For many of you, hair removal is more than a process. It has become a battle because it grows so fast. For those of you with the onslaught of chin hairs ( and I’m talking to women right now), this has become something that’s very uncomfortable and you want to know how you can approach this challenge without creating another one.

What Are 5 Ways To Remove Hair

When we look at ways to remove hair, there are technically 5 ways that are used in the industry to remove facial and body hair. There are still some pockets in the black community that feel that the hairier you are as a woman, the sexier you are. But we’re going to deal with the removal of hair for those who want to “bear it all”.

Waxing is one of the ways of removing hair. It’s one of the popular ways to remove hair, especially from under the armpits, legs and the vaginal area. A typical waxing procedure will last on average 2-4 weeks. Waxing can typically be used anywhere on your body.

The advantage of waxing is that: it provides results that effectively remove large amounts of hair at one time. It can be used on all skin types and over the course of time, repeated waxing can begin to retard or slow the growth of hair.

The disadvantage of waxing is it can be painful for some and this what a lot of people don’t like about waxing. It can also burn your skin if it’s done in the wrong direction of how the hair follicle grows. Also, in order to perform the treatment of waxing your skin, the hair has to be a certain length in order for waxing to be successful.

Depilatories are what’s known as the creams like Nair and Neet. These are creams that weaken the hairs on the surface of your skin, you wipe them away with a moist cloth or sponge after 5-10 minutes. They didn’t always smell good and they really still don’t, but they are what’s commonly used on your legs, in your bikini area and on your face to remove mustache and chin hairs.

The advantages are: they’re easy to use, provides longer results than shaving. Shaving is something you should never do to your face.

I know a lot of you get so frustrated with the chins on your hairs that you start shaving. What this is going to do is create a shadow.

The disadvantage of depilatories can irritate your skin and emit an odor.

Electrolysis is for permanent hair removal (results vary from person to person). Electrolysis is the use of a needle that’s going to transmit an electric current into the hair follicle and destroy it from the root. Because the hair is treated follicle by follicle, it’s often a lengthy process and you only see the electrolysis for small areas at a time. They work on the chin or upper lip and this can take hours. It’s often done in phases so it’s not an overnight process.

The advantages of electrolysis are that it’s been deemed the only permanent hair removal method and can be used on all skin colors and hair types. One thing to note is that it does not always work on gray hairs. The science has gotten better, but it has not gotten grays hairs down by %100 just yet.

The disadvantages are it’s time consuming and it could be painful for some depending on the sensitivity of their skin.

Shaving is another form or hair removal. If you look at commercials that are shown on television, they have razors that are now coated with creams and oils, you can use them more than once, and they are disposable.

The advantages of shaving are: it takes minutes and you want to use a creamy or lather which will soften the hairs and remove them better.

One of the disadvantages is if you’re heavy handed, you’re going to cut yourself. It’s going to heal a certain way and then you’re going to have uneven dark spots or trauma to your skin as a result of that cut.

Laser and Intense Pulse Light (IPL) are a new technique to hair removal. It’s a beam that’s used to target the melanin in the hair and damage the hair follicle causing it to die off or burn out. With each procedure it can take 6-8 treatments to see the best results.

The advantage of IPL hair removal is it can offer permanent hair reduction.

For skin of color, you run the risk of burning your skin. This happens when the technician is not conscious of how to treat melanated skin. Another disadvantage is the burning or hyper-pigmentation of your skin. The treated area when using lasers becomes extremely sensitive and you shouldn’t go out into the sun with out being protected once this process has been done.

New Kid On The Block to Hair Removal

There is another technique for hair removal called Sugaring. It’s the use of sugar to remove hair by turning it into a paste. It’s not new in the sense of it’s history because it was used in Egypt to remove hair.

But as far as America, it’s something that’s come onto the scene in the past few years. It can be used for full body treatments.

One of the advantages are: it’s natural, it lasts just as long, if not longer than waxing depending on your skin and skin type.

One of the disadvantages is it can be just as painful as waxing. But for the most part that’s going to be determined by the sensibility of your skin and as with anything you have to try and see what works best for you.

No One Size Fits All

No treatment is a one size fits all for any of you. Electrolysis may work for chin or hair removal, whereas waxing and shaving may be a better choice for removing hair from your legs or armpits.

That’s it for this week,

As Always …

Dedicated To Your Beauty

Juliette Samuel
Esthetician/Publisher/Author

Nyraju Skin Care