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The Two Hair Removal Methods Known to Man

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Man seems to have an innate desire to remove dark hair form his body from the time they appear during the adolescent years. This desire lasts up to our death for many people. Hair removal techniques have been in use by mankind for thousands of years, one has only to look at the historical evidence from ancient Egypt and the very well done sculptures of the Romans to see just how long mankind has been obsessed with smooth, hairless bodies.

There are two basic categories of hair removal methods:

• Temporary
• Permanent
Temporary

These techniques have a short term effect lasting anything from a day to six months. The aim of temporary methods is to get rid of visible hair. The changes have no permanence. Generally these techniques are not invasive and are quick to work.

Temporary techniques include; shaving, waxing, tweezing, threading, delapilatory creams and sugaring. Temporary techniques are usually physical in nature. These techniques can be applied with ingenuity and creativity to achieve the desired look. Temporary methods allow for manipulation of styles to fit the demands and rigors of fashion.

Because of their short time nature, these techniques are usually inexpensive in comparison to the permanent methods. Temporary techniques also have varying levels of complexity. Some are relatively easy to do and can be done at home while some will need the services of a skilled cosmetologist. Epilation is one example of a simple technique that can be done at home; waxing may require help, especially in the hard to reach areas such as the back of the legs.

Permanent

The aim of permanent methods is to put an absolute halt to the growth of unwanted hair. These techniques are more limited in variety. Electrolysis, laser treatment and intense pulse light technology are the only approved techniques for permanent hair removal. These techniques work by damaging the root of the hair follicle to the point that it can no longer function. All these methods take long to achieve their goal because the body is quite resilient and will regenerate damaged cells.

Satisfactory results will take up to four years to be achieved in some techniques such as electrolysis and even then the hair could still grow right back after some years. Unlike the temporary methods, these techniques require specialized equipment and skilled personnel for safety and success. Deep pockets are also needed as these methods will usually require long term scheduled sessions.

Generally each person will chose a method or methods that work best for them depending time, monetary status, skin type, and the desired hair-free area.

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A Temporary Hair Removal Technique

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Epilation is a general term used to describe mass plucking of hair. Epilation techniques have their origin in the ancient Middle East and in Egypt to be more particular. With such levels of advancement it is a wonder what led to the collapse of such an empire. Egyptians called it fatlah. This word describes threading as we now it today. This technique was considered less painful than plucking- depending on your pain threshold, you may consider this to be true!

While tweezing, threading, and plucking are still in use using the same techniques as have been used for thousand of years, technology has made its inroads into this craft. Thanks to electricity, epilation techniques have become quite easy and fast. Epilators now come as a row of rotating tweezers that are equal to the task. Some more ingenuous inventors have made epilators that use vibrating wire to accomplish the task. By the simple act of plugging in and running the gadget over the skin, the hair is plucked by the root. The speed by which this is accomplished will not leave you a tearful wreck as is the case with some of the manual techniques.

Let us go over some advantages of this technique:

1. Hair takes long to grow back as it has been plucked from the root giving you a few weeks of hair free living.
2. Just like in waxing, the re-grown hair is soft and gets softer with continued epilation
3. Epilation is an easy home alone exercise especially with the electric epilation machines.
4. It is a clean and hygienic way of hair removal. Epilators aren’t usually shared and this makes it cheaper as well in the long run because you only buy an epilator once.
On the other side, not all is rosy:

1. People with thick hair will find it painful to use this technique
2. There are some hard to reach areas like the back of the legs.
3. For this technique to be effective, the hair has to be of a certain length otherwise the tweezers won’t be able to pluck the hair.
4. The re- growth produces very fine hair and this is harder too remove effectively.

A warm room is best for epilation. Generally, epilation will give good results if the skin is pulled tight to prevent snagging. Having a hot bath will not hurt as well. This technique works well for some and not so well for others, especially those with dense hair. It is however one of the cheapest and most tolerable options for removing unwanted hair.

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Electrolysis Hair Removal

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal technique with a long and elaborate history.

Dr. Charles E. Michel first reported using this technique in 1875 in managing ingrown eyelashes but it is another doctor Dr. W.A. Hardaway who stole the thunder by publishing his works in scientific journal in 1878. By this time a good number of doctors were using electrolysis in their therapies. Electrolysis as therapeutic method became well known in the latter part of the 20th century and has had a steady stream of technological advances.

The US FDA has approved electrolysis as a permanent hair removal method. Multiple sessions are required to achieve the best results though there is no 100% guarantee of success for everyone. Patience is needed as the process could take several years of scheduled sessions.

Electrolysis works by applying current using a very fine needle shaped electrode. Individual hairs are targeted and it takes about a minute to destroy the root. Hair that is in the growth phase is the best target for electrolysis. Not all hair is in the same stage of growth and as a result repeated sessions of electrolysis are needed to get the hair in the growth phase.

The good

Of all the permanent methods of hair removal, electrolysis has the best track record. Its long service has enabled sufficient studies and observations on hair re-growth. In many cases, the results of electrolysis are permanent- which is the intended purpose.
Electrolysis targets the hair follicle; it is not dependent on hair pigment like the laser methods. White and grey hair can therefore be cleared by electrolysis. This is the one advantage electrolysis holds ever more recent methods like laser treatment.

The bad

On the flip side, electrolysis is a long and tedious procedure. Each hair follicle has to be treated to its own dose of electricity for about a minute. Covering a small are can take hours. Electrolysis will require many sessions usually around 15- 30 scheduled sessions. To clear the chin can take more than a year. The effectiveness of electrolysis can also be jeopardized by previous hair removal techniques like waxing or tweezing. These techniques bend the hair follicle hence making it difficult for the needle to reach the root of the hair follicle. Electrolysis can cause skin discoloration if improperly done.

Electrolysis also rate as poorly on the pain meter. It will cause a stinging and prickling sensation as the needle is applied and each follicle has to go through the same treatment.

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