Why is hair removal such a mystery subject?

There’s hardly any information in the beauty books on my shelf (and I have a fair few as a health and beauty writer) and my local library turned up not a single paragraph in their collection. Amazon has a few books on it in their huge collection but they are mainly aimed at professional beauty therapists.

It’s no wonder that many girls suffer the misery of unwanted hair and think they must be freaks when it’s really the norm to have some you want to get rid of – about 80% of females apparently want rid of some facial or body hair.

There are volumes written on applying blusher the right way but hardly a word on getting rid of a mustache – and I think facial hair removal wins hands down in the instant beauty improvement stakes.

Still at least we have the internet to guide us – but do be careful because there are also a whole heap of sites out there with as much misinformation as solid advice.

Always check what you read before you proceed.

Hair removal is such a pain that it’s probably the last thing to be thankful about but in honor of Thanksgiving in the U.S. tomorrow I thought I would just say a few words about what we can be thankful for when it comes to removing hair….

• we can be thankful about anwhere that hair is NOT growing (unless it’s not growing on your head!). That would be the palms of my hands and soles of my feet then – no need for wax or laser in those places
• we can be thankful that there are reasonably accessible and affordable methods of dealing with any hair removal problem. No matter how much of a pest it is to get rid of hair we don’t have to live with it unless we want to.
• we can be thankful that no matter how hairy you are or which places you have hair sprouting from you are still lovable just as you are. People love people with hair growing everywhere and anywhere.

Have a Happy Hairy or Non-Hairy Thanksgiving tomorrow if you celebrate it and a great Thursday if you don’t.

Veronique

Simply Hair Removal

This is a thorough medical article by PDR health outlining the many causes of hirsutism (or excessive hairiness in women) including various medical conditions which can cause excess hair growth and over 15 medications which can create the condition.

The article also describes how hirsutism is diagnosed and how it might be treated both by self care and medical treatment and follow up.

If you suspect that your unwanted hair problems are caused by a medical condition or medication, check out the article first before looking for hair removal solutions.

Excessive Hairiness

It seems that as many as 80% of women and 50% of men have to cope with unwanted hair in some shape or form.

Although women have removed unwanted hair for decades while men just shaved their faces, it is a relatively new but growing phenomenon for men to remove body hair.

Today, salons report that between 35% and 60% of their clientele are male.

But does removing hair make any difference to how attractive you are?  

Well it certainly seems that way for women. Experiments have shown that women with body hair are viewed by both males and females as less intelligent, less sociable and less happy.

For men, the jury is still out – except where hairs between eyebrows (the "unibrow") and on shoulders and backs are concerned plus those pesky hairs sprouting from nose and ears. Any more is probably unneccessary but hair is often removed to show off good musculature (body builders have a task and a half here) and for sexual reasons. 

The bottom line is that, no matter what anyone else thinks or believes (and different cultures view body hair in different lights anyway), the need for hair removal is purely personal.

If removing hair makes you feel better than not removing it then you'll go through the hassle of waxing, shaving, depilatory or laser. And the more you dislike that excess hair and the more attractive you feel without it the more hassle you'll put up with! 

It is becoming more and more fashionable not just to remove hair from legs and underarms but to remove hair from all over your body and this applies as much (if not more) to men as women.

For men, this is due to the increased interest in grooming and image, the constant bombardment of advertising with attractive male models sporting completely hair-free bodies in skimpy clothes and to the continued interest in the sport of body-building where a hair-free body is required to properly show off muscle definition.

But a hair-free body, whether you're male or female,  is easy to wish for and not so easy to achieve.

Traditionally, competitive body-builders employed personal body-shavers who would prepare their body for competition just before the event – shaving the whole body and leaving them smooth and hair free ready to apply oil and show off their muscles.

But body-builders have also experimented with other hair removal methods.

As laser hair removal became more accessible in the 1990s some body builders thought it was the answer to their prayers but, as you may know, laser hair removal does not remove all the hair at once or it it does not achieve a permanent result. So it is not always easy to get a complete hair-free look just at the right time for competition. Plus the expense is enough to prevent is being an option for many.

And though waxing sounds like a good idea, as you can wax your whole body in one (painful!) session, you will know if you have ever tried it that it does not leave your skin in the best condition. Waxing tends to pull tender skin and leave it looking red and irritated. Not the best look for presenting your body before a panel of judges. By the time your skin has settled down you may be experiencing regrowth. Depilatory creams have the same problems with causing skin redness and irritation due to the harsh chemicals they contain.

