Ways to remove good unwanted hair

Ways to remove good unwanted hair




Most people will want to remove unwanted hair for the first time during adolescence and usually continue to do so for the rest of their lives. Regardless of whether it is hair that grows on the face, armpits, legs, bikini line or other parts of the body, a lot of men and women want to get rid of it. There are countless ways to get rid of this unwanted hair, but there are few ways to get rid of it permanently. The most commonly used hair removal methods vary from simple and cheap (such as shaving) to expensive and high-tech (such as laser hair removal). These types of hair removal methods work for every part of the body, for every skin type, at any time and, perhaps most importantly, for every budget.

How does hair growth work?

When you understand how hair grows, you can remove it more effectively and prevent it from coming back. Each individual hair consists of a:

hair shaft,

hair follicle,

sebaceous gland,

musculus arrector pili (also called hair founder)

Hair growth is a continuous cycle that consists of three phases:

The anagen phase (the growth phase)

The catagen phase (the transition phase)

The telogen phase (the rest phase)

The hair will need different time periods to go through each of these phases, and this time is determined by:

genetic information,

hormones,

the part of the body where the hair grows.

You should therefore consider all of these factors when choosing a hair removal method.

Overview of hair removal methods

As we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of different methods available today to get rid of unwanted hair. Below we have listed a number of the most commonly used methods for you and provided them with a short description.

Shaving: is probably the first introduction to hair removal for most people. It is also the method that is most temporary in nature when it comes to removing unwanted hair. By shaving you cut the hair on the surface of the skin and, contrary to what is often thought, shaving will not make the hair shaft thicker or darker. Also this method of hair removal will not make hair grow faster or slower.

Shaving does, however, cause the hair to grow with a blunt tip, rather than a natural, tapered tip, making the hair stand out sooner. If you want to perform a more effective shave, then it is good to first hydrate the skin sufficiently. Shaving cream, hair conditioner and body wash will in fact help the razor blade to move smoothly over the skin and thereby help prevent cuts.

Bleaching: is technically not really a hair removal method, but a way to make the hair considerably less noticeable. It is a particularly useful method for parts of the body where thin but dark and striking hairs grow, such as the arms, face, and neck. Bleach should be applied to the desired body part and remove the pigment (the dye) from the hair. Bleaching unwanted hair is one of the most popular ways to make hairs stand out less because, for example, a bleaching cream will discolor the color of the hair quickly, softly and effectively.

Physical ways to remove unwanted hair

Physically pulling hair out of the follicle is a widely used and inexpensive way to remove unwanted hair. The physical removal will ensure that the hair will stay away for a longer period of time because it first has to grow back to the skin surface to become visible. In addition, repeatedly pulling a hair out of the follicle can cause enough damage to it to prevent another hair from eventually growing. However, it should be noted that: if you feel a strong urge to pull it out of certain parts of your body and experience a sense of pleasure, satisfaction or relief once you have done that, then you may suffer to a rare disorder: the so-called obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder, which is also referred to as trichotillomania.

Epilation: Hair removal with tweezers is an effective way to remove it, but it can be a very time-consuming procedure. Eyebrows and loose facial hairs are easily kept under control by proceeding in this way: however, this does not apply to hair removal for the legs, for example.

Waxing: is an effective way to remove large amounts of hair at the same time. Wax should first be warmed up and then spread over the skin (this should always be done in the direction of hair growth). The hair is thus embedded in the wax as soon as it cools. Because a strip of fabric is applied to the wax, which is then quickly pulled away from the skin in the opposite direction of hair growth, the hair will be taken (and therefore several hairs will be pulled out at the same time).

You should always be extremely careful when you start using hot wax: burns can occur as a result of too hot wax. Furthermore, residues of the wax can often remain behind on the skin, but you can easily remove it again. You should also take into account a number of possible side effects when waxing, such as: pain, the appearance of red bumps on the skin, infection, discoloration, ingrown hairs and torn skin. There are, however, a number of ways to relieve the pain associated with waxing. Nowadays there are also ready-made hair removal strips: these are strips that are provided with a layer of wax that do not need to be heated first.

