Hair Removal Methods

Removing body hair can be a chore. For decades hair removal methods were either messy, painful or both. Today there are many different methods to keep your skin smooth and hair free.

Razors

There are hundreds of variations on the basic razor. For men, for women, single bladed, double bladed, triple bladed and quad bladed. The bulk of razors sold are disposable, with replaceable head razors coming in a strong second. Some models have thin wires across the blades to reduce nicks. Others have thick bars of shaving cream built into their heads or strips of a skin soothing soothing lotion.

Depilatories

These are lotions, creams or foams that remove body hair by chemically burning the hair at the root. Some depilatories are fast acting and do nit require a long wait time like the creams of the past. New formulations can be used in the shower and will not wash away until scrubbed or scraped with a special sponge/tool included in the package. New scents improve the once foul smell of depilatories.

Epilators

Hand held devices with a rotating head or spring type mechanism that grasps hair, plucking them cleaning from the follicles are known as epilators. The most famous are the Epilady and Epila Hair Removal Laser. Epilators can be painful, though no more so than waxing. Epillation of hair can cause hair to grow back much finer over time.

Buffing

Buffing is essentially a sand paper type of disc that is rubbed vigorously against the skin either by hand or with a rotating hand held tool. Hair is ’sanded’ away, while the skin is left with a smooth, polished look and feel. The buffing tool is a very fine texture and does not damage the skin unless held in one place for an extended period.

Waxing

This application can be done at home or in a salon. The traditional method of waxing involves heating a wax, spreading it over the skin, then placing cloth strips over the wax. The strips are pressed against the skin and stripped away, removing the hair in the area. Cold waxes are used in the same manner, minus the heating which lead to burns in some people when the wax was overheated. Hair that is removed by waxing grows in finer and lighter over time, much like epillation.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis takes the most time of all hair removal methods. Hair is grasped strand by strand with a tool that looks like tweezers and an electric current is sent down the hair, into the shaft to kill the bulb from which hair grows. This is a permanent method of removal and can be done at home or at a salon that offers this type of hair removal service. It can be painful if hair is pulled or the current is high.

Laser Removal

Another technique used to permanently remove hair is laser removal. Until recently this method was only available at a special office, performed by a doctor or licensed technician. Hand held laser hair removal tools are now available for home use. One popular choice is the Epila laser tool, which costs less than a single visit to an office for this procedure. Permanent results may not be achieved without multiple visits for the laser treatment, making at home laser hair removal an economical avenue.