Electrolysis, though it is a permanent solution, is not for everyone either. It's? painful and expensive and oh so time-consuming to treat your whole body single hair by single hair. And so most body-builders and many others are back to shaving.

Luckily the market is answering the demand for products to cater for the trend of all-over body grooming and you can buy specialist electric body-shavers these days rather than employing the services of a personal shaving assistant to do the job.

Removing hair at home is great if you know what you are doing and there are quite a few methods of home hair removal to explore. With a whole body to care for you, will probably find yourself using quite a few of these methods to suit not just particular parts of the body but also particular times of the year (different methods for summer and winter) and different stages in your life (you may need a different method of hair removal when you suddenly get ultra busy with a new job or a new baby).

Also your budget will have a big impact on the methods you can choose. Some methods are a buy it once and then you’re set for a good long time while others you need to continue to buy strips and creams and refills. In any case you will removing hair at home cheaper than comparable methods at a salon.

You may need to persevere a bit to find the methods of home hair removal that are right for you. I have certainly tried most things in my time. You might try using one method for under your arms, one for legs and another for your face. If you’re a guy, home hair removal might mean leaving your legs well alone but waxing your chest and getting a friend to help with your back. And then if the first way is not for you try something else. Getting a satisfactory method of home hair removal is all about experimentation.

You do have to search long and hard for a product which lives up to the title “permanent hair remover” but the One Touch is one of them, though I have to say it has mixed reviews and I hope this article will help you to see why.

Officially called the Clean & Easy One Touch Deluxe Electrolysis system, this is a tiny portable hair removal machine costing around $40. It has been approved as safe for home use and is described as a gentle, safe, fast and effective way to remove hair permanently.

To be honest I think that the advertisers could do with injecting a bit of realism into this because I have to say that this statement sets buyers up with the wrong expectation and disappointment when really they have a little machine on their hands which could herald the end to their hair removal problems.

Let’s take each claim of this permanent home hair removal system in turn and look at the reality

One Touch home hair removal kit

Is the One Touch electrolysis Machine Safe?

The machine is safe when handled correctly but if you don’t read the instructions or spend some time practicing on less sensitive and visible areas of your body you may find you end up with red marks where you least want them to show. In my opinion, no way, should you begin with the machine on your face until you have some expertise in using it. Self adjusting stylet tips means that you can’t pierce your skin and you have an adjustable current to avoid damaging your skin but I would never go above setting 1 until you are completely happy with what you are doing. And then take it one step at a time to find the most effective setting for you.

Is it Gentle?

Well, if you have ever had electrolysis treatment you know it hurts a bit so I’m not sure where the gentle comes into it. If you want to know how the machine feels arrange one short professional electrolysis session at a salon. It will let you know how this thing works and you will have the right expectation. This is electrolysis destroying your hair follicles and permanently removing hair from the root. This is not a soothing facial relaxing type treatment.

Is It Fast?

Given that you treat one hair at a time and each hair takes about 15 seconds to treat, it very much depends how many hairs you are treating. It will take some time to learn to do the process well too. There are certainly disgruntled buyers who don’t take that time and get upset that performing electrolysis on their legs takes too long but if they had professional teatment it would be the same kind of treatment length. The beauty of having the hair removal machine at home is that you can do your treatment in short bursts as and when you have a bit of time. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there and you will be working towards a hair free state with no need for trips to salon. That is where you really save lots of time.

Is It Effective and Permanent?

Yes, eventually. Be aware that you have to catch each hair at the right stage of growth to permanently destroy it, so don’t fret if you have to go over each hair a couple of times to catch it. The thing is permanent hair removal is tricky whether you are professional or amateur with your One Touch. Only you can know if it is a worthwhile process for you to persevere. I believe if hair growth is upsetting you then a bit of determination and this little low-cost machine will improve your life.

If you decide to purchase a One Touch machine and perform electrolysis hair removal at home here are a few tips from buyers

• you may want to purchase separate tweezers that suit you rather than us the ones which come with the kit if you find them difficult to use. Different tweezers suit different folks
• keep some spare stylet tips on hand so that you can replace if you bend one
• soothe the area after treatment with a tea-tree antiseptic cream which promotes fast healing
• give your skin a chance to calm down before applying make-up (Don’t treat your face just before going out or before an important occasion)
• you will need alcohol based antiseptic lotion to keep everything clean

My Review and Summary

On balance, I believe the machine is worth a go especially if you don’t have the budget for expensive salon treatments and you are sufficiently motivated to work on your hairs one by one and get rid of them. The One Touch permanent hair remover truly offers a new lease of life to some people. However if you are looking for something quick, easy and completely painless then this is not for you (and nor is professional electrolysis or any other method of permanent hair removal). See latest prices, discounts and buyers reviews here

Permanent hair removal products – that’s the holy grail of hair removal – to have a product which removes hair permanently, particularly one which you can buy, use discretely at home and be assured that your hair removal problems are over for good.

