Hair removal is a sensitive topic. Women from ages have subjected themselves to various hair removal methods to get that flawless ‘hairless’ skin. Since almost half the percentage of womenfolk follow the beauty routine to appease societal standards, there is no doubt that hair removal remains one of the debated topics online. Many women are coming forward embracing their body hair, paving the way towards a society that is more accepting of the natural phenomenon.
Wax Them Away
Waxing has always been the most popular in hair removal regimes. Even though they are painful, costly and tedious, it ranks high as the most common hair removal method today. Many prefer waxing because it pulls away the hair from its roots, giving the skin a smoother appearance. Most often, people prefer to have waxing done by experienced hands, especially for sensitive areas. But alternatively, you can perform them yourself at home. If you are afraid of the hot wax burning you, you can also shift to cold wax strips that, as the name suggests, do not require you to apply hot wax onto your skin. But for the pain…. you have to bear it!
Pros: You can wax anywhere you wish to! The hair removal procedure gives immediate results along with smooth, glowing skin and can remove hair from your limbs to the most sensitive areas like the face and bikini line.
Cons: It is painful!! The pulling makes the skin highly sensitive, with the possiblity of developing redness and ingrown hairs. Generally, the effect lasts for about a month, but the hair might come back as fast as a week for people with faster hair growth. You must wait for the hair to be long enough before the next waxing session.
Go The Sugar Way!
Sugaring is the method that ancient Egyptians used to get hairless skin. Sugaring uses a sugar mixture to be applied onto the skin, which later is pulled off along with body hair. Similar to waxing, sugaring pulls out hair from the roots, hence, delaying the regrowth time. Though the time for regrowth and before successive procedures remains the same as waxing, sugaring tends to be slightly softer on the skin. It is essential to prep your skin before the appointment to help you have a better experience.
Pros: It can be to remove hair from even sensitive areas. However, you must wait for the hairs to be long enough to be pulled by the mixture. The sugaring helps to exfoliate the skin, helping you get smoother and glowing skin. There are a lot fewer chances of ingrown hairs and redness as compared to waxing.
Cons: The pain depends on the tolerance levels. The sugar mixture slowly tugs to pull out the hair from the roots. Hence, it does involve some pain, but it is less than in waxing.
Epilator
Epilating is another way to pull the hair from the roots, but the process is akin to using razors. It is like using the tweezers to pull the hair off, but mechanically!
The device goes along the skin, which goes against the direction of hair growth. The rotating blades grab and pull the hair as it moves along. Multiple epilators are available in the market, with cordless ones in the higher price bracket than the corded ones.
Pros: You don’t have to wait for the hairs to grow to a certain length before another session. The machine removes the fine hairs as effectively as the long ones. It is a lot more economical option than waxing, as a one-time investment lasts years. You can use them anywhere, and they are easily portable.
Cons: The pain is similar to waxing as the hair pulls out. If you are not careful enough, the device may pull your skin along with the hairs. Although, you should not use this device on your face.
Those Who Swear By Shaving!
The most painless and most effortless method to remove body hair is to shave them off! But the downside is that it does not last long. Still, better for people who do not prefer to spend hours and money to bear the pain.
Just like men’s razors, the shaving cuts off the hair from the surface, hence they grow back a lot faster. But since it does not require any specifications and supervision, you can perform them anywhere, anytime. Many people prefer to do it before going to any event to get rid of small hair that grows back during the period.
Pros: The process is a whole lot easier and cheaper. You don’t have to bear any pain. Plus, you don’t need to wait for the hairs to grow back. You can use them to remove hair from wherever you want.
Cons: The hair grows back as fast as three days; hence, you need to invest time almost twice a week. To avoid infection, you must replace the blades after every three months (for body hair), and for facial blades, do not use them more than twice! Take precautions to avoid cuts.
Depilatory Cream To The Rescue!
Another painless treatment is using depilatory creams. A thick layer of cream is applied to the hair and is left for a few minutes. The cream weakens the hair and breaks them off on simple wiping. The hair breaks off at the surface; hence, they grow back much faster. But like any other painless method, the results are short-lasting.
Pros: They are easier to use and give instant results. It avoids the risk of getting cuts.
Cons: The chemical additions used may not suit your skin. Depending on the hair type, the cream may work at different intensities. Sometimes the hairs may not break off at the roots, leaving small visible hair.
Bleaching Them Off
Another way to take care of your hair is to bleach them. In this, you are not typically removing them, just coloring them to make them less visible. It uses chemicals to make the hair lighter, almost resembling the skin color. Since it requires time and patience, it is better for smaller areas like upper lips and other facial hairs.
Pros: Bleaching is a good option for women with skin types that react against waxing and depilatory creams. If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals, you can opt for natural ingredients to minimize the stress on the skin.
Cons: It is a time-consuming process. The harsh chemicals present may irritate your skin. For better results, you need to perform the procedure a few times.
Long Term Solution- Laser
The only permanent solution for hair removal is laser and the alternate home method of IPL (Intense Pulse Light).
Both methods employ light radiations to check the growth of the hair, resulting in its reduction over some time. The IPL is much weaker than the laser, making it more effective for people with highly sensitive skin. As a result, it is fair to say that it is not effective as laser removal.
Pros: Permanent solution for hair removal.
Cons: High price. It takes multiple sessions to complete the process, hence not applicable for immediate results.
Conclusion
Retaining or removing body hair is a purely personal choice, and so is the method! However, coming up with a plan that suits your skin, pockets, and environment is great. Apart from the long-term options that require significant investment, the epilators do a fine job keeping the hair at bay at a minimal cost.
