Best Hair Removal Techniques (Benefits & Disadvantages)

In both the genders, during or after puberty, hairs grow at head, eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic region, armpits, and legs. Furthermore, men even grow hairs on their abdomen, face, chest, and back.

To get rid of this unwanted body hair, people make their ways towards hair removal practices. Removing hair from the body is also known as depilation or epilation.

Talking about the types of hair removal, then there are many forms that people adopt. The temporary hair removal, which lasts for few days, is done by Shaving or trimming or by using creams. And, hair removal done for several weeks or months is known as epilation and it can be done by tweezing, waxing, sugaring, or threading.

Although there are various reasons that compel people to remove hair, most of the times, it is societal as nobody wants to get out of their houses looking like apes. More so, the problem lies in acceptance as well.

Forms of Hair Removals

 

Depilation

Most of the times, when there is an emergency and one wants to get rid of excessive body hairs, the common practice used are known as Depilation. Removing the hairs from the surface of the skin is known as Depilation. Shaving and trimming are the usual forms of Depilation. Apart from this, chemical depilatories are also used, which break the disulfide bonds that connect protein chains providing strength to hair.

Epilation

There is another method of hair removal and is one of the popular forms of hair removal. It is known as Epilation. In this method, hairs are removed from the roots. It includes waxing, using epilation devices, sugaring, threading, laser technology, electro logy, and intense pulsed light. Not just that, but in this method, hairs are also removed by tweezers or plucking methods.

 

Depilation Methods of Hair Removal

 

Shaving

Shaving is another form of removing hairs from the body. In this procedure, a razor or a bladed type of sharp object is used to slice down the hairs from the body parts. Generally, shaving is most common among men as they use it to remove their facial hairs. However, women are also not behind from using it. They get the hairs removed from their legs and underarm with the help of a shaving razor.

There are various types of shaving razors that can be used, such as a straight razor, safety razor, electric razor, or beard trimmer.

Considering the pros and cons of this method, you are sure to find both of them. The advantages of this method are

• It is an easier process for both women and men.
• Women don’t have to undergo painful procedures to get rid of body hair.
• With shaving, men can instantly get a clean-shaven and beard-free look.

Coming to the disadvantages

• Shaving sometimes leads to cuts and irritation.
• If not done properly, it can cut the soft skin of women.
• Among men, it can leave razor burns.

So, if there are pros of a certain thing, there are cons as well. However, we must not forget the quickness and easiness that shaving provides. Indeed, this is one of the easiest ways of getting rid of the hairs.

Depilatories

Depilatories are actually hair removing creams which are used by both men and women to remove hair from various parts of their body. This method has several advantages over shaving and is preferred by a large section of people who seek hair removal on regular basis. Use of Depilatories has several benefits over other methods of hair removal.

• It is inexpensive: They are inexpensive than using shaving creams, waxing or employing any other method for hair removal. Since in all methods one is required to use the technique regularly to remove the hair, therefore it will be an ongoing hole in the pocket. In this scenario, this method works best.
• No Pain: Depilatories are most easy to use, in a matter of 5-10 minutes one is able to obtain the desired result. There is no pain of any sort, unlike other methods. 
• It is Versatile: The versatility of the Depilatories is owing to the fact that there is an availability of different types of cream for different body parts which allows people to customize their requirement.

Talking about the disadvantages, there is only one major issue with this method, such as

• Odor Issue: One of the disadvantages of this method is that no matter how much up-gradation has happened in Depilatories, they still have fragrance issues. The smell is not very pleasing and stays for some time after its application.

Choose Depilatories as per your convenience and needs. Choosing a method involves a lot of research and availability, also, it depends on what suits a particular individual. Depilatories for may cause skin allergies in some people; hence, choose wisely.

Friction

Friction is also one of the easy and cost-effective methods to remove hair from legs and hands. It has got its own limitations and use. The method involves rubbing pumice stone or hair removal mit on the skin gently, so as to rub off the hair. The hair is not removed from the root, therefore the effect of hair removal does not last long.

Pumice stone or hair removal mit should be rubbed gently on the skin, preferably if the person uses it after exfoliating the skin. One of the ways to exfoliate the skin is to have a shower with warm water, as it will then remove the dead skin, which will allow smooth rubbing of the stone on hair.

Advantages

• Very cost effective as all you require is the pumice stone or any rough surfaced mitten.
• Can be used in intermediate days between waxing or tweezing as the hair comes back after a day.
• It is very easy to use and produce results quickly.

