Oh, the damn hair! Here’s how to get rid of them…

Hairy skin looks simply unaesthetic, and even talk about natural beauty and the fact that nature knows why it gave us hair will not change this fact.

“Hairy skin is the biggest fault of female beauty, my stomach rises when I see it,” said the German top model Claudia Schiffer some time ago.

The fashion for smooth, hair-free skin reigns not only in the world of modeling and show business. Hair removal has become a common thing among women and few dare to ignore this trend. There are several methods of depilation (the hair is removed from the roots) and epilation (the hair is also removed with the root), it depends on you which method you prefer. Which method will you choose?

Shaving
Shaving with a razor: Hair removal with a wet razor is one of the most used methods of depilation of legs, armpits, and other hairy parts of the body. The advantage of this method is speed and painlessness, but the smooth skin lasts only for a very short time. In some cases, hairs appear on the second day after shaving. Another problem accompanying shaving with a razor can be inflamed hair roots after shaving and ingrown hairs. They can be prevented by using special cosmetics designed for wet shaving. It usually contains soothing substances that relieve skin irritation. For example, preparations containing aloe vera have very good effects. As for ingrown hairs, preparations have appeared on the market to prevent this unpleasant problem. Don’t forget to change your razor regularly, you can cut yourself unpleasantly and irritate your skin with a dull razor.
Shaving with an electric shaver: it is one of the fastest ways to remove hair, unlike a razor, there is no risk of cuts. However, smooth skin also only lasts a few days.

Waxing
Pulling off ingrown hairs with wax is a more effective way of depilation. Smooth skin after waxing lasts for three weeks to a month, because unlike shaving, wax also removes hair from the root. You can choose between a beauty salon and home waxing. You can buy ready-made wax strips, which are heated (but some types do not need to be), left to dry and then quickly torn off. Hair removal with hot wax is widespread in beauty salons. The disadvantage of this method is that pulling off dried wax is accompanied by pain. Immediately after depilation, the skin is reddened, but inflamed hair roots usually do not appear. If you have sensitive skin, choose the types designed for this type of skin, they contain substances to soothe it. You will pay around two hundred kroner per package for wax in the store, and removing hair on the legs with wax in the salon costs around three hundred kroner.

Depilatory creams
Depilation with creams is one of the relatively quick ways to achieve smooth skin. Just apply the cream to the skin, wait the recommended ten to fifteen minutes and wipe off the cream with the included spatula. The hair-free skin lasts for several days to a week, because the hair is not removed even with the root. The risk of depilation with creams is the possibility of an allergic reaction to some component of the cream, so it is worth trying the product on a piece of skin first. However, with some types of creams, the recommended time of action must be extended, because the time of action of the cream indicated on the information leaflet is not always sufficient for thicker, dark hair. The price for a package of such a cream ranges from one hundred to two hundred crowns, depending on the weight.

Oriental blends
Oriental depilation consists in applying a special substance to the skin, which is left to dry and then pulled off. The method is very similar to waxing, but some compounds adhere better to the hair than wax. The types of mixtures differ depending on the country where the recipe for its preparation comes from. However, it usually contains sugar and various natural substances. The price of oriental depilation starts at around five hundred crowns for depilation of the legs.

Electric epilator
A painful but effective method is dry hair removal with an electric epilator. It pulls the hairs directly from the roots, so the shaved skin lasts for two to three weeks, depending on the intensity of the hair growth and the rate of hair growth. The pain slowly disappears after each shave, as the hair grows finer and finer. The skin can be irritated after epilation, so don’t forget to treat it with soothing products to reduce reddened areas. The price for a better epilation machine starts at 1,500 crowns.

Depilation with an electric needle
In this method, a thin surgical steel needle is inserted into the hair root and destroyed by an electrical impulse. The number of procedures depends on the thickness of the hairs and the area from which they are removed. No other type of epilation should be used during repeat procedures, the hairs should be allowed to grow. The method is one of the permanent ways to get rid of unwanted hair. You will pay around three thousand crowns for the removal of hair on the legs using an electric needle.

Laser epilation
This is the most expensive but most permanent way of hair removal. It is possible to get rid of hair permanently after procedures. The laser beam penetrates into the root of the hair and definitively destroys it, and the hair no longer grows from such a root. The number of repetitions to achieve complete hair removal is individual and, in addition to the difference between the color of the skin and the color of the hair, also depends on the amount of affected and damaged hair that is still growing. You may feel a burning sensation during the procedure, but the lasers have a cooling function, so you can hardly feel the pain.

Text: Zuzana Hlavačková for Pravda Women, archive
Photo: SHUTTERSTOCK