Body hair can be a pain sometimes, especially during summer days where you want to enjoy your favorite sleeveless top, short dress, or cute little skirt. Since the beginning of time, women have been experimenting with various ways to get rid of that hair. Time, cost, and convenience are some of the most important factors that can help us determine which way to go.
Shaving
The most common method of all; women started shaving with men’s blades way before companies realized that women need their own shaving products. There are two types of shaving; wet and dry. Wet shaving is where you use a set of blades to glide over wet skin with lathered shaving cream or gel, while dry shaving is where you use a shaving machine comprised of a fine screen that traps hair and cuts it off with a moving blade inside.
While shaving may be the cheapest and most convenient way to remove unwanted hair, the results don’t last for long as the hairs begin to grow and show up on the surface of the skin within a few days.
Hair Removal Creams
This is how hair removal creams work; basically, a strong and alkaline based product is placed on the unwanted hair. It processes hair into a jelly-like substance by breaking down the protein bonds of the hair, which makes it fall off when as you wash off the cream with water. The whole process takes about five to ten minutes, depending on the thickness of hair and the cream formula. Thicker hair takes longer to break down than finer hairs.
What’s good about creams is that they are affordable, fast, and pretty easy to use. The downside? You guessed it; they are chemical. Most hair removal creams should be tested on a small area first, in case you have an allergy to one of the ingredients. They are also usually scented, so if you mind the smell, they might not be the best choice for you. Just like shaving, the results are usually short-lived as creams do not remove hairs from the roots.
Waxing
Probably the oldest method of all; waxing can be performed hot or cold. The wax is applied in a thin layer over the skin, and then quickly pulled away like a Band-Aid in the opposite direction, stripping the hair out with it.
Although it can be a little painful – individually varying, depending on everyone’s tolerance to pain – waxing removes the hairs from the roots, leaving the skin smooth with results that can last for weeks.
Epilation
Electric epilators look very similar to electric shavers, with an important difference; the head of the epilator contains rotating disks instead of the metal screen and blades. When placed on the skin and moved along, those disks trap the hairs and remove them at the root. Just like waxing, epilation can be painful, but gives long lasting results.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is growing in popularity, thanks to its almost permanent results. It’s done through beaming a powerful pulsating light through the outer layers of skin down to hair follicles. The pigment in the follicle absorbs the light, disarming the follicle, rendering it unable to produce new hair.
Electrolysis
Similar to laser hair removal, electrolysis also disrupts hair growth. The process works by inserting a very fine needle into the skin, while inducing shortwave radio frequencies to hair follicles to stop new hair from growing. This basically damages hair follicles, preventing further growth, and causing the existing hairs to fall out.
Where to Go from Here?
Almost every woman chooses to experiment with a few hair removal methods to find out what works best for her. Some women prefer quick shaving and creams, others opt for classic waxing, while many decide that it’s best to make a long term investment once and for all. Each person will have different skin types and preferences, so make sure to explore all your options so that you’re able to find the one that suits you best.