Got hair? Here’s your fix

RICARDO PADILLA / ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR

Jenna Shamoon 

Silhouette Staff

All of us, both guys and gals, have had concerns regarding hair removal procedures, their costs and, most of all, their results. Some types of hair removal are easier to talk about than others. Women, for example, commonly remove hair on their legs, armpits, upper lips, and eyebrows. However, there are also women who remove hair on their bikini area, face and arms.

Men are not exempt from the world of hair removal, since there are men who remove hair on their eyebrows, chest, back, arms and legs. Some even get male Brazilians – yes, they do exist.

Most people use the old razor and shaving cream method. Although this method is extremely affordable and easy to do by one’s self, the results are not always what people want. Sometimes the hair grows back too quickly, grows back thicker or causes ingrown hair during growth, which result in pain and be unsightly to some.

There are many methods aside from shaving that offer longer lasting results and are just as simple. Threading is one of the oldest hair removal methods, deriving from the time of the ancients. Threading requires taking a cotton thread, twisting it, and moving it across the skin. The thread takes the form of a lasso that contracts and pulls hair from its follicles.

Threading is an effective method of hair removal, removing all of the hair and even preventing future hairs from growing back, since the hair follicles become so damaged over time. It is also very sanitary, since the threads are disposable and are the only things coming in contact with skin.

However, threading can irritate those with sensitive skin and can cause redness in the threaded area. In terms of pricing, threading costs almost the same as waxing and is usually done in the same salons that waxing is done in. Threading eyebrows, for example, ranges from five to ten dollars, depending on the salon. So if you’re willing to suffer a bit of pain for results, threading is the way to go.

Advice: If you want to choose threading, look for someone who has lots of experience with the method. The skin on your face is more delicate than other parts of your body so it deserves extra care!

Another hair removal method is waxing, which is a little more common than threading. For one thing, waxing can be done on all parts of the body. You can get it done professionally at a salon or you can buy wax strips from a local beauty supplier or drug store and do it yourself at home. Another plus for waxing is that it removes dead hair follicles from the skin, leaving skin smoother than before.

But, for those with thicker hair, waxing can cause irritation in the skin from the strong hair being pulled so quickly out of the hair follicle. It can also be very painful. Plus, if you do it yourself and you are not experienced, it can cause some problems regarding waxy residue and bruising.

Waxing one’s eyebrows ranges from five to ten dollars, while a Brazilian may cost from $25 at a local salon to over $100 at a high-end spa. But the results are long-lasting and, depending on where you go, it is affordable for most. If you are going to do it yourself at home, try and have someone with you to wax the harder-to-reach places.

A hair removal method that is gaining more popularity is laser hair removal. It consists of using laser technology to burn and destroy hair follicles, permanently preventing any hair from growing back. Laser hair removal can be done on all parts of the body, and its results are promising. However, the process does not work on everyone, particularly those with a lighter hair colour, since the laser cannot easily detect hair follicles.

Laser hair removal can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on how much skin is treated, and it requires multiple sessions, usually up to three. But even though the cost may be high, the results are well worth it.

Before you get your hair removed via laser, be sure to get your hormone levels checked out. It can be helpful in determining how effective laser hair removal will be for you, since unbalanced hormone levels can cause increased hair growth.

Of the many hair removal options, choose what works for you. And remember, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Hair removal is a multi-million dollar business, so you’re not alone.