Skin Care Tip & Info - Hair Shouldn't Be Everywhere!

Advice About Shaving, Waxing, and Laser Treatment for the Hair on your Body

Advice Seeker: Dear April,

Being a woman is so confusing these days! I've always shaved my legs and armpits, but lately I've been hearing that men like it when women get rid of the hair that's a little bit lower (if you know what I mean). Is this true? And is it OK to shave down there or do I need to go to a professional to get rid of the hair? Do you have any advice on hair removal that will help me to understand it all?

Sincerely,

Hair Down There

April Masini's advice:

Dear Hair Down There,

Unless you’re on the television show Survivor, and you have a realistic shot at a million dollars at the end of three months, get rid of the hair. Actually, even if you are on Survivor – in fact, especially if you’re on Survivor -- find a way to get rid of the hair! What good is surviving if your legs look like a gorilla’s legs? Men like women to have smooth, silky, hairless skin, and women have been getting rid of hair for men throughout the ages. In fact hair removal is thousands of years old, and archeologists have evidence of men shaving hair off their faces as far back as 20,000 years ago. Sumerians used tweezers; Egyptians took their bronze razors to their tombs with them, and beeswax was also in evidence as a hair removal tool even back then. Evidence of depilatories date as far back as 4000 to 3000 B.C. Evidence exists in ancient India of chest and pubic hair being shaved. Surprisingly, not a lot has changed in the temporary hair removal arena except for some of the ingredients. Hair removal as beauty is history that we want to repeat. Temporary hair removal methods are any kind of hair removal that lasts for fewer than three months.

Temporary hair removal methods:

1. Shaving is the obvious and easy choice. Treat shaving the same way you do brushing your teeth. Give your legs the same care you do your pearly whites. Keep your legs smooth the same way you keep your teeth clean.

2. Depilatories are creams that you can purchase in a beauty supply store or drug store that you apply to your body, in your own home. Depilatories contain chemicals that remove hair by chemically burning it. Therefore, you may smell an icky sulfur odor after using them. It will go away. It is important not to leave the depilatory on your skin for any longer than the directions on the package instruct in order to prevent burning your skin. The best reason to use depilatories is that you don’t need to get an appointment in a salon to get a clean hair removal. They’re inexpensive and easy and quick. Even if it’s not your regular method of hair removal, consider it as a temporary measure if you’re in a pinch.

Depilatory tricks:

* Before applying the depilatory, wet the area of skin and hair that you are going to treat, with warm water.

* When you’re ready to remove the depilatory and dead hair from your body, don’t spray water directly on skin to wash it all away. It’s too harsh. Instead, use a warm washcloth to gently wipe the depilatory and dead hair away. This is easier on skin than a harsh stream of water pressure that may be too intense for your skin.

*Never use depilatories around your eyes, vaginal area, or any open or healing cut or scrape. Or anywhere else you wouldn’t put a chemical.

3. Bikini and leg waxing- Bikini waxing is the removal of hair along the "bikini line," which means there should be no hair left to see when you put on your bikini bottom.

Does it hurt?

Some women would rather have childbirth without anesthesia than have a bikini wax. Yes, it hurts. But it’s not terrible for most people and it looks great. Besides, you do get used to it, and there are tips, below, for reducing the pain. A waxed bikini line looks a million times better than shaving. And the waxing technician can get the hair from nooks and crannies that you can’t reach when you’re shaving, or can’t see when you’re applying depilatory.

"The pain passes, but the beauty remains." -Auguste Renoir

Is it embarrassing?

What’s really embarrassing is having hair where you don’t want it in a social or sexual situation. Men don’t want too much hair down there, and once you realize that this is business – and trust me, your waxing technician makes her living because so many women pay her for her valuable service -- you’ll lose any and all embarrassment. Besides, if the only reason you may be embarrassed is if you’ve never done it before, so here’s what happens: After you make an appointment (on the telephone tell the appointment person that you want a full leg, and/or a half leg – upper or lower, and/or a bikini wax) and show up at the salon, your waxing technician will most likely be a woman who will ask you to lie on a table in a private area or room, either in your underpants, or in a pair of paper panties your waxing technician will give you so you don’t get wax on your own lingerie, or else you’ll be buck naked from the waist down. (Lying naked from the waist down, in a room with someone you don’t know, who didn’t go to medical school, and hasn’t bought you a drink, is something you will have to get over.) Aside from being naked, you’re hairy.