Disadvantages

• It is a short-lived method, as the hair comes back within a day. Many people use this method between their waxing cycles, so as to have a temporary effect.
• One must not rub the skin too hard as it can the cause abrasion and irritation. Gentle circular movement is always advisable.

People who have sensitive skin should avoid this method as it involves rubbing of the skin, therefore they might get abrasion or reddishness of the skin.

 

Epilation Methods of Hair Removals

Tweezing

 

Tweezing is the process used for removing hair from the sensitive areas of the body like from face, eyebrows, etc. In this method, tweezers are used to pluck hair from their root. This is the most inexpensive method of removing hair.

Advantages

• Inexpensive: This is an inexpensive method of removing hair. All you require is a tweezer, which is a tool commonly known as forceps. Electric tweezers are also available in the market, which is a little expensive than normal mechanical tweezers.
• Effective: In general, women mostly rely on tweezing because of the growth of hairs below the lips, on the face, excessive eyebrows and etc. For them, this is the ideal method to give shape to eyebrows, remove hair from the facial skin, etc.
• Removes hair from the root: When a person plucks hair through tweezers then he or she is required to pluck it from the root in the direction of hair growth. It takes generally 2-6 weeks for the hair to re-appear.

Disadvantages

• One of the disadvantages is that it is not an ideal method to use in removing hair of large areas such as legs or hands.
• In many cases, after plucking of hair, skin experiences certain allergic reactions as hair follicles can be exposed to infection; therefore, it is advisable to wash the area after tweezing with a mild antiseptic.

You can use it to pluck hair from sensitive part of your body, where much hair removing is not required.

Waxing

Waxing is the method of removing hair from the body at once. Hair removed from waxing is removed from the root and it takes 3-8 weeks for them to re-appear.

There are majorly two types of waxing:

• Strip waxing: This is the general form of waxing where the wax is applied on the body part where hair needs to be removed and then the cloth is applied over the wax to rip it. It is also called as soft wax. The cloth is then removed in the direction of the hair in one go. It can be painful for the people who have sensitive skin.
• Stripless Waxing: In this waxing, the wax is applied thickly on to the skin. It is then allowed to harden so that it encapsulates all the hair. This allows even the fine hair at that part of the body to come out when the wax is removed. It is less painful and advisable to people who have sensitives skin.

Advantages

• The advantage of waxing is that it allows removal of hair of large body parts in one cycle.
• One can use waxing at any part of the body.
• It is very effective as the hair comes after a long gap of 6-8 weeks.

Disadvantages

• The disadvantage is that it can be expensive if one is regularly required to do at parlors.
• For some people who have sensitive skin, the process can be painful
• It can often leave people with irritation in the skin for some time.

This is one of the most effective methods of removing hair from the body; especially from the parts of the body which are large and hair need to be removed in one go

Sugaring

This is a natural method of removing hair from the body parts. It is similar to waxing, but with the use of natural ingredients like sugar, honey, and lemon. The process is to apply sugar syrup on the body part where hair removal is needed. The difference in this method is that the sugar syrup or mixture only sticks to the hair, not to the body; thus, it causes less pain while removing.

Advantages

• Easy to use and cost effective
• Less painful
• Removes hair from the root, therefore new hair will take 6-8 weeks to grow
• Age old effective method.
• Can be used to remove hair on any part of the body.

Disadvantages

• It requires lots of precision in making, which comes with right knowledge and practice.
• It will not remove the dead cells of the skin as it only sticks to the hair.
• Can be painful to the people having sensitive skin, but the pain is much lesser than waxing.

This is an age-old method of removing hair from the body parts. The method is devoid of the use of any chemical substance; thus, it becomes an obvious choice for the people who are inclined towards the use of natural products.

Threading

Threading involves removing unwanted hair from the eyebrows and facial skin with the help of a cotton thread. The practitioner rolls the cotton thread in his or her hand and one end in his or her teeth and tries to trap the hair with the movement of the thread. The hair is removed from the root, like in waxing and sugaring, but the difference is that it is purely chemical free and only requires a cotton thread to carry out the process.

Advantages of threading

• It is relatively cheaper than waxing and requires 15-20 minutes to completely remove hair.
• It is less painful than waxing, but many people experience certain irritating itchiness during the process, which goes off in a day.
• It removes the hair from the root like waxing but with much more ease.
• It is chemical-free; all is required is a cotton thread.

