June 01, 2006
Hair Threading
What's up with Hair Threading?
Hair Threading is a relatively new process which can be done either at home or at many salons. Threading is a great solution for removing fine hair like the hair that grows above the lip. It's more effective than shaving, or bleaching, but it can be as painful as waxing depending upon how sensitive your skin is and how thick your hair grows.
Start with about 2 feet of strong sewing thread. Take one end of the thread in each hand and knot them together so you end up with a continuous circle. Holding the thread with both hands, wind the thread 10 times until it resembles a bow tie. The wound portion should be in the middle. Next, slide the wound portion towards one of your hands by spreading the fingers of the other hand while closing the fingers of the other. Practice moving the wound area back and forth by alternating the fingers that you spread and close. Once you reach the point that you can easily maneuver the wound area back and forth, you are ready to proceed.
Because you have more area to work with, practice the procedure on leg hairs until you get the hang of it. Sit down on a chair and prop one leg up so it's at a comfortable height. Select the hair that you want to target. Place the wound side of the thread on one side of the hair and then lay the thread from the opposite end around both sides of the hair. Now, do the finger stretching and closing routine to quickly move the wound area to the other side of the thread. This will capture the hair and pull it from the root. Repeat the process until you have treated the entire area.
It sounds confusing. That's why it's recommended that you have it done at the salon the first time. Pay attention to how it's all done, and then try it at home. Threading is relatively inexpensive. Just think of paying to have it done as tuition because once you learn, you can continue to do it at home. Depending upon how quickly your hair grows back, you may only have to thread once per month. There are no real dangerous side effects to threading although, if you are especially sensitive to pain, you might find the process uncomfortable. The up side is once you learn how to perform the threading procedure, you can do it quickly and as frequently as you need to.
Posted by KeyWest at 04:58 PM | 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.
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)
