Hair Removal Basics

Should different types of hair be removed with different methods?

Different types of hair can be treated with different methods of treatment. Hair which is very fine will grow possibly coarser and deeper if it's waxed. If it's very coarse hair, then waxing won't affect the way it grows at all. It would be unwise to shave fine hair on someone's face. With hair which is on the legs and is quite coarse, if that person has a skin condition - such as very fine capillaries which are quite extensive, or varicose veins - then that leg hair shouldn't be waxed, however coarse it is. Broadly speaking, the type of hair, the type of wax or treatment and the skin condition should all be taken into consideration.

Should men use different hair removal techniques to women?

Men and women can use very similar hair removal techniques. Men, as we know historically, have shaved for many, many years. Shaving cuts the hair at skin level. That works very well for men's faces. It is not something that women should do to the hair on their faces, unless it's an absolute last resort disaster and they have a very serious problem. For hair on the body area, such as the back or the top of the shoulders, or even the chest, if men don't like that hair, they can certainly have it waxed it in the same way that a woman has her legs waxed. Also, if men have got hair which they want treated on a more permanent basis, that can be removed, with either electrolysis, which is electrical epilation, or with IPL laser. Either method will work very effectively on the hair for men which they want to get rid of. For instance, some men have hair on the upper cheek area which really worries them. It's as though the beard grows too near the cheekbone, too high on the face, and that area can be treated by electolysis, by electrical epilation, very successfully. That's exactly the method which you'd use on a few hairs on a lady, who had hair on her upper lip or chin.

What are in-growing hairs?

In-growing hairs are hairs where the tip of the hair hasn't protruded through the surface of the skin. The fine pointed end of the hair has curled around inside the hair follicle. The hair follicle is the name given to the little pocket which the hair grows from in the skin. The tip of the hair may have not protruded sufficiently, particularly if it's curly hair, curled around upon itself to form a little spiral. The spiral looks like a pimple and in fact it very easily can go septic. In-growing hairs can be helped, and they can be avoided by exfoliating the skin, by stimulating the surface of the circulation, and that helps to stop them occurring. They certainly can be a nuisance, because they can cause scars if they're left to go septic.

Which hair removal technique is the most long lasting?

The most long lasting method of hair removal is electrical epilation for individual hairs, because they can't re-grow when the hair growing cells are being destroyed. Laser can be used for a larger area of hair. If you want to look at getting rid of those hairs permanently, then use electrolysis or laser, definitely.

Which hair removal technique is the most painful?

The pain threshold for people varies. Some people find electrolysis quite painful, but to get rid of a few hairs permanently, it's worth it. Some people find having their legs waxed really painful, but people get used to that, and it's really like having a plaster removed. For the underarm or bikini area, that's quite sore the first time it's done, but you do get used to it. Laser can be quite uncomfortable too. I don't think any of the hair removal techniques are true pain, like a broken leg or something like that, but they are quite uncomfortable and they do sting.