Hair Removal - Laser Hair Removal - Hair Permanent Removal

November 03, 2007

Hair Removal Cream

Do you ever find yourself judging current products that are on the market based on experiences that you had with them in the past? I know for myself if I have had a bad experience with a product I most likely will not try it again even if friends tell me that it has been improved. This can be a bad thing however I do not like to waste money on a product that I think will not perform well.

My daughter convinced me to take a risk with a product that I had sworn I would never use again. When I was in high school there was a very popular television commercial for a hair removal cream. I loved the commercial and decided that I would try the product. My mother did not think that a hair removal cream was a good idea so she would not buy it for me. When I was a child I was given a generous allowance for cleaning the house and starting supper in the evenings when I returned home from school.

The allowance was to be used for school events, movies and other activities that I wanted to go on. I could also buy things with it; however my parents paid for most of my clothing and hygiene products. I used my allowance money to by the hair removal cream. It was summer time and I was going to a pool party at a neighbor’s house so I wanted nice smooth legs. My mother knew I had bought the cream. Her only comment was to make sure that I followed the directions. I was in a hurry so I only glanced at the part of the directions that said how long to keep the product on.

The product had a very strong chemical odor. I put it on my legs and then looked around for my swimsuit and did some other things. I left the product on longer than I was supposed to, but I did not think this was any big deal. I wiped it off quickly and went to the neighbor’s house. My friends were lying in the sun so I sat in the sun by them and we started talking. I sat in the sun for over a half hour when one of my friends asked me what was wrong with my legs. They were covered in rash.

I went home and took a shower, but the rash lasted for three days. It was painful and because of being self conscious about the rash I wore long pants during very hot weather so a beach party. My mother looked on the bottle of the hair removal product and it said not to go out into the sun for three hours after applying it. It also said to wash it off with plenty of soap and water. I did not.

That was the only time I used the product. My daughter was telling me about using a similar product and how great her legs felt and that she did not have to shave for two weeks. I tried the product again and found that it did work very well.

Posted by KeyWest at 01:39 PM | Comments (0)

October 01, 2007

Thread that Lip Hair Away

Women don’t want all that hair in places other than on their head! With either heredity or age, the ladies are bound to get a moustache on their upper lip and it’s never ever welcomed. First there was shaving, and then came the plethora of creams, lotions and potions to remove hair, then there was waxing, and even electrolysis. Now gals, there’s yet another method you may choose to rid that unwanted stache on your upper lip. It’s called Threading.

Threading is done at salons or can also be done at home. The process removes the fine and fuzzy hair right from the root. If it sounds painful, consider the options. If you shave your lip, it’ll come back stubbly, eventually like a man. What wants that? If you use a cream, you’re subjecting yourself to chemical reactions and it doesn’t rid the hair at the root, so it’ll likely just grow back faster and thicker. If you’ve ever had your lip waxed, ripping that sucker off hurts too. Not to mention the bright red upper lip for hours and the small beady blisters for a week. Ick. Ever try plucking your hairs out? Ouch is right! You could bleach that hair, but then you’ll just have a lighter colored moustache. Every method has its drawbacks.

Many women say the best method of hair removal from the upper lip is threading. One of the benefits is that you don’t have to wait for hair to grow a certain length. The concept is that you’re going to get the hair twisted and spun into the thread and thusly yanking, gently yanking it off your face. It might be difficult for you to visualize the procedure, so you may want to have it done in a salon first if you’re not getting the full gist of what needs to happen.

To start take about 24 inches of thread length. Yes, the sewing thread, any kind, nothing special so long as you use a good quality, strong thread. Take both ends and tie them, together in a knot. You’ll have a circle of thread when you’re done tying the ends together. Next hold the thread with both hands and wind them around (loop around) your hands about ten times. Then place the thread around the fingers of both hands. Push the part that is wound up towards one hand by widening the fingers of one hand and at the same time closing the fingers of the other hand. Use an alternating “open/close” motion with opposite hands.

By opening the fingers of the closed hand and closing the fingers of the other hand, you’re pushing the wound portion in the other direction. It will take some practice. Keep pushing the wound up portion back and forth until you are able to push it back and forth easily. Once you have the hang of it, you might be ready to start practicing on a body part. Don’t use the upper lip as a practice point. Try the leg or some other body part that is easily accessible.

