How To Get Rid of Body Hair (Part 2/2)

Whether temporary or permanent, you are spoilt for choice if you would like to remove body or facial hair

By Verlaine S Ramos | Reprinted with permission from Ezyhealth & Beauty magazine

Click here to read Part 1: Types of Temporary Hair Removal

Threading
In threading, a long twisted loop of thread is rotated rapidly across the skin, so the hairs are trapped within the twisted string and are pulled off. This is an ancient manual technique that originated from India, and has become popular in other parts of Asia as well. It is fast and benefits those who are allergic to waxes or depilatories.

Tip: Go for fully-trained threading technicians with good reputations, and make sure he or she uses 100% cotton threads.

Epilators
A mechanical epilator works like many tweezers – it has a rotating head that grasps multiple hairs and pulls them out simultaneously. Epilators come in corded, rechargeable and battery-operated designs, with different speeds and tweezer strengths. Regrowth takes several days or up to weeks.

Tip: Make sure you exfoliate the area to be epilated first. Always pull the skin taut to avoid pinching.

PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL

Hair Reduction
Laser-assisted and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) are two procedures that offer significant hair reduction that is more lasting, especially after several treatments. These methods can be costly.

Laser
This medical procedure works by passing laser light through the skin, which targets the dark pigment, called melanin, in hair. When the light beam hits the hair follicle (where hair growth originates), the intense heat destroys the hair follicle instantly.

Hair colour and skin type are the key factors that influence the success of laser hair removal. It is most successful on people with dark hair (brown or black) and light skin. However, it can also be used safely on people with darker skin types. Some side effects can be dyspigmentation, blistering, scarring and crusting.

Intense pulsed light (IPL)
IPL is similar to laser in terms of principle of targeting melanin in hair follicles, however, a specially constructed filtered flashlamp that emits wavelengths ranging from 500 to 1200 nm is used, instead of one wavelength used in laser. The pulses of light in IPL are very short in duration, so discomfort is minimal. Some disadvantages include temporary redness and increased or decreased pigment in the treated area.

Permanent hair removal
At present, electrolysis is the only method that permanently removes body hair. In electrolysis, a small, hair-thin probe is inserted into the hair follicle, followed by a pulse of electric current that damages and eventually destroys the hair follicle.

Sources
1. www.dermatology.about.com/cs/hairremoval
2. www.skinbiology.com/hairremovalmethods.html
3. www.emedicine.com/derm/TOPIC503.HTM

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