Hair Removal: all links so far

hair removal

• Bleaching

• Depilatory creams

• Electrolysis

• Epilation (ouch!)

• Eyebrows: Should you wax or tweeze?

• Fed up with Chin Hairs?

• Hair removal Q & A

• Ingrown Hair—Men’s Edition: Q & A

• Ingrown Hairs—what they are and what to do about them? (new!)

• Just Say NO to a Lip Wax!

• Laser hair removal

• Puffy Eyes? Turn a negative into a positive!

• Shari’s (chin hair) waxing story

• Shaving & Your Skin

• Shaving Tips for Men (new!)

• Thoughts about Hair Removal Options

• Tweezing 

• Waxing

• What are razor bumps?

• Women & Shaving 

Shaving Tips for Men

Whenever you go to shave, remember: the softer the skin and hair, the easier the shave will be. Here are a few other tips to help you get the perfect shave. There are several other posts on this subject, links are below.

• Applying your shaving cream when you first get in the shower will give it a chance to moisturize your skin and soften the hair. If you can, leave the cream on for a few minutes and enjoy a smoother shave.

• Use your shaving cream sparingly. If you use too much cream it can cause the potential for nasty nicks and cuts due to a dull (clogged) razor.

• Next, shave the toughest areas on your face last. This will give the shaving cream time to soften the skin in these areas and hopefully make for a smoother and nick-free shaving experience.

If you have tried every technique and still have major razor bumps, you may want to try a few things. First is a product on the market called Tend Skin (see ingrown hair link below). It is also said to help with ingrown hair. I am not a fan of this particular product because it contains a high percentage of the bad type of alcohol, but I have heard from several people that it did actually help with their razor bumps.

If you choose to use Tend Skin, be careful and watch to see if your skin becomes dry and especially flaky. If so, discontinue use of this product and opt for something more soothing. If the places are red and infected, you can use essential oils (lavender specifically) and/or clay mask on your razor bumps.

Secondly, alpha hydroxy acids have been found to successfully reduce razor bumps. Why? There is usually a lot of dead skin that interferes with the hair making its way to the surface of your face. AHAs help to decompose some of that dead skin, leaving room for the hair to make an appearance. There are moisturizers that contain alpha hydroxy acids, or even stronger AHA gels that can be used locally on the areas where razor bumps are a problem.

Some skin is simply prone to irritation while shaving. But if you prepare your skin before shaving, use the appropriate shaving technique and apparatus (whether manual or electric razor), and tend to the skin you have just shaved, you will fare much better than if you did not incorporate all of these techniques and steps.

For more detailed tips on preparing your skin before shaving, see:

• Hair Removal Options: Shaving & Your Skin 

Also see:

• What are razor bumps?
• Ingrown Hair—Men’s Edition: Q & A
• What are AHAs? Miracle ingredients or not?

Ingrown Hairs—what they are and what to do about them?

Ingrown hairs are basically hairs that have lost their way. Instead of moving directly up the hair follicle, which is cylindrical like a tunnel, the hair curls around and remains either close to the surface of the skin or actually makes its way back down to the base of the follicle. This inability to reach the skin’s surface and eventual exit above it causes an ingrown hair.

Ingrown hairs are a problem for many people, but men tend to have the most trouble with ingrown hairs on their faces, which look like irritated bumps on the skin. This is especially true for African-American men because dark-skinned people generally have curly and coarse hair. Curlier hair has a more difficult time finding the surface of the skin. These ingrown hairs may cause inflammation to occur, which is a condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae.

Ingrown hairs generally form after the hair in a particular area has been cut, waxed, or in some other way removed. Some say that pulling the hair out against the natural grain (most waxing procedures follow this rule) can cause the hair to break just below the surface. Then when the dead cells set in, the hair can’t find an exit, causing an ingrown hair.

Exfoliation is really important if you’re prone to ingrown hairs—no matter where you get them. If they occur on your face, using a scrub or other exfoliator on a regular basis should help to alleviate the problem. This is where alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) may come in handy. Several of my male clients have seen good results with their ingrown hair problems by using products that contain this ingredient. AHAs help to dissolve the intercellular glue that holds cells together, which can be helpful in the case of ingrown hairs. AHAs may work well for women who find ingrown hairs are a problem in the bikini line area.

Women who get ingrown hairs on their legs can try using AHAs, but because of the large surface area of the legs this could get quite expensive. Using exfoliation gloves may be your best bet. The gloves give you the ability to regulate pressure and therefore not irritate the skin. Do be careful not to rub too hard with these gloves. They are abrasive and too much of a good thing can turn bad.

Exfoliation gloves can be found at most stores where cosmetics are sold. They’re easy to use and are machine washable. Unlike a loofah, you can get them clean and bacteria free between uses. They aren’t very expensive so you could get several pairs and just throw them in the wash after each use. They make great gifts too. Put them in a basket with bath and body products and maybe a scented candle, and you will make someone very happy.

