Waxing lyrical on removing body hair
By Louise Ho |
May 18, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH summer almost here and city residents looking to get out their shorts and T-shirts, there's no hiding place for excess body hair. Here's a no-nonsense guide for both waxing virgins and veterans seeking a different depilatory method, giving the pros and cons of each method.
Temporary
If you want to remove hair on the cheap and can endure pain, you should go for temporary methods. And if you are not keen on stripping off in front of strangers in a beauty salon, you can opt for temporary hair removal at home. How long it will take for the hair to grow back varies from a few days to three weeks, depending on the skin and hair type.
? Shaving
Pros: The fastest, cheapest and most painless method - all you really need is a 10 yuan (US$1.5) razor. Shave in the direction of hair growth, preferably after applying depilatory cream.
Cons: Hair is only removed from the surface, so will grow back within a few days. The hair that grows back is also rougher after shaving.
? Plucking
Pros: Another cheap method, as the only tool you need is a pair of tweezers, and is suitable for tackling hair on smaller areas.
Cons: At the best of times, plucking can be a little bit painful. Try it on your bikini line? Don't even think about it! And it is not long-lasting, as hair grows back from the dermis. Frequent plucking also enlarges the pores.
? Waxing
Pros: An effective and long-lasting way to remove large amounts of hair at one time. Wax can be applied to almost all areas of the body, such as the underarms, arms, legs, eyebrows and bikini area. Wax is spread over the skin, then ripped off in the direction of hair growth. It costs anything between 50 yuan to several hundred yuan for one treatment, depending on whether you go DIY or have it done professionally.
Cons: It is extremely painful, especially in sensitive areas. Imagine the ordeal of having to wax your bikini line every month! Also, if waxing is not done properly, ingrown hair will occur.
Permanent
If you have a lot of excess body hair and are willing to pay more to get rid of it once and for all, you should consider more permanent treatments. These are much more effective but also expensive. And despite claims, hair will grow back, but after a longer period of time than with temporary methods. About 20 percent of hair will continue to grow after permanent treatments, although the hair that grows back is much softer and finer.
? Laser and intense pulsed light (IPR)
Laser and IPR work in the same principle: A single burst of light or laser is used on the skin surface to damage the follicles. Cooling gel is applied to the skin beforehand to nullify the heat.
Pros: These are perfect for busy career women as underarms laser treatment takes only a minute or two. And in general, laser and IPR hair removal is more comfortable than waxing. Asian women, who have darker and thicker hair, get better results from IPR or laser treatment.
Cons: It costs several thousand yuan for just one session, and a complete treatment requires four to five sessions. For safety reasons, make sure that you use a licensed clinic.
Temporary
If you want to remove hair on the cheap and can endure pain, you should go for temporary methods. And if you are not keen on stripping off in front of strangers in a beauty salon, you can opt for temporary hair removal at home. How long it will take for the hair to grow back varies from a few days to three weeks, depending on the skin and hair type.
? Shaving
Pros: The fastest, cheapest and most painless method - all you really need is a 10 yuan (US$1.5) razor. Shave in the direction of hair growth, preferably after applying depilatory cream.
Cons: Hair is only removed from the surface, so will grow back within a few days. The hair that grows back is also rougher after shaving.
? Plucking
Pros: Another cheap method, as the only tool you need is a pair of tweezers, and is suitable for tackling hair on smaller areas.
Cons: At the best of times, plucking can be a little bit painful. Try it on your bikini line? Don't even think about it! And it is not long-lasting, as hair grows back from the dermis. Frequent plucking also enlarges the pores.
? Waxing
Pros: An effective and long-lasting way to remove large amounts of hair at one time. Wax can be applied to almost all areas of the body, such as the underarms, arms, legs, eyebrows and bikini area. Wax is spread over the skin, then ripped off in the direction of hair growth. It costs anything between 50 yuan to several hundred yuan for one treatment, depending on whether you go DIY or have it done professionally.
Cons: It is extremely painful, especially in sensitive areas. Imagine the ordeal of having to wax your bikini line every month! Also, if waxing is not done properly, ingrown hair will occur.
Permanent
If you have a lot of excess body hair and are willing to pay more to get rid of it once and for all, you should consider more permanent treatments. These are much more effective but also expensive. And despite claims, hair will grow back, but after a longer period of time than with temporary methods. About 20 percent of hair will continue to grow after permanent treatments, although the hair that grows back is much softer and finer.
? Laser and intense pulsed light (IPR)
Laser and IPR work in the same principle: A single burst of light or laser is used on the skin surface to damage the follicles. Cooling gel is applied to the skin beforehand to nullify the heat.
Pros: These are perfect for busy career women as underarms laser treatment takes only a minute or two. And in general, laser and IPR hair removal is more comfortable than waxing. Asian women, who have darker and thicker hair, get better results from IPR or laser treatment.
Cons: It costs several thousand yuan for just one session, and a complete treatment requires four to five sessions. For safety reasons, make sure that you use a licensed clinic.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
