Grooming of bodily hair meets a number of needs, one of which may be for hygiene or beauty. But apart from these, cultural perceptions also define people’s choices for hair removal.
Your reasons, and possibly the size of your purse, determines what methods you prefer. While there are different methods, hair removal can involve removing part of the hair above the skin’s surface (known as depilation) or removing the entire strand of hair from beneath the skin (epilation).
Depilation
If you’re looking to clear areas around your underarms or intimate regions, shaving and the use of depilatory creams are the most common means. And they are common for good reasons. Shaving is affordable and easy to get done with. On the other hand, depilatory creams contain substances which break down hair in order to make it easy to remove. Also, using the creams are more flexible than shaving because they can reach into folds which may be inaccessible to shaving tools. They also leave the skin smoother. Both methods, however, leave just about a week before hairs begin to resurface.
Because they leave the skin smoother, depilatory creams are also the best option for removing hair on the legs and arms. Shaving leaves hair strands coarse after each cut thus if your motives for hair removal is to reveal smooth skin, shaving defeats this aim. Remember to read the labels before using a depilatory cream product.
Epilation
Though it may hurt, waxing is the most common way used to the entire strand of hair from beneath the skin. It requires that the hair grows to a reasonable length to allow the wax grip onto strands and pull them out effectively. The result? Up to six weeks without hair as you so desire. It can be used for almost every part of your body and is best done by a professional – this you can find at a reputable spa.
Still on removing the entire hair from beneath the skin, use a pair of tweezers to remove a few strands of hair like those unruly strands which grow on the chin and eyebrows. Other less common methods with long-lasting results include the use of electrical epilators, drugs which inhibit hair growth, and for permanent removal over a period of time, laser hair removal and intense pulsed light technologies.