If you have irritation bumps with the ingrown hairs, be careful when you shave over this area. You can easily break open the skin and cause further irritation and possibly spread infection.

A product called TendSkin (see upcoming post) has been helpful for some people with ingrown hairs. Be careful to follow the directions and do not use on a large area of the face. Men’s skin tends to be less sensitive than women’s, but even so, if you are a man and have ingrown hair in your beard area, be careful to apply this product appropriately. If you experience irritation with TendSkin, discontinue use immediately and refer back to some other products and techniques for helping with ingrown hairs. You don’t ever want to use a product that is causing more harm than good.

In the end, no matter where the ingrown hairs are forming, exfoliation is the best course of treatment before trying to remove them. Read other posts on this frustrating condition: , What are razor bumps?, and many more articles under the category hair removal.

For more information, see:

• Ingrown Hair—Men’s Edition: Q & A
• Tend Skin Lotion for problems with ingrown hair
• Hair removal options

Hair removal Q & A

I have hair above and below my lip and on my chin—yuck! I use a cream remover from Sally Hansen® right now. What do you think?

Instead of using a depilatory cream on your sensitive upper lip area, I recommend trying to lighten that hair with a facial bleaching cream. If the hair bothers you and dying it is not an option, as long as this depilatory cream doesn’t cause irritation on your upper lip (or chin), I guess that is the best option for you. Getting waxed is, of course, a very common practice, but I would use the depilatory cream before I would have those places waxed.

If the hair is really something that bothers you and needs constant attention, you may want to research getting either electrolysis or laser hair removal to eliminate the hair altogether. These are sometimes painful and expensive procedures, but either one can alleviate the need to be concerned about removing the hair once it is permanently removed.

Remember this important point: If you use a depilatory cream or wax the area, you will be taking off all the hair in that area, not just the hair you are concerned with—just like when you shave. In the waxing link below, I give more information on why you may not want to take this route for hair removal.

For more information, see:

• Shari’s (chin hair) waxing story
• Hair Removal Options: Electrolysis 
• Just Say NO to a Lip Wax!

Hair Removal Options: Laser hair removal

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Laser hair removal is yet another technique to get rid of unwanted hair. Laser technology is changing rapidly; what is available today will surely be improved as time goes by. For instance, until recently this laser technique wasn’t effective on light-colored hair. Now, with advances in this technology, light hair can be removed.

During this procedure, a laser emits a pulse of light that is absorbed by melanin (the pigment in your skin) deep within the hair shaft, effectively destroying the follicle, making hair growth cease.

Because heat given off by the laser is coming in contact with your skin, there is a chance of scarring. Be sure you are going to a qualified laser hair removal technician (whether a doctor or a hair removal specialist), otherwise you may be left with undesirable side effects. And as I always recommend: ask questions! If you don’t feel satisfied with the answers, I’d find someone else to do this procedure.

There are not universal results from laser hair removal. Some people have great results (see emails below), while others are left disappointed, expecting to have no hair left after as much as a year of hair removal sessions. Some people go through just a few sessions and are completely satisfied. No hair removal system is truly permanent, but surely you will have less hair than when you started, and hopefully even better results than that. 

Laser hair removal is the best thing I’ve ever done! I have my chin, bikini, and armpits lasered. I recommend this to everyone I know. After just two appointments my skin is so much softer, and I hardly have to shave anything. (I purchased a package of six sessions per area.) I have to take some ibuprofen one hour before I go because the “zaps” [from the laser] can sting. However, there are no side effects—at least not for me.
 

I had the hair lasered from my legs and under my arms. I am thrilled with the results! I would definitely recommend getting it done. For me, it wasn’t painful at all, and there were no side effects. Granted, 100% of the hair isn’t gone, but what’s left is hardly visible.

For more information, see:

• Epilation (ouch!)
• Women & Shaving
• Fed Up with Chin Hairs?

Hair Removal Options: Shaving & Your Skin

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

As most of you hopefully know, preparing your skin before shaving is of the utmost importance. If your skin is flaky and dry, shaving will be an exercise in skin irritation. To prepare your skin before shaving, the following re the steps I recommend.

Exfoliating the area to be shaved is essential for good results. Exfoliation gets rid of dead cell buildup on the surface of your skin. This buildup is a factor if you are feeling dry. If you are a woman who has trouble shaving your legs, try exfoliating beforehand and see if this helps you get a smoother shave.

For men, you are actually exfoliating every time your shave, so it may not be practical to pre-exfoliate your face every time before you shave—unless you are having problems shaving due to dehydrated skin. Using an exfoliant (like a scrub or gommage) at least once or twice a week on your entire face will give your skin a smoother texture , setting up the optimum environment for shaving. Keeping your skin well-moisturized day and night will also help the cause.

