Hair Removal Techniques

Shaving

Shaving is best for leg, arm, and facial hair. It can, though, cause ingrown hairs, especially in the pubic region.

How it works: Using a razor or electric shaver, you cut the hair very close to the skin. “There’s a popular myth that shaving causes hair to grow back coarser,” says dermatologist David Pariser, MD. “But that’s not true. An unshaved hair has a tip that is tapered and soft. When you shave it, you shave off the soft tip, so it feels coarser.”

Tips: If you use disposable razors or blades, wet your skin and use soap or shaving cream. Shave in the direction the hair grows. Replace your razor often — you can cut yourself with a dull one.

Best for: It works anywhere.

How long it lasts: 1-3 days

Possible side effects: Ingrown hairs, especially in the bikini area

Plucking

Plucking or tweezing can be painful, but it may be a good option if you only have a few hairs you want to remove. Times when you might want to pluck include when you’re reshaping your eyebrows or pulling out a few stray hairs that appear on your face. You should not, however, use this hair removal method for large areas. It can cause ingrown hairs or scarring.

Tweezing

How it works: You pull out individual hairs by the root with tweezers.

Best for: Small areas of the face

How long it lasts: 3-8 weeks

Tips: Clean tweezers with rubbing alcohol before and after each use to lower your chance of infection.

Possible side effects: If the hair breaks off, it could grow back under the skin, causing an ingrown hair.

Depilatory Creams

Hair removal creams, also known as depilatory creams, are available without a prescription.

They’re not all the same, so be sure to read the label. For instance, you shouldn’t use a hair removal cream made for pubic hairs to remove hair on your face.

The chemicals in these products dissolve the hair shaft. Using a cream improperly — for instance, leaving it on too long — can burn your skin. If you have a history of allergic reactions, you should first test a little bit of the cream on a small area on your arm to make sure you don’t have a bad reaction to it. Be sure to follow the directions on the cream.

How it works: Depilatory creams or lotions dissolve proteins that make up hair.

Best for: Legs, underarms, and bikini area. There are special formulas for the face, but they sometimes don’t work well on coarse hair.

How long it lasts: A couple of days to a couple of weeks.

Possible side effects: “They work by dissolving the hairs,” Pariser says. “But they also can dissolve the skin if left on too long or [if] your skin is too sensitive.” To avoid problems, follow directions carefully.

Hot Waxing

You can do this at home or you can have it done by a professional in a salon. Hot waxing can be messy and painful and may leave some hairs behind because they can break off. Infection is one side effect to watch for. If the wax is too hot, you may get a burn. You should not use this method if you also use certain types of prescription acne creams (such as Retin-A) or take isotretinoin. If you do, the wax will pull your skin off. Many women use this hair removal method in the bikini area and to remove hair on the upper lip.

How it works: A cosmetologist spreads sticky wax on your skin, then covers it with cloth strips. When the wax dries, the strips are quickly pulled off, taking the hair with them. Some types of wax can be pulled off without cloth strips.

Best for: Anywhere on the body, including the face, underarms, legs, and bikini area

How long it lasts: 3-6 weeks

Possible side effects: Redness and bumps. You could also get an infection around the hair follicles. The more often you wax, the less likely you are to have an infection.

Tips: Hair has to be at least 1/4 inch long for the wax to grab it. So let your hair grow for a few weeks before waxing.

Threading

Threading is a traditional Indian method of hair removal that some salons offer. The professionals who do threading use strings they twist in a pattern and use to pull unwanted hair out.

Laser Hair Removal

This is one of the longest-lasting methods, but it generally requires four or more treatments 4-6 weeks apart. It can only be effective on dark hair.

The laser beam or a light pulse works to destroy the hair bulb. The treatment can be expensive and sometimes painful, but it can be used on many parts of the body where unwanted hair appears. Be sure you select a doctor or technician who is highly trained and knowledgeable.

How it works: A technician destroys the roots with strong beams of light. “Laser hair removal really is the most effective way to have long-term hair reduction,” says dermatologist Cameron Rokhsar, MD. “It’s as permanent as it gets.”

Best for: Laser and IPL (intense pulsed light) work anywhere on the body. It’s best for women with dark hair and light skin. It won’t work on white hair and doesn’t work well on blond hair either.