But do such products exist?

Well, among the many scams and fake ads there are a few products on the market which really do work to get rid of your unwanted hair. They work, but they are not for everyone.

Why is that?

Each of the products requires careful operation and attention to detail so that you get the best possible results from the device. If you are slapdash with them, lose patience and don’t follow instructions you won’t get good results and you may damage your skin.

Here are a couple of the better examples of such products.

The Silk’n Laser Device

The Silk’n hair removal machine is a laser hair removal product for use in the home. You can treat your hairs quite quickly provided your hair and skin coloring are suitable for the machine and you are looking to treat body hair rather than hair on your face and neck. It isn’t cheap but it provides more affordable laser hair treatment than you will find at beauty clinics and medical spas. While the ideal is that you always go to professionals for laser hair removal, if you can’t afford that this machine provides you a cost effective alternative. See Silkn laser hair removal machine reviews for more details.

The One Touch Machine

The One Touch hair removal device is a product which works on the principle of electrolysis. It is much cheaper than the Silk’n and can be used on the face as well as the body (once you are experienced in using it).  You have to be more precise with this mahine and it is slower to treat your excess hair as you have to treat one hair at a time rather than “zapping” a few at once. See our review at One Touch permanent hair remover for more details about this.

You will only be pleased with your purchase of these products if you have the determination to deal for once and for all with your unwanted hair and you are prepared to put in the time to learn to operate the machines effectively and get the most out of them. Remember, even with professional treatment, you won’t get instant permanent removal of your hair. You have to go back for a number of sessions. Sometimes many. At least with these permanent hair removal products you can treat your unwanted hair as often as you like from the comfort of your own home without incurring   huge additional costs of repeat salon visits.

It used to be OK for men to have hairy backs but these days the clean, groomed look is in and back hair removal is pretty much the norm for men who care about their appearance.

But it is not that easy to even see your back never mind remove the hair from it without assistance. So how do those in the know about male hair removal achieve (and maintain) a smooth back?

Well, you have a number of options to remove hair from your back and you may have to experiment a little to find the method that works best for you, depending on your budget, how your skin reacts and whether or not you have anyone to help you.

Back Hair Removal by Shaving

Shaving is the way that men naturally turn to when thinking about unwanted hair because you have probably been shaving your face for a good few years and it’s certainly the way body builders have achieved a smooth look across their whole bodies for years.

You would think that with this method of removing body hair you would need a lot of help but actually there is now a shaver or grooming tool available which has been specifically designed so that you can deal with your back hair yourself. It’s called the MANGROOMER Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver

Mangroomer for DIY back shaving

As you can see it shaves a larger area than the norm with a 1.5″ blade and extends so that you can reach your own back. Its cutting edge design gives you a very close shave and prevents ingrowing hairs.

You will of course need a mirror with good lighting and maybe a hand mirror to be able to see but it should not be too much of a problem to get these and perform your own back hair removal as often as you like without incurring much in the way of ongoing cost – great for those on a low budget.

The only disadvantages with shaving is the rate of regrowth – you are going to have to carry out the operation regularly to maintain a smooth back – and also how your skin reacts to shaving.

You will probably find that your back skin is a little irritated as it is not used to shaving but this will not last. However if you have bad problems with ingrown hairs and razor bumps on your face you may also have problems with back shaving so you may want to look at other methods if that is the case, Otherwise the Mangroomer is well worth a try.

See here for details and over 200 positive buyer reviews of the Mangroomer

If you don’t have one of these razors and are relying on a standard safety or electric razor then you will need assistance on a regular basis. Do you know anyone who is willling to shave your back for you every day or two?

Waxing or Sugar Waxing

For back hair removal by waxing or sugar waxing you will definitely need assistance. Even Houdini I reckon could not wax his own back.

Back waxing can be easily performed professionally in a salon but it is quite costly to have this done regularly at around $50 a session in some cities and you may find it inconvenient to have regular appointments to take care of your back hair. The treatments would need to be repeated every 3 to 6 weeks and unfortunately the hair has to grow about an eigth to a quarter of an inch before the wax is able to grip hold of it so you will have to see some regrowth before you can get treatment again. The rate of regrowth depends on your own individual hair texture and regrowth rate.