Next I recommend using a soothing shaving cream. Aveeno is the brand I like best, and it is good for men and women alike. On the bottle it says, “Dermatologist recommended, therapeutic shave gel with natural colloidal oatmeal. For sensitive skin, irritated skin, razor bumps. No added fragrance.” This is certainly not the only shaving product available, and perhaps you have already found one that works well for you, but if not, try Aveeno shaving cream and hopefully you will get better results.

I do not recommend using soap (especially bar soap) to shave with. Usually soap is alkaline, causing dryness on the surface of your skin. It also does not give you a thick, creamy-textured substance for the razor to glide across. Stick to shaving gels. You can even find some that heat up on your skin. In emergencies I have used cream rinse (hair conditioner) as a substitute shaving cream. I don’t recommend this as a regular practice, but in a pinch it works better than soap, creating a smooth surface to work with without drying out the skin.

Note: If you find your skin becomes irritated after using a shaving product, discontinue use and try something else. Irritation may be your skin telling you it is sensitive to something in a product, and irritation is not the goal. But before blaming a product, please make sure your razor has a sharp edge. A dull, overused razor spells disaster for even the best-prepared surface.

Finally a triple (or more) blade razor is a must in my opinion. Years ago I had a client who shaved his head. I asked him what he used to get such a close shave without nicking his head. He said triple blades made all the difference in the world. A few days later one of my employees said about the same thing for shaving concerns for women. I immediately ran out and got a triple blade razor and have been singing its praises ever since. If you haven’t ever used a triple blade, give one a try. Once you do, you won’t go back to a double blade—I promise! You can find razors with 4-5 blades now.

If you are shaving your bikini area, ladies, no doubt you have run into some problems—namely irritation and ingrown hairs. Shaving with a triple blade razor may bring some relief, but due to the delicate nature of that particular skin, shaving is not the optimum way to remove hair at the bikini line. It is, however, the cheapest way. So if money is a factor (and you don’t experience the pain of irritation and ingrown hairs), shave on. But if you are a woman who does have problems when shaving this area, waxing or even electrolysis may be something to consider. These services will cost varying amounts of money, but will give you fewer problems than shaving that delicate area. 

Aftershave. Whether you are male or female, using something on your skin after you shave (wherever you shave) will greatly increase your chances of having smooth and soothed skin. As long as you are not allergic to it, aloe vera gel makes a great aftershave skin soother. Slather it over the area just shaved. Aloe vera has tremendous healing and soothing abilities; it is used for sunburns, so it will help with your after-shaving needs too. Another alternative would be to use your toner in a spray bottle as an aftershave. As long as you use a toner without alcohol, this product will hydrate and soothe just-shaved skin.

Of course there are many aftershave products on the market, but be sure to use one without alcohol—the bad kind (isopropyl alcohol)—in its ingredient list. Alcohol will be anything but soothing, although it does have antiseptic abilities. Alcohol will probably cause a burning sensation, which is the opposite effect you are looking for after your have run a razor over your skin.

For more information, see:

• Beards & the skin they cover
• What are razor bumps?
• Shaving Tips for Men

Hair Removal Options: Depilatory creams

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Depilatory creams are creams or lotions that contain a chemical that dissolves hair, basically causing it to break off. Like shaving, this method only takes the hair off at the skin’s surface, so depending on how fast your hair grows back, the results won’t last long (no more than a few days to a week), and repeated applications will be necessary for continued results. Most brands contain irritating ingredients such as calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Potassium thioglycolate (derived from thioglycolic acid compounds), one of the key ingredients in depilatory creams, causes hair breakage (depilation), but also has the consequence of severe allergic reactions in some people.

Depilatory creams have come a long way in recent years and many include soothing ingredients to help offset the rather harsh, caustic chemicals that remove the hair. Still, these products can cause even the most non-sensitive skin to feel irritated; they can possibly even cause a reactive chemical burn. As with any new products, especially those that contain harsh chemicals, you need to do a patch test on a small section of your leg. By doing so if you are allergic or intolerant to the cream, you will avoid having an allergic reaction on your entire leg.

The safest place to use a depilatory cream is the upper and lower legs. You can use it on other areas such as your bikini line, but you absolutely need to do a patch test first for this area. Depilatory creams tend to work most effectively on finer, lighter hair and since the hair in the bikini area is much courser and stronger, it may not respond as well as the hair on your legs. Add to this the natural sensitivity of the skin around your bikini line, and putting a chemical composition there may cause mild to severe irritation.

I rarely if ever use depilatory creams. But if I have gotten out of my normal routine or don’t want to shave my legs for some reason, using a depilatory cream once in a while seems to work well for me. I am more apt to use this technique during the hotter summer months when I want to quickly get rid of the hair all over my legs, not just the lower half. By applying one of these creams, closely following the directions (or else irritation will surely follow), within a few minutes my legs are smooth without having to go through the possible nicks and cuts of using a razor.

