Hair Removal Methods

There are two types of temporary hair removal methods

1) Depilation

2) Epilation

Below I have explained these types in brief.

1) Depilation: This method removes only hair on the skin. The various processes under this type are mentioned below.

Shaving: This is the most common temporary method for men and women. It is also very inexpensive, easy to do, and very temporary because Shaving cuts the hair off at the surface of the skin and not at the follicle. Shaving does not make the hair shaft thicker, darker, or grow faster or slower. should be done after applying some type of moisturizer to the skin to help the razor glide over the skin, not cut or scrape it. the hair will feel bristly and stubbly and often gives a shadowed. grey appearance to the skin in areas of thick growth. Regrowth can happen in as little as a few hours but will definitely be visible within days.

Depilatories: Chemical depilatories are hair removing gels, creams or lotions containing chemicals that dissolve the protein structure of hair. This temporary hair removal method is cheap, fast and causing no pain to the user. They are handy for the areas which are tricky to shave. They provide slower regrowth and a less stubbly effect than shaving but they do involve a bit of hanging about covered in messy cream and although the manufacturers try to disguise the chemical smell, they have not quite succeeded so the creams smell quite strongly.

Friction: It is used for removing excess hair, can be used to buff away hair from the skin's surface using a very fine sandpaper like substance usually in the form of friction mitts. The main drawback in this is its restricted use on large areas with skin that can handle the rough treatment like the legs. The hair on face or on bikini area of women cannot be removed in this way.

2) Epilation: Under this temporary hair removal method, the hair inside the skin is removed by damaging the cells responsible for the growth. Some epilation methods are given below.

Tweezing: Using tweezers to pluck out individual hairs is a great method for dealing with eyebrows and face, for getting rid of a few stray hairs which might crop up anywhere where you don't want them. It is not practical to use on larger areas. Tweezing certain areas such as the chin and even eyebrows were you cannot see well enough to look in a mirror you would need the help of other people.

Sugaring: This body hair removal technique is very similar to the waxing method. It is fast and cheap and can be performed effectively at home. A thick sugary substance similar to caramel is spread on the skin in the direction of hair growth. Then press a strip of cloth or paper on the applied area. Remove the cloth or paper quickly in opposite direction of hair growth. The hairs are removed at the root or follicle. Hair re-growth can take up to six weeks, but may start to appear in about three weeks. As was the case for waxing, the hair may be finer than it was before the treatment and may eventually reduce in amount.



Waxing: This is a relatively inexpensive and arguably the most effective temporary body hair removal technique. In place of sticky paste, hot wax is used. All the difficulties and shortfalls with sugaring exist with waxing also. Additionally, some wax can infect skin. Cold waxes are available usually attached to strips, which are patted onto the skin. Wax that is still left on the skin must be peeled or scratched off. Caution must be used when heating wax so as not to burn the skin.

Threading: This is often used for facial hair removal as it is suitable for delicate skin. This body hair removal technique involves the use of a cotton thread. It is quick, inexpensive, and suitable for small areas of the body. He/she holds one end of a cotton thread in his/her teeth and the other end in his/her left hand. He/she makes a loop in the middle portion of the thread by using his middle and index fingers of his/her right hand. The practitioner to trap and remove the unwanted hair from the skin uses the loop so formed. The procedure can be painful and result in skin reddening or puffiness. Results last 2 to 4 weeks.

Epilators: This body hair removal method uses a mechanical device to pull the hair out of the skin. Epilators are mains or battery operated epilation devices which usually consist of spinning disks which trap hair and pull it out from the roots. They can be quite painful. The hair needs to be at least one quarter of an inch long for the mechanical epilator to function effectively.