Wherever hair grows, some people are removing it. Among the areas where men and women frequently seek to get rid of unwanted hair are the face, underarms, chest, back, legs and pubic area. Among the reasons are gender roles, fashion, sexual stimulation, hygiene and simple personal preference. The ways of getting rid of hair are numerous.
Methods
Some of the more popular hair removal methods are shaving, waxing, tweezing, chemical depilatories, lasers and electrolysis. Factors to consider in deciding on a method include the area of your body; the amount of hair to be removed; your pain tolerance; and the amount of time, money and effort you are willing to spend. Some methods are not suitable for certain parts of the body. For example, laser hair removal is not good for the eyebrow area because of the possibility that the laser will damage the eyes.
Time Frame
Hair removal methods vary in how long their results last. Hair that is shaved grows back almost immediately, with stubble often appearing within a day. Electrolysis is the only method that doctors consider to be permanent. Other methods are intermediate in terms of duration of results. Tweezing can keep hair away for three to eight weeks, and waxing can keep it away for three to six weeks. Various methods also require different time commitments at least on a per-session basis. Although shaving may take only a few minutes, electrolysis of an area such as the bikini line can take eight to 16 hours spread over several sessions.
Misconceptions
An old wives' tale states that removing hair, particularly by shaving, makes it grow back thicker. The reason some people believe this is that when the hair grows back, it appears with a blunt end rather than the tapered end of the original hair. In reality, when the hair grows in all the way, it will be the same as the original--no thicker and no darker.
Significance
Sometimes excess hair growth is because of heredity, but other times, it signals a medical issue. Hormonal problems, tumors and certain medications can cause such growth. One common problem leading to hirstutism--excess hair growth in a male pattern--in women is polycystic ovarian disease, or PCOS. In addition to hair growth on the face and body, the disorder causes symptoms such as weight gain and lack of ovulation. Anti-androgen medications may help the patient to get a handle on the hair growth.
Expert Insight
Dr. Jeffrey Melton of the Laser, Liposuction, and Skin Cancer Surgery in Oak Brook, Illinois, is unequivocal about his favorite hair removal method. Laser treatment, he says, is "perhaps the greatest hair removal breakthrough in the last 50 years." It lasts longer than shaving, waxing, tweezing and depilatories, saving you the time and effort of constant hair removal. And the sessions do not take as long as electrolysis, the only other treatment in its league in terms of duration of results. That is because although electrolysis must be performed one follicle at a time, laser treatment can cover many follicles at once.
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