Nair® is probably the most commonly known depilatory cream available. It’s like Reynolds Wrap® is to tin foil; you think of the brand name as the product itself. There are several other companies that manufacture similar products so you will have a lot of variety to choose from. If one brand causes problems, you may want to try another company’s product, and see if you can find one that works for you.

Using a washcloth in the shower is the best way to thoroughly remove the cream and hair from your legs. The slightly abrasive nature of the wash rag helps to complete the process of hair removal, and since you will be rinsing your body off in the shower, it makes for an easy cleanup. Just be sure you have a washcloth with you. Also, don’t rub so aggressively as to cause irritation. Use just enough pressure with the washcloth to help the hair come off.

Your skin will probably be irritated after using a depilatory cream and anything, even a moisturizer, can cause further irritation on sensitive skin. So, you may want to skip applying moisturizer or at least wait a while. How long you should wait will be up to you to decide, but don’t put lotion on immediately after removing the hair, or you may be sorry.

Also, I do not recommend using a depilatory and then immediately applying either sunscreen or a self-tanning product. And definitely don’t be exposed to the sun directly after depilating. Given the many potential irritants involved in all of these products plus radiation from the sun, there is no telling how potentially problematic using all these chemicals at one time could be. If you’re going out in the sun, do the hair removal the night before to ensure a safe outdoor experience.

There are many ways to get rid of unwanted hair, depilatory creams are just one of the ways. Like shaving, you will grow stubble almost immediately, but these creams can be a quick and easy way to “shave” without shaving.

For more information, see:

• Hair Removal Options: Women & Shaving
• Do you have dry, itchy skin on your body?
• Hair Removal: all links so far

Hair Removal Options: Waxing

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Waxing is a popular hair removal technique. Your success rate with waxing will depend on the wax used (there are hot waxes, cold waxes, and some with special ingredients), the aesthetician providing the service (some people have more skill at waxing than others), and how your skin is attended to after the procedure (after waxing, a cream or salve that helps to soothe the skin should be applied). Hair regrowth is individual, but waxing should keep the hair away anywhere from three to six weeks.

Waxing is one of the least expensive ways to remove hair, but it is not a permanent removal, nor is it without side effects for some people. It is possible to have a reaction to certain ingredients in the wax itself, or the skin may become overly irritated due to the process. Welts can form, sometimes blisters, and although these are rare occurrences, they can happen.

Wax is applied to the area and a cheesecloth or cellophane strip is laid on top of the wax. Pressure is applied, and then in one quick movement, the cloth is ripped off the skin, taking with it a lot of hair pulled out from the root. As you may have guessed, or perhaps you have experienced this yourself, waxing is a painful procedure.

The hair needs to be long enough for the wax to grab hold of it. If you are waxing on an ongoing basis, this is not much of a concern; the hair grows in at different rates instead of all at once, making it less noticeable as you are growing it out. But if you’re waxing for the first time, letting your hair grow out can be tedious.

I am not a fan of waxing. When I was an employee at a spa, I had to wax—or at least so my employer thought. I was so against waxing that I would try to talk a waxing client out of getting the procedure, especially facial waxing, and instead opt for an actual facial that had a host of benefits for their skin. Although facials and hair removal are mutually exclusive, I made the spa more money giving a more expensive service, so if I was ever found out, how could they complain? And I was providing the client with solid information about how to take care of his or her skin, which in my eyes was a much more beneficial thing to do.

Because waxing can be lucrative for an aesthetician (employed or self-employed), this may lead her to encourage waxing even when it is clearly not needed. If you have been a victim of this practice and have only had one or two lip waxes, you’re probably OK. But if you continue to wax, your hair may start to grow in darker—different than it was before. So please, take caution. Don’t just go with the flow and agree to a service you are not sure about getting. And don’t wax your lip simply because you think you should.

What do you think about waxing my entire face? I have a lot of hair and it’s dark—especially on the side of my face to my hairline. I hate it and don’t know what else to do but wax. Is that OK?

Please do not start waxing your entire face! Admittedly, there may be some women who can find no other relief for excessive, dark hair growth on their faces. But for most people, this is not why they wax the face. I have met many clients who are obsessed with every little hair they may see growing out of their skin. I know women who wax their lower arms to get rid of all the hair there—even light-colored hair. This is due to some belief that all hair, other than on the head, is bad. And I don’t want you to get caught up in this and subscribe to the ultimate “solution”—waxing.

Waxing your whole face can bring on a host of problems. Ingrown hair, irritation, small bumps that don’t go away, stubble, obsession with your looks, and financial expenditures.

