Various Hair Removal Processes
Most Americans have a slight obsession with hair. There are numerous places on our bodies to keep hair in check, including the face, arms, legs, armpits, pubic region, stomach, and chest. Because of our desire to remove hair to have a smooth-skinned appearance, there are several ways in which a person can rid himself or herself of the hair on the body.
First, let’s take a quick look at the two different types of hair. Although they are different in their location and purpose, they are both made of keratin. Keratin is the hard protein that makes up hair, fingernails, and toenails. As for the types, there is vellus hair and terminal hair. Vellus hair is the softer keratin that generally appears on the chest, face, and stomach of women. Terminal hair is the hair on our heads and the other thicker, stronger hair on the legs, faces of men, underarms, and pubic region.
Usually, it is the terminal hair that people want to remove, although some choose to scrape off vellus hair as well.
Probably the oldest method of keratin removal is shaving. You take a sharp, knife-like razor blade and scrape it along the surface of the skin, cutting off the hair at the surface. This leaves the root and other invisible parts intact, which is why shaving only lasts 1-3 days. However, shaving is fairly inexpensive. You do have to look out for cuts, nicks, razor burn, and ingrown hairs, though.
Another way to excise hair is to pluck it out completely, either with tweezers or via waxing. Because this type of removal pulls out the root, hair can be nonexistent for several weeks. However, it is more painful than shaving. Getting professional waxes can be expensive, but plucking with tweezers is relatively cheap. Like shaving, this leaves you at risk for ingrown hairs and irritation. Waxing and plucking is best for areas that need precision, such as the eyebrows, but it is also good for bikini lines because the hair does not grow back as fast as with shaving.
Depilatories work by dissolving the hair that is above the surface of the skin. Typically a cream or a liquid, a depilatory usually needs to sit on the hairy area for several minutes before being wiped or washed away. Depilatories tend to last a little bit longer than shaving, but still not as long as with plucking or waxing. They are relatively easy to use at home, and do not have the pain involved with the previous method. However, many people dislike the smell of depilatories at work, and people with sensitive skin can have reactions with the harsh chemicals in the substance.
To basically shock your hair into submission, you may want to consider electrolysis. With this, a professional skincare technician inserts a needle into your hair follicles and shocks them, killing the source of hair. This takes a long time to complete, and is also expensive, but a major benefit is that the process is supposed to permanently remove your hair.
Lastly, a popular new method of permanent hair removal is laser treatment. A laser is shone so that it penetrates underneath your skin into the follicle of hair. Like electrolysis, this kills the follicle, so that it can supposedly never grow hair again. Laser treatment is expensive, but many people report better results than with electrolysis.
For more information on laser hair removal, check out Zimmet Vein & Dermatology today.
By Anonymous
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Ingrown Hairs