Disadvantages of Threading

• Finding a practitioner who is excellent in this job is really a tough task.
• One of the limitations of threading is that it works on limited body parts which are flat; therefore, not advisable on bikini area or knees.
• People suffering from acne cannot use threading as a method to remove hair.
• The follicles can be exposed to infection after threading; therefore, it is always advisable to get it done with good a practitioner.

Threading is always a cost effective chemical free method to remove hair from the flat body parts. It removes hair from the root, therefore, regrowth of hair takes time.

Epilators

Epilators are electrical devices which help people remove hair from their body parts. The machine removes the hair from the root as it pulls out the hair from the body in the similar way as done in waxing. The user has to slide this electrical machine on his or her body part gently, and the machine will pull out the hair from that body part. The epilator comes in various versions such as battery operated epilators, rechargeable epilators. It is often recommended to use a gel or cream while operating with epilators so that the skin does not remain dry and there is lesser pain while operating the device on the skin.

Advantages of using Epilators

• It is very easy to use. Being inexpensive, it only demands a one-time investment. So, if you require the hair to be removed on regular basis using epilators, then it is very useful.
• Removes hair from the root, thus re-growth of hair takes time.
• Less painful than waxing.
• It is ideal for removing hair from large areas of the skin.

Disadvantages of using Epilators

• Expensive if one is using it rarely as a method of removing hair from the body.
• Modern epilators are using the latest technology to cause minimum pain to the customer but still, there can be mild pain and reddishness to the skin post use.
• It can result in ingrown hair.
• It actually fails in getting hold of small hair.

Epilators are an excellent electrical device to be used in hair removal and are very easy to use at home.

Drugs

Usage of drugs is becoming quite popular to remove hair from the body. People are actually inclined towards this hair-removal method since it works quickly. Just popping up an oral pill is required and it becomes easier to get rid of stubborn hairs. Well, it has its own advantages and disadvantages associated.

Advantages

• Very easy to use.
• Drugs also come in the form of creams to be applied.
• Removes hair with time without any physical strain

Disadvantages

• Can cause a disturbance in women menstruation cycle, therefore, must be consulted with the doctor.
• Irritation and redness of the skin are quite common.

Drugs are the easiest way of removing hair from the body but it is not the most effective way of doing it. The pill can remove hair gradually from the body, but it can disturb other normal functioning of the body, especially in women it can disturb their menstrual cycle. Therefore, it is advised to consult the doctor before taking oral pills for hair removing.

 

Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal treatment is the latest and the most advanced method of removing hair from the skin. It involves a lot of precautions and safety measures but it is the most effective way of removing hair from your body. It targets laser beam into the root of the hair, i.e. hair follicles. You can use laser treatment to remove hair from any part of your body. The best part of the laser treatment is that it removes the hair completely and you don’t have to depend on the other methods to remove hair afterward.

Advantages of Laser Hair removal

• It can remove hair from any part of the body be it legs, arms, bikini area, face, armpits, etc.
• One of the great benefits of using laser hair removal is that it does not harm the skin and only targets hair.
• The time taken by the laser to treat different areas will be different; it will take a minute or so to remove hair under the lip or small area and can take more than some hour at large areas.
• Permanent hair loss can be obtained in laser technology with 6-7 sessions of laser.

Disadvantages

• Lots of precautions are required like you must stop any other method of hair removal weeks before laser hair removal.
• After the laser session, you must be very cautious in moving out in sun, as the treated part can be exposed to UV rays.
• Post laser treatment one may experience blisters, so they provide ointments, lotions to cope up with them.

Laser Hair removal technique offers individual to remove hair permanently. The cost involved with laser technique varies with the amount of hair need to be removed from the body. For large body parts, successive sessions will cost more than removing hair in small parts of the body. One can remove hair from every part of the body through the laser hair removal process.

Conclusion

There are several methods of hair removal and people choose different techniques as per their comfort and convenience. The best and the long lasting one is laser hair removal technique. It might be a bit expensive at the start but if you calculate the expenditure on other techniques, in the long run, you will find it quite convenient.

Laser removal technique has actually surpassed all other hair removing techniques. It is safe and effective. The technology is harmless with minimal abrasion and discomfort to the person. There are, however, certain precautions which must be taken in order to have best results and minimum discomfort, but they are worth to account for. The laser treatment takes care of your skin in such a way that the laser is targeted on to the hair follicles and it leaves the surrounding skin underexposed and unharmed, unlike the other methods where skin also experiences a certain level of discomfort. Laser Hair Removal treatment is the most effective and modern way of treating your hair removal requirement.