As with anything I may talk about, there are always exceptions. And with any of my recommendations or suggestions, they are only my opinions and may not fit into your lifestyle or needs. You will be the ultimate decision maker about what you do with your face, your skin, your looks. But waxing—especially your entire face—is something I strongly recommend not doing.

For more information, see:

• Shari’s (chin hair) waxing story
• Eyebrows: Should you wax or tweeze?
• Just Say NO to a Lip Wax!

Please do not start waxing your entire face!

What are razor bumps?

Razor bumps are basically ingrown hairs that have become red and/or infected, otherwise known as pseudofolliculitis barbae. An ingrown hair is where your (usually previously shaved) hair decides to navigate back down into the skin instead of coming out onto the surface. Because these hairs are coarse, they can wreak havoc on the tissue below.

They usually cause red, irritated bumps that resemble blemishes, but they are actually small irritations caused by the ingrown hairs. Once this sensitive tissue meets with a razor, small red bumps (razor bumps) follow. Although ingrown hairs cause inflammation and irritation, there is usually not a bacterial infection present as with true folliculitis. Pseudofolliculitis tends to happen more with curly-haired men, especially African-Americans.

The first course of treatment for ingrown hairs is exfoliation. By exfoliating the outer, dead skin layer, often the hair finds an easier path to the outside. When exfoliating, a gel-type, nonabrasive peel would be preferable to using a scrub. If a scrub is all you have at the moment, don’t get too aggressive with it or you can cause more irritation, but be on the lookout for a gentler, gel-type product.

Give exfoliation a try and see if it solves your ingrown hair problems. If you can, try not shaving so closely with your razor. This can help to alleviate some of the irritation. If nothing seems to work, another option—although maybe not for everyone—is to let your beard grow out.

If you’re having problems with skin irritations around your beard area that won’t go away, it could be true folliculitis. This is a bacterial infection (staphylococcus) in your hair follicles caused by any number of things, even contaminated washcloths. If you think you have folliculitis, you may want to consult your dermatologist, who can prescribe topical or oral antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria present in your skin.

With the following articles, you should be able to start understanding the difference between folliculitis and pseudofolliculitis barbae:

• What is Folliculitis? 
• Ingrown Hair—Men’s Edition: Q & A

For information about exfoliation, see:

• All About Exfoliation
• Yonka’s GOMMAGE—gel exfoliator

Don't be confused. Keep reading to understand the difference between these two frustrating skin conditions.

Fed Up with Chin Hairs?

How can I prevent chin hairs? Why are they starting to grow, and how do I get rid of them?

Chin hair growth usually starts around perimenopause when a woman’s hormone levels are starting to go through yet another change. During this time, estrogen levels start to wane, leaving more testosterone to run wild, creating such things as coarse, dark hair on a woman’s chin. Who said getting older isn’t all fun and games?

You can’t magically prevent chin hairs any more than you can prevent hair on your body from growing. Electrolysis and laser hair removal are two procedures that can help keep hair from coming back once it is treated. Read the posts under hair removal (see link below) on these two procedures to find out how to help get rid of these unwanted hairs. I don’t recommend waxing the area; you will be removing too much innocent hair and may set yourself up for darker hair growth in the area. And tweezing usually winds up in disaster—especially if you are the type of person who doesn’t know when to leave things alone once you’ve gotten started tweezing.

I have seen many clients over the years who are concerned about hair growth on their chin. When I inspect this area, may times I find they have been shaving the hair there. What this does is create a very obvious coarseness to the skin (a razor is too harsh for that delicate skin), and just like the stubble growing out of a man’s face, stubble will result from shaving any area, including your chin. Usually the offending hair is dark, but I have occasionally seen white hair growth on the chin. Whichever color the hair is, it can be coarse and even causing some irritation, neither of which is desirable.

When I find a client who is shaving her chin for this or any reason, I implore her to stop shaving immediately! When you shave an area to get rid of a few (or many) stray hairs, you are indeed shaving off all hair in the area. And contrary to some people’s belief, the hair then has the potential to grow back darker and thicker than it was before. Since it is usually only a few hairs that are growing in the area, you run the risk of stimulating even more hair growth if you shave. Some people are lucky and dark hair doesn’t show up after shaving the chin, but it can affect the skin there as well as affecting all the hair in the area, not just one or two stray problem hairs.

My recommendation is to find a good electrolysis technician and to give this hair removal technique a good try. It would be more expensive than shaving, obviously, but the results could very possibly be long-lasting or permanent. (Laser hair removal for light-colored hair is available, where in the past it was only effective on dark hair.) If you have experienced irritated skin where you have been shaving, this will improve if you stop shaving, and having electrolysis treatments can take care of the reason you were shaving in the first place.

When shaving (and waxing as well), you are getting rid of so many unoffensive hairs in the process of removing the few bad ones. I recommend looking into electrolysis or laser hair removal before using these other, less effective and potentially harmful procedures.

