Hair Removal Options

Fashion and Beauty - Grooming

By: jj8277 02-Jan-2011

Laser/Pulsed Light

One of the more popular ways to remove hair is via laser or pulsed light - energy that goes through the hair shaft down to the follicle, where it destroys the hair's root.

Laser hair removal can be done anywhere on the body. The best candidates are women with dark hair and light skin. Lasers won't work on white hair, and they are much less effective on blond hair.

Depilatories

Depilatories are creams that essentially remove unwanted hair. They can be lathered on and then wiped off, taking the hair with them. This is a cheap method that avoids the pain of a slipped razor, but again, it's not the right method for everyone's needs. These creams can be harsh and they can sometimes fall where they don't belong. Not the most precise method, depilatories are good for large areas, such as the legs, but awful for the bikini line and not much fun to use on a lip. Hair removal done in this manner requires frequent touch ups, but not necessarily as many as shaving alone.

Vaniqa

Vaniqa is a prescription-only topical cream that has been FDA-approved for reducing and inhibiting the growth of unwanted facial hair. The active ingredient in Vaniqa is eflornithine hydrochloride, which has been used to treat African sleeping sickness and certain cancers. Vaniqa works by inhibiting an enzyme that is needed for cell reproduction and other cell functions necessary for hair growth. Vaniqa is applied twice a day to areas of unwanted facial hair. Noticeable results are usually observed after 4-8 weeks of therapy. Application must be continued for as long as inhibition of hair growth is desired. Vaniqa continues to reduce facial hair growth for up to 8 weeks after discontinuing treatment.

Waxing

Waxing is an effective method of removing large amounts of hair at one time. In this method wax is warmed to allow it to be spread easily over the skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax, which cools and firms up grasping the hair. The wax is then quickly pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth, pulling the hairs out of the follicles. Cold waxes are available usually attached to strips, which are patted onto the skin. Wax that is still left on the skin must be peeled or scratched off. Caution must be used when heating wax so as not to burn the skin.

Epilation

The no-no hair removal system is another epilation process that uses heat as a means to remove and burn off the hair literally. This is a hand held device engineered specifically for home use, and guarantees ease of use. This works like an electronic razor (without the blade) that utilizes principles of a smaller scale electrolysis process (without the complications.)

The actually device costs around $250. Manufacturers and distributors of the no-no hair removal system however, advises that the device is not to be used on parts of the body where heat is most damaging like the face, the breasts (especially the nipple area; male chests do not pose as a problem, though) and the genital regions.