Methods of hair removal

DEPILATORIES WAXING TWEEZING

ELECTROLYSIS LASERS BLEACH

SHAVING

• DEPILATORIES

         

Depilatories come in a variety of forms mainly creams. They work by breaking down hair with a high pH substance such as sodium thioglycolate, or calcium thioglycolate - which reacts with the protein structure of hair. The process of breaking down the hair usually takes between three and fifteen minutes but may vary with the product and the coarseness of the hair.
 
The effect of using a depilatory can be smoother skin, lasting days longer than when using a razor.

This is for three reasons.

Unlike a razor, a depilatory removes hair just below the skin's surface.  Hairs emerge from pores in your skin - and depilatories are able to dissolve not only the hair you can see above the surface, but some of the hair in the pore. This means it takes longer for the hair to grow back to the surface. The timing depends on your hairs' growth rate and growth cycle. 

A depilatory acts as an exfoliant, meaning it removes unwanted dead (and often rough) skin cells on the surface of your skin. By removing dead skin cells (which are created every day), your skin feels softer and smoother.

Many depilatories (including all Nair^® depilatories) contain moisturising ingredients, such as Baby Oil, Almond Oil and Aloe Vera. These contribute to softer smoother skin.

• WAXING
  

  

Waxing can be performed in a salon or at home and it means literally pulling hair out by the root with a "wax" that is able to grip onto hair. Waxes may be primarily beeswax, resin, or a sugar formulation. Some come in pre-formed "cold" strips. Typically, waxes are spread onto skin, a cloth or non-woven material is pressed onto the wax, and the cloth and wax are quickly pulled off the skin, taking hair and root with it. The well-documented effect of waxing is smoother, hair-free skin lasting for longer than shaving.

• TWEEZING
  

Tweezing, like waxing, is about pulling hair out by the root. Regrowth usually occurs anywhere from two to eight weeks. Tweezing, however, requires pulling hair out one by one, and is usually reserved for delicate, precise jobs, such as eyebrow shaping.

• ELECTROLYSIS
  

Electrolysis is used to deaden the hair follicle with an electric current. A very thin wire is inserted into the hair follicle, an electric current destroys the root, and the hair is plucked out by tweezers. The process can permanently end hair growth in that follicle. The process is very time consuming because each hair must be targeted, and repeat visits to a professional may be needed for up to a year. Hair grows in cycles - and certain hairs may be missed that weren't in a growth phase at the time.

A newer, "tweezer" method of electrolysis doesn't require inserting a wire down the follicle. Instead, tweezers are applied to the hair shaft, and an electric current passes through the tweezers, through the hair shaft, down into the root.

• LASERS
  

A new, and expensive, way to remove hair is with lasers. This technique works by applying a specially formulated liquid to your skin and allowing the liquid to absorb into the hair follicle. A laser is then scanned across the skin, where the heat from the laser is absorbed by the liquid, destroying the hair follicle. 

• BLEACH
  
  

To bleach isn't to remove hair; instead it is used to lighten the colour of hair. Bleaches generally are used on the face or arms, where hair is the thinnest and less noticeable. Generally, it takes 7 to 10 minutes for bleach to lighten hair, depending on the coarseness and colour of hair, and the concentration of bleach.

• SHAVING
  

Shaving is the most common method of hair removal for both men and women. Wet shaving is the most effective, using single, double and now even triple edged razors. While most women still use soap for shaving, shaving creams and shaving gels can be used to reduce nicks or cuts. Shaving can be quick, but hair can grow back within a day.