Hair Removal Options

Simple fact or a cruel joke, but as men age, they get less hair
where they want it and more hair where they don’t Excessive,
patchy or ill-placed body hair can be the bane of any man,
fortunately today’s average guy can add hair removal to his
regular grooming routine De-foresting options abound, the most
popular of them are listed below:
SHAVING A centuries old process common to virtually every man on
earth, hair removal is immediate, but grows back almost as
quickly Pros: Inexpensive, convenient and non-invasive Cons:
Very short-term; razor burn, subject to ingrown hairs and
bleeding at the shaky hand of the fearful
WAXING Hot wax is spread on, capturing the hair, when cool it is
removed with a yank of a fabric strip Cold wax or hard wax does
not require the fabric strip and is best on shorter, thinner
hair in smaller sensitive areas Waxing is fast, efficient,
immediate and provides longer term results than shaving Pros:
Quick and cheap; lasts longer than shaving (3-4 weeks) Cons:
Messy, painful, also rashes or acne breakouts may occur
ELECTROLYSIS An electrical current is emitted from a probe that
is inserted into every hair follicle to permanently destroy the
root Electrolysis is the most effective process for removal of
unwanted hair Look for a certified and very experienced
Electrologist when considering this option Pros: Permanent
Cons: Painful, expensive, time-consuming and results totally
dependent on the skill of your Electrologist
LASER HAIR REMOVAL Lasers destroy hair follicles by targeting
the melanin within The light beam passes through skin into the
hair while energy is transformed into heat disabling the hair
follicle This Procedure should only be performed by a licensed
plastic surgeon, or dermatologist Maintenance visits may be
required Pros: Effective, faster and less painful than
electrolysis; last 3-6 months Cons: Expensive, potential
burning or scarring, and once again must be performed by a
highly experienced professional
INTENSE PULSED LIGHT This next generation of technology
promises better results than lasers by using concentrated bursts
of wide-spectrum, multidirectional light The manufacturers
claim it is suitable for a wide range of skin types and hair
colors Pros: Effective; faster and more precise than lasers;
near permanent Cons: Very expensive, new technology, not
available everywhere
CHEMICAL DEPILATORIES If you can’t stand the thought of yanking
your hair out by the roots, shocking or burning out your hair
follicles, then depilatory creams and foams offer an
alternative Hair-removal creams are composed of acids that
actually dissolve hair just below the surface, but the strong
chemicals can irritate skin, especially if you leave the stuff
on too long Pros: Quick, easy and cheap; not painful like
waxing Cons: Unpleasant odor to some; may cause skin irritation
SUGARING An ancient method of hair removal that originated in
Egypt; sugaring is an alternative to waxing for highly sensitive
skin A sugar paste is applied at body temperature and removed
with cotton strips or directly with the hands Pros:
All-natural, gentler on skin than waxing Cons: Not effective on
men’s beards
THREADING Another ancient hair-removal method still used widely
throughout the Middle East to remove unwanted facial hair 100%
cotton thread is used to entwine the hair, which is lifted from
the follicle The practice, while not as common as other methods
in the US, is effective and precise Pros: Great for those
allergic to wax Cons: Time-consuming and moderately painful
removing more than a single strand of hair
EPILATORS Early models used coils of wire that grabbed
indiscriminately, and as subtly as a tractor Newer models like
the Silk-Epil use rows of tiny tweezers, which cause
(relatively) less pain, and at least one model actually includes
an ice-pack attachment to numb your targeted body parts Pros:
Cleaner and quicker than shaving or waxing, can last for weeks
Cons: Can produce irritated skin, ingrown hairs and the sight of
grown men crying
Give any one of these a try and you can say “Hair today, Gone
tomorrow” and feel good about it
©2005 Jolene Schwartz

Tags | current, electrical, follicles, hair, lasers, light, melanin, shaky, wax