In Western cultures, body hair tends to be frowned upon as unattractive, especially in women. Now the swim season is here, more and more women are seeking ways to dispose of their unwanted hair as they bare more skin.
During a visit to your local drug store, you many become overwhelmed by the dozens of hair removing products down the aisles devoted to unwanted hair. So what are the options available to get rid of that unwanted hair and how long will the effects last?
Any of the following procedures are a matter of personal preference but obtain an idea of what is available and use the one you will be most happy with.
- Shaving
The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to remove hair is to just pick up that razor. All you need is some warm water, a razor and some shaving gel or cream. One word of note to remember is that while shaving has many advantages, the hair grows backs the fastest and coarser using this method.
Shaving works best on legs and underarms, although generally you may experience an occasional razor burn, bumps, nicks, cuts and ingrown hairs, if you shave too close.
You can also shave with an electric shaver. The electric shaver is fast and slightly easier than the standard razor. An electric shaver can pull hairs out rather than cut them after not shaving for a couple of weeks when the hairs are longer.
The electric shaver is better for frequent use and you do not need to use any water or shaving cream.
- Plucking
The other inexpensive option for hair removal is by using your tweezers and plucking. However, it is more time consuming on larger areas, since you can only remove the hair one at a time. Plucking works best on facial hair and eyebrows and needs to repeated every three weeks.
- Epilators
There are electronic devices that basically pluck also. Epilators can pull out multiple hairs at once with much repetitive circular motions on the skin.
These hand held machines are moderate in price and available at any appliance store. They should not be used for the eyebrows as the can not give you precise control on any removal of hair.
The benefits can consist of less hair growth and is considered better than shaving. The downside is sensitive types may find this procedure too painful to use. It also can develop ingrown hairs, if the hair breaks off below the skin.
- Depilatories
A depilatory is a cream or liquid applied directly to your skin and promotes hair removal from the skin's surface. This type of product is inexpensive, work quickly to dissolving the hair and lasts for approximately two weeks. There are several special formulations available for the legs, underarm, bikini and facial areas.
Some women may find depilatories messy, the odor unbearable and may not work well on extremely coarse hair. Sensitive skin types may suffer an allergic reaction to the chemicals with a rash or inflammation.
Be sure to read the directions fully and follow the same for best results.
- Waxing
Waxing works as such. A warm or cold wax is spread onto the area of skin where unwanted hair is growing. A cloth strip is applies over the wax and then quickly pulled off, removing the hair, hair root and dead skin cells with it. Waxing can be done at home or in a salon with its results of smooth, soft and hairless areas on legs, arms and bikini areas for three to six weeks.
The expense is well worth it to have waxing done in a salon by a professional first to actually understand how the procedure works. Once you are comfortable with waxing, you will be ready to venture to the more inexpensive at home waxes.
Any hair re-growth tends to be fine and less noticeable than with any of the other methods. There is one downside to waxing and that is discomfort. Since this treatment is pulling the hair out from its roots when it is nearly a quarter of an inch in length, it can sting and cause a temporary bumps or redness.
If you are taking certain medication, have a sunburn or skin irritation; do not wax during those times.
- Prescription Treatments
If you are developing an increase in facial hair growth, your dermatologist may prescribe a medication that does not remove hairs but slows down hair growth. Many new medications are being tested for this purpose, although their original functions may have been for other types of conditions.
Get yourself ready for looking good on the beach and be hair-free all summer long. Deciding to remove body hair is does not make you any healthier. It is only cosmetically more attractive and is your personal choice.