Don’t apologize for the hair. And don’t shave to try and make a good impression on a stranger by not having much hair. The biggest mistake you can make before going to a waxing technician, is shaving. Let the hair grow, and your aesthetician will have an easier time doing a good job waxing you, and you will have better results. If you happen to be hairy, don’t worry about it. It’s not illegal. Your waxing technician will use what looks like a tongue depressor (remember those trips to the pediatrician?) to dip into a pot of melted wax, and she will spread the wax on your bikini area, then lay down strips of cloth and press down so that the cloth adheres to the wax, which has adhered to the hair on your body. It will feel somewhere between warm and hot. Tell her if it’s too hot. The waxing technician will apply cloth strips to the wax, which she will pull off, removing the strips, the hardened wax attached to the strips, and the hair attached to the wax.

Factoid: Hair is the fastest growing tissue in your body. This hurts. But it’s quick. And it’s not as bad as going to the dentist, but if you’ve never had it done before, your skin will probably be sensitive. Your waxing technician should apply some cooling antiseptic like witch hazel, or some other soothing ointment afterwards. You may have a red rash for up to 24 hours, especially if you normally have sensitive skin. So don’t have a bikini wax the same day or night that you will be in a bikini or showing off your body. Give yourself 48 hours so your skin can calm down.

How long does it take?

The entire process takes about 15 minutes depending on how much hair you have. The more often you go, over the years, the shorter amount of time you’ll have to spend to get good results. Your waxing technician may just do the front of your body. More thorough waxing technicians will do the sides of your legs, and have you flip over on your stomach so they can do the buttocks and backs of the thigh. The cost ranges between $45 and $75. Leave a 20% tip if you’re happy. The more often you get waxed, the less sensitive your skin will be and the thinner your hair will grow back. And the more often you get waxed, the more likely your hair will begin to die at the root, and diminish, making subsequent waxing less painful, quicker, and not as necessary. This hair loss won’t happen overnight, in fact, if it does happen, it happens over a period of years.

Three Different Kinds of Bikini Waxes

* A Traditional Bikini Wax - removes the hair everywhere except where your bikini sits.

* A Brazilian Wax - A Brazilian bikini wax leaves nothing but a "landing strip" of hair, about two to three fingers wide, usually in the shape of an upside down triangle, on your labia. No hair is removed from your labia. Hair is removed from your buttocks. This wax is named for the beautiful Brazilians who wear the G-strings and thongs on the beach. Sometimes the Brazilian wax is mistaken for the bare all wax where everything is taken off but your bare skin. The hair on your lips, the hair between your legs, and even the hair in and around your anus is gone, gone, gone. I know, I know. Thinking about the removal process is so bizarre, but it is truly a great experience to have nothing there but you.

* A Playboy Wax - does remove hair from the labia, the buttocks and buttock area including around the anus. All that is left of your hair down there is a very thin strip that resembles the waxes that the Playboy magazine centerfolds have. Don’t try this at home! The best way to find someone to perform these waxing treatments is through personal referrals or a reputable salon. This is not a process you want to leave to amateurs or bargain shop for.

Hazards of waxing:

* Ingrown hairs – prevent them by using an exfoliant scrub and a loofah sponge to clean and brush away dead skin and hairs that promote ingrown hairs, but only after 48 hours post waxing. After you have your legs waxed, don’t forget to use a loofah sponge to exfoliate dead skin from the back of your legs, a traditional problem area.

How long does it last?

Three weeks in the summer, four in the winter, depending on how hairy you are.