For more information, see:

• Shari’s (chin hair) waxing story
• Hair Removal Options: Electrolysis
• Hair Removal: all links so far

Ladies, please—don't!

Hair Removal Options: Tweezing

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

For women, tweezing is probably the most common method used to remove unwanted hair from the face, namely the eyebrows and chin. Using tweezers, the hair is grabbed and the entire shaft is pulled out. Because tweezing pulls out the whole hair shaft, it will take anywhere from two to four weeks for the hair to reappear.

Good tweezers are a must if you use this technique. Otherwise you will tear up your skin. Tweezerman®, available at most stores where makeup is sold, makes the best tweezers around and is the brand I use in my salon. Tweezerman tweezers get the hair easily, and they hold up well compared to other brands. Most professionals, including myself, recommend buying tweezers that have a slant, not a flat or squared end.

Never use tweezers with a sharp point. They can really cause serious damage to your skin and are unwise to use for a few reasons:

• First, because the ends are so sharp, they tend to break the hair off before you have a chance to pull it out.
• Then what will most likely happen is you will become frustrated and dig with these knife-like edges.
• Finally, you will have a wound where you were tweezing and probably a hair still within the follicle. So nothing gained and a lot lost.

Actually, even with quality tweezers, if you have the same inclination as a “picker” (a person who relentlessly picks at their blemishes), you could still cause damage. Because you refuse to be satisfied until you have gotten the stray hair, you will attempt, high-quality tweezers or not, to nab the hair, but you may just make a mess of your skin. Because tweezers can sometimes cut the hair off at the surface before you are able to fully pull it out, you may go in and try to get that darn hair. The result will most likely be a small tear in the skin, which leads to a tiny scab. This can make your skin look red and irritated for several days, at the very least. Restraint is a necessary factor for keeping the skin in the tweezed area looking healthy.

Please note that trying to tweeze the coarse, dark chin hairs you may have can be an exercise in futility. They are very strong and firmly planted inside the hair follicle, and if you have ever tried to use tweezers to pull these stubborn hairs out, I’m sure you have found it to be somewhat of a disaster. This is where I see most of my clients tearing up their skin. Not only are these chin hairs coarse, dark, and stubborn, they can sometimes cause irritation, which equals redness and sensitivity.

My best suggestion is to look into electrolysis or laser hair removal to get rid of these unwanted chin hairs. These particular techniques can be permanent and are performed by professionals who won’t leave the kind of marks you, the amateur, might leave on your skin from overzealous or ineffective tweezing.

Shaping brows is somewhat of an art form. Ask anyone who didn’t have an “artist” shape their brows. If you aren’t artistically inclined, you might want to find a professional to do this work for you, especially if you are shaping your brows for the first time. As with any profession, you want a qualified individual to perform this job. Remember, you will be wearing your newly shaped eyebrows for a long time. In other words, if you or someone else does a bad job of shaping your brows, it is still you who has to face the world afterwards.

A word of caution: Overtweezing is a common problem for the eyebrows. Although you may feel good about removing your unibrow, sometimes the hairs won’t all grow back. As we age, the eyebrows may become less dense than they were in our youth. So be careful with overambitious tweezing—otherwise you may be faced with having to paint on your brows.

Another cautionary note: I have a client who said that plucking her chin hairs caused pigmentation spots. This was no doubt post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which means that the injured area caused a pigmentation reaction when exposed to ultraviolet (sun) light. Be aware that this can happen and be careful when you tweeze.

In conclusion, tweezing is a quick and easy way to remove unwanted hair from your eyebrows, which is really the only place I would recommend using tweezers. For a stray chin hair here and there, no worries, but for anything more substantial, choose a different technique.

HOT TIP: The best time to tweeze and shape your eyebrows is right after a shower. Your skin will be softened by the steam heat, and your eyebrow hair will be easier to remove.

For more information, see:

• PUFFY EYES? Turn a negative into a positive!
• What is Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
• A Note to All Pickers—you know who you are!!! Important Instructions—a must read!
• Hair Removal: all links so far

Hair Removal Options: Women & Shaving

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

We all know about shaving. Using a razor, the hair is basically chopped off on top of the skin, leaving a smooth, hairless surface in its wake—albeit for a very short time. Everyone’s hair grows at different rates, but shaving offers the shortest amount of time between the removal and the regrowth of hair.

Men generally only shave their faces, whereas women shave many different parts of their bodies. The most common areas for a woman to shave is her legs (some women only shave the lower legs, others shave the entire leg—upper and lower), the underarms, and sometimes even the bikini line. And then there are those of you ladies who shave your face.

Shaving the face should be left for the men of the world—only. Let me reiterate that point: If you are a woman, do not shave your face! There are many articles on this blog that contain alternative techniques to remove unwanted hair on your face. If you start (or continue) shaving, you are only going to be ensuring the need to do it forever.

