Thursday, April 10, 2008

Hair removal methods

Hair removal methods Methods of hair removal are varied these days, so choosing which method is best for you and your skin's needs is challenging. There are many effective methods, but some work better than others overall while others are ideal for a specific area on the body. What works well for facial hair, may not prove effective for the bikini area. Here are few of the available methods of removing unwanted body hair. Describes which methods work best and differentiates among shaving, waxing and cream depilatories.

Shaving: Cheap and easy, but needs to be done every couple of days. Do this in the bath or shower using a foam or shower gel and a good razor. (Note if your razor is clogged beyond repair, or rusting, it needs binning or you'll end up with cuts and infections.) Shave in smooth down-up movements (i.e. ankle-knee, breast-head). Moisturise legs afterwards.

Shaving, which is probably the most popular method of hair removal, is also one of the cheapest. Razors cost only a few bucks for a pack and they can be used more than once.The blade tends to dull after extended use and it also rusts easily. Overall, this product works for convenience and price. But the results are not long lasting.Typically, a clean shave from a razor will only last a day or two.Razors are suitable for use in removing hair on legs, underarms and the bikini area. Razors should not be used to remove facial hair, as the hair will grow back thicker and darker and will require regular maintenance. When using a razor, shave against the direction of hair growth to get the closest, cleanest shave. Soaking the area for three to five minutes in warm water will help open the skin's cuticle, which will help the razor glide easily over the skin. Soap or preferably, a shave gel, will help soften the skin as you shave.

Suitable for: Legs, underarms.

See our Razors & Refills products.

See our Shaving & Skin Care products.

Waxing: Ouch. And again Ouch! Now if that hasn't put you off, you must have heard of the promises of living three weeks fuzz-free. You may want to go to the salon rather than do it at home, so you don't bottle it halfway through. Waxing can leave redness, so get it done a couple of days before that hot date. If you do wax at home, read the instructions carefully first.

In order to wax, the hair needs to be long enough so that the wax can grasp the hairs. Wax is applied on the skin and the wax adheres to the hairs. A fabric strip, pressed on the skin, is pulled against the direction of the hair growth and the hair is pulled from the root. Waxing works well for hair removal for most areas including the legs, face,underarms and the bikini area. The process is a painful one, especially in delicate areas like the bikini area and the upper lip. Not only is waxing painful, but it can be costly and time consuming, since the typical wax lasts up to six weeks and needs maintenance. But the end result can be worth all these pitfalls, especially when other methods of hair removal require daily or weekly upkeep.

Suitable for: Legs, bikini line, eyebrows (if done professionally).

Depilatory creams: The major downside of creams is that they smell nasty, and this smell lingers both on you, your towels and your bathroom. They can also burn if you get them in the wrong places, they're prone to patchiness, and they need to be used every three days or so. Normally you apply cream thickly and evenly over the area, wait around five minutes, check a small area to see if the hair comes off, and if not wait a while longer (but no more than 10 minutes) before removing it all with a damp flannel. Read the pack instructions to be certain, and do a test patch first in case of a reaction.

Cream depilatories, such as Nair, can be used to remove hair from arms, legs, the bikini area and even the face. Some people have great success with Nair, a product that breaks down hair growth beneath the surface of the skin. Others complain that the lotion doesn't fully remove all the hairs and acts better as a skin softener. The product is applied to dry skin and wiped off with a wet cloth in a short span of time, usually 10 to 15 minutes. The result can last up to a week and most depilatories are cheap, costing under $10 a bottle. If this method works well at removing hair, it can be a savvy product, especially since the maintenance is not too taxing and the price is reasonable.Burning skin can be a drawback. Depilatories should not be used.

Suitable for: Legs, bikini line, underarms.

Bleaching: Not a removal technique as such, more an effective disguise, bleaching lasts between 2 and 4 weeks. It involves lightening the hair on your face/ arms in much the same way as you would go bottle blond. Salon prices are normally only a few quid, so go see the professionals.

Suitable for: Arms, facial hair.

See our Depilatories, Waxes & Bleaches products.

Sugaring: This technique is supposed to be less painful than waxing, plus you can wash and reuse the cotton strips. Test a small area first in case of allergy. You warm the sugaring mixture by placing in hot water, when it becomes spreadable, apply it in the direction of your hair growth. Then cover with cotton strips and pull the strips in the opposite direction of hair growth. Results last a few weeks.

Suitable for: legs, bikini line, eyebrows (professionally).

Laser hair removal: This new treatment deactivates the hair follicles by laser causing each hair to fall out. After a few treatments whole areas of the body can be left permanently hair-free, apparently. Works best on dark hair.

Suitable for: Most places including bikini line, back, arms, legs, underarms, face.

if you have sensitive skin. Your skin can burn or get irritated easily, especially if you use anti-acne products. But for a quick fix in covering dark hair, bleaching may work. When it comes to banishing that dark or thick hair, one of the other methods--waxing, shaving, depilatories, tweezing or electrolysis is recommended.

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Laser Hair Removal Info

Laser hair removal was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1990s. Laser and light-based methods are sometimes called phototricholysis or photoepilation.

In addition to lasers, some light-based epilators use a xenon flashlamp which emits full-spectrum intense pulsed light (IPL).

The primary principle behind laser hair removal is selective photothermolysis. Lasers can cause localized damage by selectively heating dark target matter in the area that causes hair growth while not heating the rest of the skin. Light is absorbed by dark objects, so laser energy can be absorbed by dark material in the skin (but with much more speed and intensity). This dark target matter, or chromophore, can be naturally-occurring or artificially introduced.