Permanent hair reduction:

1. Laser treatment. This is the newest method of hair removal that you cannot do yourself. Approved for hair removal by the FDA in 1995, laser hair removal treatments -- yes -- plural: treatments -- it takes more than one visit -- removes hair with a laser beam that destroys the root and the shaft of the hair. Lasers use heat to damage dark target matter. This is one reason that laser hair removal is not good for African American skin. The laser can change the pigment of the skin while removing the hair, leaving a discolored area right where you want no attention at all! It is also why people with grey, blonde or red hair are not ideal candidates. Neither are people with olive or dark skin. The best candidates are people with light skin and dark hair. Best place to get laser hair removal treatment is from a physician. A dermatologist or plastic surgeon is best. Treatments are scheduled at four to six week intervals, and how many you need has to do with the treatment and your hair. You will have to wear protective goggles during the treatments. Laser removal does not work for everyone, so be prepared. Set up a consult appointment with your doctor to discuss before you commit. You can also set up an appointment for a "patch test," so you can see what the laser feels like, and what your re-growth rate is -- if any. Don’t sign up for treatment until after you wait a while to see if your hair grows back in or not. If you are one of the people who don’t respond to laser treatment, you don’t want to be stuck in a contract for expensive removal.

Factoid: The average single hair can carry the weight capacity of one single chocolate bar, without breaking.

2. Electrolysis. If performed correctly this is a wonderful form of permanent hair removal. The method used is a hair thin (very, very, very thin) metal probe is slid into a hair follicle. This does not puncture the skin. Electricity is generated through the probe, which destroys the hair. The history of electrolysis actually dates back to the Civil War when hair removal experimentation was recorded. Studies now show that 90% of women who seek electrolysis have satisfactory results. But you should employ a professional who comes with a good reference because even though electrolysis equipment is improved upon each year, the practitioner’s skill is really the most important part. Your practitioner should be certified, but the truth is that most states don’t regulate certification. In fact, approximately one third of all states do not require certification. If your practitioner is certified, they should display their certificate on the wall. So get a great recommendation from a friend or a doctor -- who has had or seen good results before you invest.

Advantages:

* Permanency

* Looks good

Disadvantages:

* Expensive. Electrolysis is often charged by the minute, or block of time. For example $25 is charged for 15 minutes; $40 for 30 minutes and $60 for an hour.

*Tedious and difficult. If there are areas where there are large amounts of hair the process can take a long time. If this sounds like you, start with your underarms, or some other less hairy area, and then move on to hairier terrain.

* Re-growth. If done improperly, there can be a lot of re-growth of hair that you have to go back and have re-zapped. There can be skin damage.

* Pain. To alleviate pain you can choose your electrolysis intensity level. Having the current too low will alleviate any pain, but you may not get a good result, and will have to come back again for more treatment. Communicate with your practitioner to find the best balance between pain threshold and intensity level.

Factoid: Hair grows faster in warm weather and stretches in humidity.

Armpits

Underarms are a very sexy part of the body, not unlike the nape of your neck or your "knee pits." Keep them nice and smooth. Daily shaving, again, using the same frequency and care you give your teeth, is a good standard. For a carefree Summer, have your pits waxed. This is usually much less painful than a bikini wax. Check with your waxing technician about how much hair growth she needs you to have before you come in for an underarm waxing, in order to do a good job. In other words, don’t shave your armpits before you come in for a treatment. There will be nothing for her to remove! Make your life easier by buying a great magnifying mirror from your local beauty supply store. You can spot check different parts of your body more easily, rather than relying on standard bathroom or bedroom light and a wall mirror.

Pain relief tips for hair removal:

*Adrenalin and energy directly affect your pain levels. The more energy and adrenalin you have, the more pain you may feel. When you are calmer, you are less susceptible and aware of pain. Relax.

*Sugar and caffeine are stimulants that will make you more susceptible to pain and awareness of pain. Have some herbal tea.

*Schedule your hair removal around your menstrual cycle. Before your period your body may be more sensitive to pain.

*Medications may affect your pain level. If you take regular meds, check with your doctor and your practitioner about this.

*Ice and over the counter pain meds like Advil, Tylenol, etc. may help you as a pre- medication or an after medication. Check with your doctor and practitioner first.

*Tight jeans are not what you want to wear to your waxing appointment. After your waxing, your skin will be sensitive, and you don’t want your jeans chafing your skin. The best thing to wear is a skirt with no underwear, or if you must, a G-string or thong to allow the most air and freedom from fabric friction on your freshly waxed skin. Just don’t climb any ladders on your way home!

*Distract yourself. Try sucking on a piece of hard candy during your appointment to distract yourself.

Factoid: Female hair grows more slowly than male hair.

Hair is one of the sexiest differences between women and men. Men love lots of it on your head, and very little of it everywhere else. Maintain your hair because it is one of your greatest assets.