Begin by placing the thread on the portion of your leg or elsewhere that you are going to first try. Place the wound part on one end of the hair, and the thread from the other side should be on both sides of the hair you want to remove. Next, move the wound portion to the other side, making sure that it catches the hair while moving. It will then lift the hair from the root as it moves back and forth.

After you’ve practiced this method and are fairly comfortable with it, move onto your upper lip. It’ll be quick and easy, taking only a couple of minutes every other day. How wonderful will it be to always have a hairless lip!

If all else fails, you may not be an expert threader, but you will at least know what someone is talking about next time they mention threading and they’re not referring to cross-stitching!

Posted by KeyWest at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)

May 31, 2006

Unwanted Hair Removal

Facts about unwanted hair removal

Whether you suffer from hair growth conditions like hypertrichosis or hirsutism, or you simply have some hair growing in places where you wished it didn't, there are an endless number of hair removal options available today. There are essentially two categories of hair removal procedures. 'Permament' procedures seek to remove unwanted hair in such a way that it never returns. Sometimes these techniques turn out to be semi-permanent and have to be repeated over time. Temporary hair removal techniques work for short periods of time and are subject to the body's normal hair growth cycle.

People who seek permament removal will usually be treated by a licensed Esthetician or hair removal specialist. While temporary hair removal procedures can also be performed by an Esthetician, there are plenty of home treatments available as well.

There's as many reasons as there are hairs on your body. Most woman treat hair removal as part of their normal cosmetic routine. They shave their legs and underarms, pluck their eyebrows, and have pubic hair trimmed or removed to accommodate today's fashions. Some men also shave their body hair for cosmetic reasons, and most men shave their facial hair unless they are purposely growing it out as a beard, goatee, or moustache. Many athletes, particularly swimmers and body builders, will undergo hair removal procedures in order to enhance their performance, their appearance, or both. Then there are medical reasons for removing hair and just plain old 'because I felt like it' reasons as well.

Examples of Permanent Hair Removal Techniques

ELECTROLYSIS

Electrolysis treats every hair follicle individually by injecting a needle into the hair follicle and subjecting it to an electric charge. This process can go on for months depending upon the size of the area undergoing treatment. This is a relatively painful process, and side effects can include scaring and infection. Costs can run as high as $1,000-$3,000 for the legs or pubic area.

LASER

Laser hair removal is an FDA approved process which should only be performed by a licensed and trained professional. During this procedure, a small laser beam is used to destroy the hair follicles. This is a relatively painless procedure which works best on people who have light colored skin and dark hair. It is not recommended if you are deeply tanned. Costs run around $1,000 for the removal of facial hair, and anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 for hair removal from the legs and pubic area.

PHOTO EPILATION/PULSED LASER

Similar to LASER treatment, this FDA approved procedure uses a pulsed light beam to destroy the hair follicles. This method is especially effective for removing hair from the underarms and the bikini area. There are no restrictions regarding skin color, tanning, or hair color. Costs run from $500 to $2,000 and up, depending upon the area of the body treated.

Temporary hair removal methods include a wide variety of hair removal creams, shaving, plucking, waxing, and more exotic procedures. What a dichotomy. While millions of people are spending billions of dollars to grow new hair, make it soft and shiny, or have it cut just right, the rest of us are sending our money trying to get rid of it!

Posted by KeyWest at 05:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2006

Hair Removal Tips

Tips on Choosing the Right Hair Removal Treatment

You've got some unsightly hair and you want to remove it, but how? How do you know which of the many methods currently available is the right one for the job at hand? Before making a decision, ask yourself a few questions. Here are some tips on what you should consider.

First of all, the method of hair removal you select will depend on the area of the body you want hair-free. Do you want to remove hair from your face or your body? From there, be even more specific. Do you want hair removed from your arms, legs, eyebrows, back, chest, belly button, nipples, pubic area, knuckles or somewhere else?

Once you've determined the area of the body you want to focus on, next determine whether your hair 'problem' is hereditary. Some people are simply more prone to growing darker, coarser hair and if that's in your genes, know that no amount of treatment is going to completely solve your excessive hair situation.