Shaving is a relatively inexpensive way to quickly get rid of hair virtually anywhere on the body, and it is generally painless. If you aren’t paying attention, shave too quickly, use an old or dull blade, or if you have problems with your skin, it can preclude a smooth shave. 

Does hair really grow back darker if you shave?

It is my experience that once a particular area has been shaved (and I believe this holds true for waxing as well), the hair does grow back darker and possibly thicker than it was before. Some reports dispute this, but use your own experience as a measure of the validity of my observation. Perhaps for some people the hair grows back as it was prior to shaving. This has not been the case for me, however, nor most people I have spoken with. So in essence, once you shave an area, you will eventually become a slave to shaving it.

Usually women start shaving their legs as teenagers, many times as proof of maturation—a sort of rite of passage. I know this was true for me when I was a teen, around 13 or 14 years old. Like a young man shaving the peach fuzz off his face, I started shaving my legs long before I needed to. I was simply removing fine (and unnoticeable), light-colored hair from my lower legs. At this young age, noticeably dark hair had not become a problem.

I don’t remember specifically when I noticed the hair growing in darker and coarser, but it was. The hair also seemed to grow in quicker, probably due to the darker color being more noticeable. Now, of course, I can’t go for more than a day or so without shaving, lest the dark hairs scare off my clients! The point is, don’t remove peach fuzz from anywhere on your body unless you just want to speed up the process of being a slave to shaving. 

Prepare or despair. Preparing your skin is of the utmost importance when it comes to shaving. For men, if you can shave in the shower, it will greatly increase your ability to get a clean shave, as well as make you less susceptible to irritation and razor cuts. The steam coming from the hot water does a great job of warming your skin and making it smooth, so the razor just glides right over your face. The same shower technique goes for women and shaving. Shave your legs in the shower to ensure your skin is “warmed-up” for the process.

If the skin is dried out and flaky (dehydrated skin), it can cause irritation anywhere on your body you are shaving. So in order to ensure a smooth shave, you’ll want to incorporate these three components: Exfoliation, using a good shaving cream, and using a triple (or more) blade razor, which will be discussed in future articles. For now, see:

• BODY: The many ways to exfoliate
• Do you have dry, itchy skin on your body?

Hair Removal Options: Epilation (ouch!)

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Epilation is a little known (and highly painful) way of removing hair from the root. I should know, I have used this technique. It is basically a mechanical form of tweezing. A small, hand-held device made of a series of high velocity rotating spring-coiled discs operates like tweezers, trapping the hair and pulling it out entirely. This system can remove even the shortest and thickest hair by the root.

Epilady® is the brand name of the machine I use, but there are several companies that offer this device. If you choose to try this method, the first time you do it you might want to have a cocktail, anything to numb the pain you are about to feel! If you use epilation consistently, it becomes less and less painful, though the very first time is quite uncomfortable. This technique is a great way to remove hair from the root, giving you a smooth, hairless surface for a lot longer than shaving.

You may ask why I use the thing at all if it’s so painful, and the reason is simple: I’m lazy. I don’t like shaving my legs, yet I want to have that just-shaved look and feel (this can be especially helpful during a vacation). The Epilady helps me achieve this; clean-shaven legs without having to shave. I not only don’t want to shave, but I don’t like having my legs waxed either. It’s just too painful—somehow more so to me than epilation. Maybe this is due in part because I can stop the machine at any time, which puts me in control vs. being waxed.

I no longer use this method regularly, but when I was a frequent Epilady user, I tried to do it at least once a week to catch any new hair growth that might be taking place. This way each time I used it, I didn’t have a whole leg full of hair to contend with. And this makes for much less pain; the more you use the machine, the less and less painful it becomes. I think you just get used to the sensation that occurs when the machine is turned on and turned loose on your leg hair.

There are machines on the market that allow you to epilate not only your legs but your bikini area and underarms as well. I haven’t ventured that far in my quest for hairlessness, but I know there are machines available for these more delicate areas. I have a friend who has epilated in these areas and said it caused a lot of ingrown hair. I find this to be true, too, with epilating my legs. Still the benefits—for me—are worth a few stray hairs that have lost their way.

I have a few recommendations. First, whether you are a first-time user or just haven’t used your epilator for a while, I recommend shaving your legs and letting the hair grow out slightly. Use your epilation machine when the hair is quite short—just long enough to be picked up by the coils; one quarter inch or a bit longer is ideal. If you try to epilate with a thick forest of long hair it is a much more painful process.

Second, use this machine after a bath or shower. However, do not use it in or near water—it is an electrical appliance so don’t get the epilator machine wet. After bathing, the hair will be softer, which may make for easier elimination. As you will no doubt find out during your initial visit with the epilator, easy is not a term that comes to mind during this procedure.

