Getting rid of unwanted body hair is an accepted norm, only what qualifies as unwanted hair growth and the means of getting rid of these vary. Revealing hair growth in certain parts of the body can be perceived as uncouth or unkempt; and therefore, hair removal has come to be a symbol of personal hygiene and aesthetics.
Removing unwanted or undesirable body hair may be a result of cultural, social or sexual milieu. In most countries of the world, women prefer to get rid of excess hair growth on the legs, arms, around the eyebrows, lips, armpits and even the bikini line. Here, the idea behind removing hair from the visible parts of the body may be to come across as more attractive, where as the reason behind getting rid of pubic hair can solely be attributed to gaining sexual acceptability and desirability. Some also contend that the trend of getting rid of hair along the bikini line is fairly recent.
In case of men, the hair growth on most parts of the body is generally acceptable, both socially and in intimate situations. While sporting a beard or a moustache, was once regarded the symbolism for being macho, the metro sexual man of today begs to differ. Today, men like to sport the clean-shaven look. For which, regular shaving is a pre-requisite. Some even defy the widely accepted norm of growing hair on the head and choose to go bald all for a style statement’s sake. Today, men wanting to get rid of hair on the chest, back or even the pubic hair aren’t unusual.
While the urge or need to get rid of the unwanted body hair has remained static over the years, the means of doing so have constantly undergone changes.
Hair removal can be of two kinds – depilation and epilation. While depilation refers to removing the hair from above the surface of the skin, for example shaving; epilation mean removing the hair from under the layer of skin, as is the case with common salon techniques such as use of hot wax or threading. The latter, therefore, offer more lasting results.
There is a vast range of techniques available to get rid of these unwanted body hair and each varies from the other in terms of suitability for a particular part of the body and hair re-growth.
Shaving off the hair using a razor or a blade is a common practice among men to get rid of their facial hair on regular, in some cases day-to-day basis. However, it is not uncommon for women to use razors to shave off hair on their legs, arms or armpits. Since regular shaving can leave the skin unsmooth and even leave razor burns or cuts, it is not a preferred option for women and is more like a last-minute resort, for may be an unplanned date or impromptu plan to hang out with friends.
To remove hair from the legs, arms, armpits, tummy and back, women have a host of options to choose from – tweezing, threading, waxing, sugaring, hair removal creams and epilators. Tweezing and threading are usually done for removing facial hair, while techniques such as waxing and sugaring can be used for removing hair from other parts of the body. Waxing and sugaring are very similar in nature, the only difference being the thickness of the paste used in sugaring. Hair removal creams and epilators serve the same purpose as well.
For removing the pubic hair, one has the choice of opting for epilators, hair removal creams or bikini waxing, which has several variants such as American waxing, French waxing and Brazilian waxing. Though all the three are used for removing hair from the pelvic area, the difference lies in the techniques adopted.
In American waxing, only the portion of hair exposed in a swimsuit of a particular design is removed, while in French waxing, all the hair, except for a strip along the middle, is removed, where as in Brazilian wax all the hair in the pelvic area are removed by the way of waxing. In the recent past, the Brazilian wax has gained popularity across the globe, and women choose to get it done for aesthetic and cosmetic purposes. However, since the pelvic area is the most sensitive part of the body, there is a need to for utmost care to ensure there is no rash or irritation after the hair has been removed.
In cases of excessive hair growth or to get rid of the hassle of regular hair removal, some people prefer to choose permanent hair removal or reduction options. Permanent hair removal techniques have been in vogue in the US for the past 130 years, when electrology – electrical epilation – was introduced. The more recent and relatively popular way of permanent hair removal is the laser technology, which was introduced in the 1990s. Here, hair follicle is destroyed with the use of light, resulting in reduction of hair growth and subsequent permanent hair removal. However, this may require more than one sitting.
The laser technology is also used for permanent hair reduction. Besides, high-energy lamps and LEDs are also used to this effect. The high-energy lamps pr the Intense Pulsed Lights use a combination of xenon flash lamps and focusing optics.
Each of these methods has its own pros and cons. While the temporary methods of hair removal may be bothersome for the need for recurrence, the permanent ones may have more damaging affects on the skin and body.
