Men and women have equal battles with unwanted hair, whether it's facial, pubic or body hair. Shaving is the most common method of removing hair, but it chops each hair off at the skin, leaving the coarse root. To keep your skin smoother for longer, remove hair by the roots through waxing and sugaring. Or kill the follicle to prevent re-growth by laser hair removal.
Waxing
Long-term waxing can thin hair growth. Mary Lupo, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at Tulane University Medical School, reported in Women's Health magazine, "With every waxing, the follicle weakens, so the hair grows in sparser and finer." Two types of wax are used to remove unwanted hair. Hard wax only sticks to your hair, not skin, so it minimizes pain. Soft wax is melted, spread over larger areas and ripped off with cloth strips. If you use soft wax, test the wax temperature on your wrist before applying it to a large area. It should be warm enough to spread evenly without burning your skin. Women should schedule large waxing sessions, such as legs or bikini lines, two weeks after their period. Skin and nerves are the least sensitive during this part of your cycle. Take ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory medication 30 minutes before waxing to reduce pain. You can also apply a topical numbing cream with ingredients such as lidocaine. Check with your doctor before using one, and test for allergic reactions by spotting the cream on a small area of skin.
Sugaring
Sugaring is similar to waxing; use a sugar-paste to pull hair out by the roots. Sugaring only sticks to hair and dead skin cells, unlike waxing which can remove the top layer of skin.
Spread sugar-paste on skin against the direction of hair growth. Flick the applicator back against the sugar in the same direction as the hair growth. Hold the skin tight and flick quickly. Do not lift the sugar-paste up from the skin or you will bruise. Use the same piece of sugar-paste multiple times. Keep the room cool so you do not sweat while sugaring. Sugaring sweaty skin will cause irritation. Exfoliate and moisturize the day before sugaring to prepare your skin. Stay protected from the sun and tanning beds 24 hours before and after a sugaring session. If the sugaring-paste is too cool to spread easily, microwave it for 10 seconds.
Laser Removal
During laser hair removal, the energy in lasers is attracted to darker pigments, so it can kill the follicle beneath the skin. Although some follicles do repair themselves, most are killed permanently. The technician will expose tiny areas of skin, about 2 cm, to laser light. You will feel some pain as the follicle is killed, similar to a rubber band snapping against your skin.
The cost of laser hair removal varies based on the facility, number of sessions and area to be lasered. As of 2010, laser hair removal on the upper lip cost $100 to $250, about $500 for the bikini line or about $1000 each leg. Most people need five sessions to kill all the follicles, since hair grows in cycles. Only 30 percent of your hair follicles are actively growing hair at a given time. Do not wax, tweeze, sugar or otherwise remove hair by the root before lasering. The laser needs the dark hair root available so it can find the follicle. Keep your skin as fair as possible. Do not tan, with sun or self-tanners, several weeks before a laser session. Some medications or skin disorders make your skin more sensitive to light. Ask your doctor if your skin type can handle high-energy laser treatments.
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