And lastly—go slow! My first time using the Epilady I did a patch about 3" square, then gave up—until the next day. I just couldn’t take it. But in my experience, over time you actually can get used to the sensation. Epilation is definitely not for everyone, but if you can get past the initial pain, the benefits are long-lasting and worth it.

For more information, see:

• Hair Removal Options: Electrolysis
• Hair Removal Options: Bleaching
• Hair Removal Options: Women & Shaving

Hair Removal Options: Electrolysis

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Electrolysis has been around for a long time and used to be the only permanent method of hair removal. It is now running neck and neck with laser techniques in popularity.

Electrolysis works by sending an electrical current from a needle down into the hair shaft, affecting the root and basically destroying it. Electrolysis is not foolproof, and the effectiveness rate varies from person to person. Some clients have an 80-100% success rate, while others have less than 50%. You have to go back for repeated visits for best results, and electrolysis can be expensive.

When I was working for a spa back in my early years as an aesthetician, I had a client who was getting electrolysis on both of her legs. Imagine the time and expense of having this done! But I also picture this woman today, never having to shave or otherwise worry about unwanted hair on her legs. I’m sure she thinks it was worth every penny.

Electrolysis is not initially a permanent removal, but is a process of weakening the hair. With continued treatments, the hair essentially gives up and does not grow back, so you will need a series of electrolysis sessions lasting anywhere from a few months to a year or more depending on the location of the hair and how stubborn (thick) it is. This process varies with each individual, and you will have to discuss your specific needs with your technician.

Don’t think that going in for one electrolysis session will permanently eliminate your unwanted hair. The duration of your treatments will depend on your own personal hair growth cycles, how much damage you have done to the area (through tweezing and/or waxing), and how coarse the hair is, along with the depth of the hair within the follicle. Even medications you are taking can affect how the hair grows, which can in turn affect the success of your treatment process.

Generally, once you start getting electrolysis, the hair will grow back thinner and finer, setting the stage for permanent removal. Most electrolysis experts will tell you not to tweeze or wax the area—it makes electrolysis much more difficult. They need to work with “untampered with” hair. So if you decide to go through electrolysis, consult with your technician and obey their instructions, or the process will take longer and may potentially be more painful. Put your confidence in the professional you have chosen and leave your hair alone!

I highly recommend checking out more than one electrolysis facility. If you can, get some referrals from friends. If you don’t know anyone who is getting or has gotten electrolysis, call a few reputable skin care salons in your area and ask them for referrals. If all else fails, get out the phone book or go online and start calling around.

Be careful when it comes to discounted electrolysis. Cheaper doesn’t mean better. What you are looking for is a highly qualified technician who will help you get rid of unwanted hair. You don’t want to waste your time and money on a person who may be charging you less than the rest, but is doing a less-than-effective job on your unwanted hair.

For more information, see:

• Hair Removal Options: Epilation (ouch!)
• Hair Removal Options: Women & Shaving 
• Hair Removal Options: Bleaching

Perhaps. As you've read, electrolysis is not one-size-fits-all.

Shari’s (chin hair) waxing story

Shari is a lovely 35-year-old mother of three. She has great genes for skin and has been coming to me for semiannual facials for quite a while. Over the past few years, she has noticed one or two dark hairs on her chin—something that will probably get worse as she gets older.

Chin hair is one of those ugly secrets you don’t really read about. These hairs usually start popping up around the magic age of 40, when so many other undesirable things start to occur. This phenomenon is due in part to waning estrogen levels in a woman’s body as she is starting to phase out of her childbearing years. As the estrogen levels start to decline, the testosterone levels—although they may not increase—seem stronger due to the loss of estrogen.

Tweezing would be a better option in this case.

Shari decided to get her chin waxed to get rid of the one or two stray hairs she had found. Had I seen her first, I would have recommended tweezing these few hairs, in fact I would have done it for her myself! She later discovered that where she used to have peach fuzz on her chin, after waxing, the hair grew in darker and thicker than it was before. Unfortunately, my client was so disappointed she had begun this adventure (waxing) because now she had a worse problem than the one she began with: more dark hairs to contend with.

I recommended Shari stop waxing and look into either electrolysis or laser hair removal. Since she didn’t have a lot of hair growth (the dark, coarse kind), it probably wouldn’t be too expensive. Expensive is a relative term and completely getting rid of hair using lasers or electrolysis is not guaranteed. I also told Shari to try bleaching the area she originally got waxed if there was dark, fine hair there that bothered her.

Waxing can work for certain circumstances. But you have to understand you are taking off all the hair in the area, not just the problem spots. And sometimes that peach fuzz hair will grow in darker and coarser than before you waxed. It is something I see over and over again, and is one of the reasons I discourage facial waxing.

For more information, see:

• Just Say NO to a Lip Wax!
• Eyebrows: Should you wax or tweeze?
• Hair Removal Options: Electrolysis