An essential part of every woman’s beauty regime is unwanted hair removal. There are many different methods for this, some are better than others and some are only suited to certain body parts.
Shaving
Shaving is a quick, simple and easy method of hair removal which simply requires a razor, gliding across the skin the razor slices away the hair to skin level
Pros:
Quick and simple
The only requirement is a razor
Cons:
Hair is only cut to the skin surface level so dark hair will still be visible and can look unsightly
Hair regrowth is quick and often returns thicker as cutting the hair encourages the growth
Needs to be done daily
Waxing
Waxing can be done with hot wax or ready to use cold wax strips. The wax is smoothed onto the skin in a thin strip then pulled off quickly in the direction of hair growth. The hair will be pulled out by the roots, this is painful but over quickly and results in the hair being removed from under the skin giving a smoother finish.
Waxing Tips:
Exfoliate before waxing, this will remove dead skin cells, the wax will then be able to attach to the hair and remove it more efficiently.
When pulling the wax strip off do so quickly and hold your skin taut.
Pros:
Lasts weeks rather than days compared to shaving
Hair is removed from the root so you can not see any of the hair under the skin, giving much a smoother look and feel compared to shaving
After waxing repeatedly the root of the hair gets damaged and does not grow back this gives a thinner regrowth compared to the fast thick regrowth from shaving
Cons:
More painful than shaving
May cause ingrown hairs
Hot wax can be messy
You need to wait for hair to grow back before being able to wax again
Depilatory (Hair Removal) Cream
Hair removal cream is a popular alternative for those fed up with shaving daily but do not want the pain of waxing. Depilatory creams are applied to the skin and dissolve the skin. This process usually takes no more than 15 minutes.
Tips for using hair removal cream:
Do not leave on for more than the recommended time, doing so may cause skin irritation or burning.
Do not rub in the cream, simply spread it on
Test on a small area of your forearm to check for any potential allergic reactions
Pros:
The results last longer than shaving as the hair is dissolved below the surface of the skin
Cons:
It is not suitable for sensitive skin and can cause a reaction on normal skin due to the chemicals in the cream.
Epilating
An epilator is a machine with several mini tweezer grips rotating, gripping hairs and pulling them out as the machine turns; several hairs are pulled out at once, this is another method of pulling hairs out at the root which gives long lasting effects.
Epilating tips:
Take a warm bath before epilating, the warmth will open your pores making it easier for the hair to be pulled out reducing pain.
Hold your skin taut and move the machine slowly using a slow speed on the machine
Pros:
Investing in an epilator can be expensive although you do not need to purchase anything else after this initial investment.
As the hair is removed from the root any future regrowth will be slow and fine, regular epilators may find that hair becomes virtually invisible.
Cons:
The epilator takes a lot longer than waxing and as only a few hairs at a time are being removed the overall process is more painful than waxing
The noise of the machine is often off putting.
Your skin will be very red after epilating, therefore if you are epilating for a special event do so at least 24 hours before to give your skin time to recover.
Ingrown hairs are very common with epilating, exfoliating daily after epilating will reduce any ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs can be removed individually with tweezers.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is a new more permanent way remove hair; this is best done in a salon but can be done using a home machine. A laser is used on the hair destroying it.
Pros:
Large areas can be done quickly
Almost permanent
Cons:
The most expensive method of hair removal
Several treatments are needed
There will be some pain but cooling gels can be used to reduce this.
Can only be used on fine and light coloured hair
Side effects can include redness, itchiness and swelling
There is a risk of the skin being burnt or discoloured
