techniques like waxing, threading and use of mechanical epilators are painful, others like threading, creams and shaving are not. It’s the painful techniques which help remove hair follicles from their roots and prevent further growth and you need to choose a technique that suits your skin type.
- Shaving: Shaving is an easy, inexpensive way to remove hair from body. There are specialized women's safeties razors in the market that help shave of hair from under arms and legs effectively. Safety razors provided a much smother shave than mechanical shavers. Re-growth of hair happens within three to four days. It’s recommended to use a new blade for every shave. Shaving on sun burnt or dry skin will lead to cuts and should be avoided.
- Depilatory Creams: Depilatory creams are ideal when the need to remove hair in a hurry arises. Just apply the cream over the skin’s surface, wait for a few minutes and wipe the cream off, and all unwanted hair comes off. Simple! The only disadvantage of using these creams is the harmful chemical content present that will burn your skin and cause irritation. It’s not suited for sensitive skins and definitely not to be used on the face. A patch test is always recommended before using this technique. It’s safe for use to remove hair from legs, underarms and bikini area.
- Waxing: Two methods which have been used by women for ages is waxing and sugaring. Both are similar and help to remove hair effectively and the hair which grows back is much finer and the results are long lasting. Waxing should be done by professionals for better results. It can be quite painful if your hair is thicker. Waxing helps remove hair from its follicles. Hair starts reappearing after four to six weeks.
- Threading: This method is used in many professional salons where hair from the eyebrows is removed using a thread. Threading is very effective and not very painful as some think it to be. It helps to shape eyebrows and remove fine hair from upper lips, chin and the entire face. The hair which grows back is often finer as hair is pulled off from its follicles.
- Electrolysis: This method of hair removal is done by professionals using an electric need to pass currents to kill the hair root. It is a time consuming expensive method as each hair requires to be done. It’s also expensive. A couple of sittings are required to be done before hair finally stops growing .Infections can occur if the needles used are not sterilized properly.
- Laser: Laser is the latest method used for hair removal. It’s absolutely painless. Laser light is passed over the skin to reach the hair follicles to destroy them. The best results are experienced by people with light skin with dark hair as laser light is attracted to dark colors. This also requires a few sittings before the results become permanent. It is also expensive.