Now before you decide on total body hair removal, it's going to be very important to determine your budget. That's right; you've got to have the means to pay for your chosen method(s). And remember that most methods will require multiple treatments at various intervals. Hair removal methods range from a few dollars a month to several thousand dollars per treatment. Typically four, five or more of these costly treatments will be required. Only you can decide whether that is going to be the best use of your money.

Another tip is to determine your pain tolerance level. Don't laugh. How much pain you can handle will impact your selection of hair removal methods. Many are painful, and although the pain is temporary, they result in pain nonetheless. Waxing and electrolysis cause the most pain, so if you can't tolerate pain, you should select a different method.

Finally, it's very important that you make sure you're undergoing the hair removal process because you want to. The decision to take this step should be made by YOU and only YOU. Don't be pressured into this by somebody else.

The above tips should help you get started in the decision-making process. Once you've given thought to the above areas, you've got one more decision to make: should you choose a permanent or a temporary hair removal method. First of all know that most methods are temporary, and there is just no way around that fact. The only way to permanently stop hair growth is to damage the hair germination structure within the follicle. Electrolysis is the only method that has been proven to achieve this goal. Laser therapy comes close, but more studies are needed.

Considering that these two are the most expensive of all the options, you need to refer back to the budgeting tip above. If you can't afford this method, you can't take advantage of it, period. A temporary method will be your only option. If you can afford the costs, then compare the risks against the benefits and go from there!

Posted by KeyWest at 07:05 AM | Comments (0)

May 27, 2006

Biology Of Hair Growth

The biology behind hair growth

Nothing in life is as simple as it seems, so it should come as no surprise that the strand of hair that you found on your brush this morning is an amazingly complex part of your body. Hair begins appearing on the human body while it is still in the womb. By the time a developing fetus reaches 22 weeks old, there are already 5 million follicles on the body. Interestingly enough, that is all of the follicles that will ever develop regardless of how long we live. None will ever be added.

Hair Anatomy

Hair consists of a follicle, which is embedded in the skin, and the shaft of hair which appears on our body. The follicle itself consists of multiple layers with each layer having a specific function. The papilla lies at the base of the follicle. Capillaries are connected to the papilla and they supply blood to the cells which surround the bottom part of the hair strand called the bulb.

Surrounding the follicle are two sheaths, inner and outer, which are designed to both protect the hair shaft from damage, and to help it grow out in the proper direction. The inner sheath runs next to the hair shaft and ends at the oil (sebaceous) gland. The outer sheath runs to the gland and ends at the erector pili muscle. This is the muscle that causes our hair to "stand on end" when it contracts.

The hair shaft is comprised of three layers of dead protein cells called keratin. The innermost layer, known as the medulla, is not always present in every hair shaft. The second layer, known as the cortex, provides the bulk of the hair shaft. The hair color is mostly determined by the pigmentation contained in this layer. The outermost layer is called the cuticle. It is comprised of a series of overlapping cells. The hair's luster and sheen comes from the cuticle.

How Hair Grows

Scalp hair grows at an average rate of six inches per year, or only .3-.4 mm per day. There are three distinct stages of hair growth.

- Catagen Phase

This transitional phase runs about two to three weeks. At any given time approximately 3% of your hair is in this phase. There is no hair growth during this period while the out portion of the hair root sheath shrinks and attaches itself to the root.

- Telogen Phase

This phase, known as the "resting period" is experienced by approximately 15% of your hair. Telogen lasts for around 100 days for scalp hair and significantly longer for other body hair.

- Anagen Phase

This phase defines a period of activity where the hair cells are dividing and new hair growth occurs. This phase can last for as long as two to six years. Shorter growth periods are indicative of people who have trouble growing their hair long.

Hair Growth Disorders

There are two hair growth disorders that affect humans. Hirsutism is a condition affecting mostly females. It is defined as a condition where excessive thick and dark hair growth is experienced in areas typically reserved for males. These areas include the face, chest and the areolae or area surrounding the nipple. Hypertrichosis is a condition which causes excessive hair growth in areas of the body where visible hair is not normally present. Both of these conditions are treatable.

Posted by KeyWest at 05:13 PM | Comments (0)