Hair removal lasers selectively targets one of three chromophores:

* Carbon, which is introduced into the hair follicle by rubbing a carbon-based lotion into the skin following waxing (this lotion is an "exogenous chromophore"). When irradiated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, the carbon causes a shock wave capable of mechanically damaging nearby cells. This method has been abandoned since it does not cause permanent loss. (It has been replaced with the long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser which targets endogenous melanin in the follicle.)

* Hemoglobin, which occurs naturally in blood (it gives blood its red color). It preferentially absorbs wavelengths from argons, and to a lesser extent from rubies, alexandrites, and diodes. It minimally absorbs the Nd:YAG laser wavelength. Hemoglobin is not a primary target for laser hair removal.

* Melanin is considered the primary chromophore for all hair removal lasers currently on the market. Melanin occurs naturally in the skin (it gives skin and hair its color). There are two types of melanin in hair: eumelanin (which gives hair brown or black color) and pheomelanin (which gives hair blonde or red color). Because of the selective absorption of photons of laser light, only black or brown hair can be removed.

Laser parameters that affect Laser Hair Removal results

Several wavelengths of laser energy have been used for hair removal, from visible light to near-infrared radiation. These lasers are usually defined by the lasing medium used to create the wavelength (measured in nanometers (nm)):

* Argon: 488 or 514.5 nm * Ruby: 694 nm * Alexandrite: 755 nm * Pulsed diode array: 810 nm * Nd:YAG: 1064 nm

Pulsewidth is an important consideration. It has been observed in some published studies that longer pulsewidths are safer in darker skin.

Spot size, or the width of the laser beam, affects treatment. Theoretically, the width of the ideal beam is about four times as wide as the target is deep. Most lasers have a round spot about the size of your little finger (8-10 mm).

Fluence or energy level is another important consideration. Fluence is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm2).

Repetition rate is believed to have a cumulative effect, based on the concept of thermal relaxation time. Shooting two or three pulses at the same target with a specific delay between pulses can cause a slight improvement in the heating of an area.

Epidermal cooling has been determined to allow higher fluences and reduce pain and side effects, especially in darker skin.

Four types of cooling have been developed:

* Clear gel: usually chilled * Contact cooling: through a window cooled by circulating water * Cryogen spray: immediately before/after the laser pulse * Air cooling: forced cold air at -34 degrees C (Zimmer Cryo 5 unit)

Multiple treatments have been shown in numerous studies to be more effective for long-term reduction of hair. Current parameters suggest a series of treatments spaced at 1 month for the face, 2 months for the chest and 3 months for the legs.

Other uses

Hair removal lasers are effective treatment for pseudofolliculitis barbae (commonly called ingrown hairs or "shaving bumps"). For darker skin patients with black hair, the long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a cooling tip can be safe and effective when used by an experienced practitioner.

They have recently been reported as helpful treatment for pilonidal cysts, since they eliminate the ingrown hairs that produce the troublesome foreign body reactions in this congenital malady.

More info here: Laser Hair Removal

  • Laser Hair Removal
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    Permanent Hair Removal And Laser Hair Removal

    Laser hair removal is a new cosmetic technique aimed to remove unwanted body or facial hair permanently using light energy. It is a new and improved alternative to shaving, tweezing, waxing and using all sorts of chemicals to remove hair. Laser hair removal is also a less time consuming procedure than other techniques, such as electrolysis. It can remove hair from several areas at the same time. Permanent hair removal can be used on legs, chest or back, as well as some facial areas, such as eyebrows or lips.

    Laser Hair Removal Candidates

    The best candidates for permanent hair removal are individuals with fair skin and dark hair. Laser hair removal is less effective on red or blond hair and has better effects on coarse rather than fine hair. Several treatments are required and patients have to be willing to spend a lot of time on this procedure. Treatments are performed within a period of several months. The number of treatments required for facial hair removal varies from one patient to another. The best candidates have to be both mentally and physically healthy and share realistic expectations on the probable results of laser hair removal.

    Permanent Laser Hair Removal Procedure

    Doctors use one of several laser types for a permanent hair removal procedure, including the diode laser and the Q-switched Nd: Yag. For patients who have dark-colored skin, they often apply a bleaching cream to increase the chances of high effectiveness. An anesthetic cream is applied to the skin surface after it is shaved and cleaned. Then pulses of laser light send energy into the pigment of the hair shaft, thus damaging the surrounding follicle. Some surgeons use a carbon lotion, which responds to the laser wavelength and helps with stopping the hair from growing.

    The Risks of Laser Hair Removal

    Even though permanent hair removal is usually safe, there are some side effects that might occur in some cases. Among these side effects there is the darkening or lightening of the skin surface that has been treated. Darker skin is associated with a higher risk of changing its pigment, so tanning before the laser treatment should be avoided. Another possible side effect is burning and blistering. The risk of these side effects can be decreased by following carefully the cosmetic surgeon's advices and instructions.

    Length of Permanent Hair Removal Treatment

    Your hairs are probably not all in the same growth stage at a given time. Generally, two-thirds of all hairs are growing, while the others are in a resting phase. Therefore, several laser hair removal treatments are required in order to get the desired effects. On average, three sessions are needed in order to remove all the hair from one area. Treatment sessions are usually scheduled at least one month apart to ensure the remaining hair will be back in the growth phase and can be removed during the next procedure. The length of one session depends on whether it is performed for body or facial hair removal and the size of the area that will be treated. The necessary amount of time for one session ranges between five minutes and one hour.

    Permanent laser hair removal is a revolutionary cosmetic procedure that provides a lot of benefits and releases you from worrying about unaesthetic body hair and depilation. However, in order to reduce the probability of unwanted side effects, you have to make sure you choose a high-qualified cosmetic surgeon to perform the procedure.

    Sue Taylor is the webmaster of several sites dedicated to removing unwanted hair permanently. Refer to http://www.permanenthairremovalsite.com and http://www.laserhairremovalpage.com

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