Sugar waxing: is a popular form of hair removal that works in the same way as regular waxing. With this method, a natural, sugary substance with a honey-like consistency is applied to the skin in the direction of hair growth. A strip of fabric or paper is then applied to the wax and pulled away from the skin in the opposite direction to hair growth.

The biggest advantage of sugar waxing, compared to the regular way of waxing, is cleaning up. The wax is made from real sugar and other nourishing, natural ingredients, so that the whole will dissolve in water. Residues of the product are therefore easy to clean using some warm water, while the regular wax often requires a little more cleaning work.

Depilatories: use a chemical (thioglycolate) that is mixed with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide, which will literally melt the hair away. After all, thioglycolate disrupts the so-called disulfide bonds, the chemical bonds that hold skin and hair cells together. It is a very effective hair removal method, but can also cause quite a bit of skin irritation because the chemical ingredients can also make skin cells melt away.

A depilator should be applied to the part of the body where the unwanted hair grows and stays in place for three to 15 minutes. In this time span, the chemical will dissolve the hair and form a gel-like substance that must then be wiped off or washed off after the specified exposure time has elapsed.

Due to the fact that depilatories are so irritating, they should always be tested on a small area of ​​the skin, at least 48 hours prior to a larger treatment. However, applying a hydrocortisone cream after depilation can often help reduce this irritation.

Electrolysis: is a method where a fine needle is inserted into the hair follicle and an electrical current is sent to the hair root. This procedure actually burns the hair root, which theoretically (by heat) prevents it from making a new hair. However, each hair follicle needs to be treated separately and multiple treatments are often needed to completely destroy a hair follicle.

Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal form, but it also has a number of disadvantages. For example, there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis, so finding an experienced, effective practitioner can sometimes be difficult. The moment you plan to have electrolysis applied, it is advisable to first talk to people who have already tried this method and can show lasting results, or ask your doctor for advice.

Electrolysis is also a painful treatment with a number of other side effects, such as: risk of infection, formation of keloids, hyper and / or hypopigmentation of the skin. It is also a method that will not be immediately effective and will usually require a number of repetitions for 12 to 18 months. Due to the fact that it is easier to eliminate the hair follicles that are in the so-called anagen phase, it is advisable to shave off the unwanted hair about 3 days prior to treatment, so that the hairs in the anagen phase during electrolysis be visible.

Laser treatment for hair removal: is a commonly used treatment that uses so-called laser technology, but it is nevertheless not a permanent hair removal method and it is not suitable for everyone either. This is because lasers work by emitting light at different wavelengths, and the energy output and pulse widths can also be adjusted.

Most lasers used to remove melanin, or pigment, have been developed to burn certain structures that contain melanin. The more melanin, the more damage will occur. Laser hair removal works best for people with fair skin and dark hair color. Just as with electrolysis, laser hair removal is also more effective in removing hair that is in the anagen phase. Laser treatments must also be repeated regularly.

Vaniqa: is a doctor's prescription cream that reduces and slows down the growth of unwanted facial hair. Vaniqa works by inhibiting an enzyme that plays a role in the reproduction of cells and other cell functions that are necessary for hair growth.

Vaniqa should be applied twice a day to parts of the face where there is undesirable hair growth. Remarkable results are often only seen after four to eight weeks of treatment. Application of Vaniqa must, however, be continued as long as inhibition of hair growth is desired. The medicine continues to reduce facial hair growth for up to eight weeks after treatment is stopped.

However, Vaniqa can also be used in combination with laser therapy. According to a small study of 31 women with unwanted hair on the upper lip, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, it has been found that the combination of Vaniqa and laser therapy will improve the reduction of hair growth compared to laser therapy alone.

Final remark

Unwanted and / or excessive hair growth can have a negative influence on the quality of life of a person and can even have psychological consequences, such as anxiety and depression. The good news, however, is that there are some methods available today to remove it, but none of these treatments can be seen as effective and not suitable for everyone. The moment you plan to tackle your unwanted hair growth, it is wise to first consult your doctor and determine the most appropriate way to address this problem.