How long it lasts: It may take between 6-12 treatments to see results. You may need to go back every 6-12 months for a touchup.

Possible side effects: Swelling or redness. Because there’s also a chance of burning and scarring, it’s best to have laser treatments where there’s a doctor on staff, Pariser says.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is done by a professional who places a tiny needle with an electric current in the hair follicle. There are two primary hair removal methods with electrolysis: galvanic and thermolytic.

Galvanic hair removal chemically destroys the hair follicle.
Thermolytic removal uses heat to destroy the follicle.

In either case, be sure to find a professional who is highly trained and knowledgeable. You can get electrolysis on any part of the body.

How it works: A trained expert places a tiny needle inside each hair follicle to destroy the root with an electric current.

Best for: Because it takes a long time, it’s best for small areas like the upper lip or chin. Women with white or blond hair who can’t get laser or IPL may see results from electrolysis.

How long it lasts: You’ll likely need treatments every 1-2 weeks until the hair is mostly gone.

Possible side effects: Redness, swelling, and scarring

Medications and Unwanted Hair

If none of these hair removal methods help, you may want to ask your doctor’s advice. There are drugs that inhibit hair growth.

Spironolactone is a pill that may slow or reduce hair growth in areas that you don’t want hair. It will not get rid of the hair on your scalp and may actually stimulate growth there.

There is a prescription cream called Vaniqa that’s approved by the FDA for slowing facial hair growth in women. This cream slows growth, but it will not remove the hair. You apply it to the area twice a day. Once you stop using the cream, the hair will regrow.

How it works: Vaniqa is a cream you rub on every day. It doesn’t remove hairs, but it slows down how fast they grow and makes them come in finer and softer.

Best for: It’s often used together with laser or shaving, Rokhsar says. “It gives you a little more time in between treatments.”

Sugaring

Sugaring hair removal, an ancient middle-eastern practice uses an all natural paste or gel made from food-derived ingredients like sugar, water, and lemon juice to remove the hair follicle from the root. The results can last up to 6 weeks.

While there are many recipes, only natural ingredients are used in a real recipe. It’s also been called sugar waxing, although not a correct term, because it’s done very similar to waxing.

How Does it Work?
The two types of sugaring, using the paste and gel are performed differently. Here’s how:

The paste. Considered the traditional technique, a warmed thick mixture is applied first in the opposite direction of hair growth using the hands. It’s then flicked off in the in the direction of hair growth. See this sugaring technique performed.

The Pros

Someone experienced can do sugaring quickly with the paste. Large amounts of hair can be taken out at once, and finished faster than waxing. With most waxes, you have to apply them to a limited area- remove, go to your next area- remove and so forth. With sugaring you can speed things up by applying the paste to a very large area, and it won’t dry out, even if you take it off in smaller sections.
Easy clean up. Both the paste and gel are water soluble, meaning you can clean off any residue left on the skin with plain water, unlike regular wax.
Sugar right in your own home. Entire sugaring hair removal kits, supplies can be bought online, or you can whip your paste at home. (Be aware of conditions or circumstances in which you shouldn’t sugar, and follow all instructions).
Sugar paste can be applied over missed hairs. The paste is very gentle and can be put right over an area that was just sugared but missed some hairs, without fear of much irritation.
Temporary results can turn into permanent. Over time, frequent sugaring can cause the hair follicle to become damaged, and stop growing hair.

The Cons

It’s hard to find a pro that does technique using the paste. Some salons and spas use a wax that has been mixed with sugar, and advertise it as sugaring- but it isn’t the same. Other places do use the gel, but few placed (compared to waxing) use the paste.
Getting just the right consistency can be tricky. If you make your own paste at home, you’ll have it get it just right for the paste to hold on to the hair.
Some hair growth is needed. 1/16 of an inch is needed when using the traditional technique with the paste, which is about 2-5 days of hair growth after shaving. Using the gel requires 1/4 inch of hair growth.
Lack of knowledge or cleanliness can lead to disaster. If contraindications(circumstances or conditions when you shouldn’t get sugaring) are simply unknown or ignored, skin could end up extremely red, and even become scabby. Salons or spas not adhering to safe and sanitary procedures could give a client a skin infection, or even a disease.