If you have a willing partner you can save money by using a hot wax kit at home. It’s not too difficult after a little practice but it is a bit of a messy operation. Sugar waxing is great in this respect as any sticky residue can be easily washed off with clean water.

The main disadvantage with waxing is that it is quite painful as hairs are ripped out from the root as each strip of wax is removed and your skin will be left a bit red and sore for a while.

Depilatory Creams

Back hair can be removed using hair removal creams. You will probably be able to reach your own back to apply these so it is a method you can probably manage yourself which only involves applying the (rather smelly) cream and then waiting for around 5 to 10 minutes until the hair has dissolved before removal.

Hair regrowth is pretty quick with this method as, like shaving, it removes hair only from the skin surface. You will also find that you get through a lot of hair removal cream with this method of back hair removal and it can be an expensive way of maintaining your smooth back if you plan to use hair removal creams regularly.

Electrolysis for the back

Back hair removal by electrolysis is going to be a long and costly business as each hair from this large surface area has to be removed individually and may need several treatments to remove it permanently. It will be a bit painful too as each hair is removed and the follicle is destroyed. However you can be sure that it will be permanent in the end so if you really want to get rid of your hair for good then this can be a good way to go, especially if you are not talking about a full back area and maybe just the back of your shoulders etc.

Back Laser Hair Removal

This is one of the most popular methods of back hair removal and with good reason as laser treatment is able to deal with a large number of hairs in one session and is much quicker than electrolysis. It is expensive however and you will need several sessions and  afew thousand dollars to achieve a permanent reduction in back hair as well as follow up sessions to deal with any regrowth. For more details see laser hair treatment

Once you have thought about which methods for back hair removal might suit you, take the plunge and have a go. You will only know how your own skin and back hair reacts and which hair removal method truly suits you once you try it.

Depilatory cream, otherwise known as hair removal cream is an easy way to remove hair. Although you must always follow the instructions on the box or enclosed leaflet you generally apply the cream, wait a few minutes, scrape it off with the provided spatula and gently wash the area in lukewarm water and pat dry. Job done!

You can buy hair removal cream everywhere. Common brands are Nair, Veet and Immac and they are pretty similar to each other in terms of price. You can find a whole range HERE

Try a few different brands because it will probably be something small which marks out one over another and makes it the best hair removal cream for you – things like the packaging, familiarity with the brand, how the cream, gel or lotion is applied or the fragrance (which is meant to disguise the pungent smell of the chemical which all these hair removal creams use although it rarely does a complete job on this).

Different Formulas

You can use these hair removal products on most parts of your body – check the packaging but depilatory creams are generally great for underarms, legs, chest, back, bikini line and face – pretty much everywhere. You don’t need to buy a special bikini hair removal cream or hair removal creme for legs.  However you may find special formulations for facial hair – an area which is a bit more sensitive than others and some manufacturers will package up a product for use on specific areas to give them an edge (although it is often the same stuff  inside).

Likewise the formula is generally not any different for removing male hair or female hair but you might find special hair removal cream for men which is packaged and perfumed differently to appeal to those looking for male hair removal products.

Patch Sensitivity Test

Before you use your chosen product for the first time always do a patch test to check for sensitivity and adverse reactions to the formula. It should tell you to do this in the instructions. It’s better to spend an extra five minutes the first time you use it and be safe rather than sorry – this is particularly important for facial hair removal cream for obvious reasons.

Any Disadvantages of Hair Removal Cream?

• It’s easy to forget to check the time when you apply it and then end up guessing and leaving it on too long or taking it off too soon. Remember to take a timer into the bathroom when you use your depilatory cream
• It’s also a bit boring waiting for the whole process to work. Five minutes standing around can seem like an age. Remember and take a magazine with you
• The smell of these products is quite distinctive  – no matter how well the manufacturer has perfumed the cream, here is still a smell that lingers after you have used the product (not on you thankfully just around the bathroom)
• Your skin may be a bit sensitive after use so don’t plan on using perfumes or deodorants immediately after removing your hair with depilatory cream.
• The hair is destroyed just below the surface of the skin and not at the root so this is a temporary hair removal method and you have to keep using your hair removal cream every few days if you want to maintain smooth skin. However you will find that regrowth is slight less stubbly and fast than shaving.