Hair Removal for the Smoothest Skin

by Lisa Young – Salon Director

It won’t be long before booking summer holidays will be in our minds. The January sales is traditionally the time to book your summer holiday and we all start the year with those New Year resolutions to achieve beach body readiness.

You have the diet started. Tick.

You’ve signed up for the gym and have started huffing and puffing through a few classes. Tick.

But what else should you be thinking of on your quest to get trimmed up and summer sun ready?

Well, how about tackling a hair removal regime ? The colder months are the perfect time to think about embarking on some hair removal exercises.

The parties are finished and legs and underarms are safely back under cover for a few months. So apart from “him indoors” or the “love of your life” you could get away with allowing a bit of hair growth in order to find and start the perfect hair removal technique for you.

There are many different types of hair removal techniques. So if you are not sure what’s the best way to remove unwanted body hair, here’s our guide to some of the most popular hair removal methods around with our tips to help find the one that works best for you.

Shaving

The first choice for most people, is shaving. It’s quick, easy and a great way of getting rid of unwanted hair. Shaving gives you a really smooth finish, it’s a cheap method of hair removal and suitable for most people.

There are 2 methods:

Razor wet shave
Electric Razor

Wet Shave

With a wet shave you run the risk of nicks and cuts so it’s really important to always use a sharp new razor. So ladies please don’t use your “other half’s” shaving equipment because:

He’s going to go mad when he cuts himself or finds out you have shaved your bikini line with his razor.
It may already be blunt and you will cut yourself.
Ewwwww …. it’s not really hygienic to share razor blades.
Lastly, when you do shave, the re-growth tends to grow back bristly and uneven, which means you’re more likely to shave more often.

HOT TIPS FOR A PERFECT SHAVE

Never use soap or shower gel to shave. Shaving cream is best as it ensures the razor glides smoothly and you get a closer shave. Plus it helps moisturise the skin.
Always use a good quality, sharp razor.
Shave after a bath or shower as it softens the hair making it easier to cut.

Electric shavers

Electric shavers are cost effective in the long run as you don’t need to buy consumables so often. They can be used wet or dry (depending on the type you buy).

Your skin is protected by a guard that reduces the risk of cuts and nicks making it gentle and easy on the skin. The downside to electric shavers is that they don’t cut as close as a wet shave razor so the result may not last as long.

Depilatory Creams

Hair removal creams are cheap and easy-to-use. They work by dissolving the hairs rather than pulling them from the root and are a great alternative to shaving. One downside is that they can be messy to use and they do pong a bit a bit like perm lotion!

The hair removal result is similar to shaving as it terminates the hair at the surface of the skin in a blunt way so that regrowth is bristly and quicker than other methods such as waxing.

HOT TIPS FOR HAIR REMOVAL CREAMS

Always read the instructions and never leave on for longer than the manufacturer’s instructions.
Always patch test to ensure your skin is not allergic to the product.
Use the correct product for the area that you are treating to avoid irritation and ensure good results.
To avoid irritation apply gently to the skin and never rub.

Epilation

Electrical epilators extract the hair by capturing the hair between rotating metal blades that lift and remove the hair from the root.

Epilation is very similar to waxing pulling the hair out from the root. The results are really smooth and can last up to six weeks. It’s great as an alternative to waxing and especially when you can’t make it to the salon because it means you’re not tempted to ruin your wax cycle and results with a quick razor shave.

A downside to epilation is that it can be painful as it’s slower than waxing so you need a high pain threshold that can be uncomfortable as a hair removal technique. Post epilation, expect the same speckled look to the skin especially if you are sensitive. I personally find epilation fantastic for legs but I steer away from bikini line and under arms as it is more painful and it’s harder to get a stretch on the skin.

HOP TIPS FOR EPILATION

Always avoid the sun for 24 hrs post epilation as your skin is more sensitive post epilation.
If you are sensitive epilate in the evening so it gives time for the speckled look to calm down.
Pain tolerance is lower when unwell or on your period so you may find epilation more uncomfortable at these times.

Waxing

Waxing is great because it doesn’t leave a stubbly feel and the hairs grow through much finer. Over time your re-growth gradually becomes reduced even to the extent that hair becomes patchy or even non-existent.

Today’s modern high quality waxes make waxing generally more comfortable but a few people may find waxing a bit of a discomfort on the more delicate areas such as the bikini line. Hot waxes such as Lycon takes waxing to another level with high quality resins and soothing aromatherapy oils as well as pre waxing oils that make waxing almost pain free.

To prepare for waxing you need to let the hairs grow in between sessions so that the wax has something to grip on to although modern waxes such as Lycon can pull hairs from as little as 1 mm. A normal cycle is about 4 weeks between waxing but you have to keep focused on the end goal, which is eventually to achieve reduced or patching maybe even virtually hair free.

One down side to waxing is in-growing hairs. This is caused by hair becoming caught under the skin leaving a nasty red bump but this can be avoided by good aftercare such as exfoliation.

HOT TIPS FOR WAXING

Go Pro and get waxed professionally. DIY wax strips aren’t as effective as professional wax and they can be messy. They can even be dangerous to use especially the microwave waxes where pockets of heat mean an uneven wax temperature and a risk of burn.
Once you start waxing, stick with it and don’t be tempted to switch back to shaving as you’ll undo all the good work achieved by waxing to reduce the hair growth. If you can’t manage to get to the salon, epilate instead.
Regular exfoliation is key to getting a great result and avoiding ingrown hairs. Invest in a loofah or body mitten or body cloth such as the Dermalogica Body Cloth. Gently exfoliate over the waxed areas every time you shower to prevent in-growing hairs.
Sometimes, hairs ingrow in areas where articles of clothing have rubbed such as knicker lines. If you do get one never pick or squeeze an ingrown hair as it only makes it worse and you can infect the hair follicle. Instead, try a regular spritz of Lycon Ingrown X-IT £14.99 will naturally exfoliate the skin. It does this by using dead skin munching ingredients such as salycylic and lactic acid, which prevents dead skin from building up around the hair follicle. If you do get an infected ingrown hair, try a drop of naturally antiseptic Tea Tree Oil.

Laser or IPL Hair Removal

Lasers are a permanent method of hair removal. IPL is a form of laser treatment that uses intense pulses of light to remove hair permanently. It normally takes a course of treatments to reduce or stop the growth and it can be expensive. The number of treatments required and the final results varies from person to person. It cannot be used on light and white hair so is not suitable for everyone.

Quote of the Day

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

WALT DISNEY

Hair Removal – the top tips guide