Hair removal is a common beauty treatment that is undergone by the majority of women and a growing number of men. This procedure is strictly connected with hygiene and prevailing trends. Why is hair removal connected with hygiene? Because together with getting rid of unwanted hair we combat, or at least limit, sweat. Why with current trends? Because when all your friends shave their legs regularly, you don’t want to be perceived as a some hairy creature, so we do exactly the same. Men prefer having their hair removed in a beauty parlour, whereas women tend to do this at home. What are the home hair removal methods which I could recommend? Shaving cream, disposable razor, epilator and wax – How to use them? Let me explain everything.

Shaving cream

Shaving cream is a completely painless way of removing the unwanted hair from the body. I’d recommend it especially to those of you which pain threshold isn’t high or to those who struggle with broken capillaries. This type of cosmetics contain acid derivatives that are able to melt protein that creates hair (keratin) even under the skin. And this is the very reason hair starts growing out soft after approximately 7 days. Due to regular use, hair is gradually becoming thinner and weaker. But, of course, shaving cream has its drawbacks as well. Firstly, it can irritate skin, especially the skin of people which complexion is pale, therefore run a patch test before applying such cosmetic for the first time. Secondly, shaving cream doesn’t always remove all unwanted hair.

Apply shaving cream to your dry and clean skin with the aid of a plastic spatula that goes with the pack. When the indicated on the packaging period of time passes by (in most cases it’s 5 minutes), ‘shave’ the shaving cream from a small skin area – always do it against the hair growth direction, use the spatula. If you can notice your hair being reluctant to disappear, wait one minute longer. When the hair is easy to remove, you can start shaving the entire skin area you wish to be smooth. Mind you, don’t press the spatula too hard to your skin. Otherwise, irritations might appear. You can rinse off the residues of the cosmetic using lukewarm water.

Disposable razor

Disposable razor is a very fast method of hair removal that serves well especially in an emergency. Additionally, it’s painless. Sadly, the effects are short-lived; hair starts growing out after approximately 3 days, and additionally, with every another shaving, the hair gradually becomes thicker and harder. You should exclude using disposable razors completely if your legs feature big varicose veins and if there are some skin lesions on your body.

Before you reach for a disposable razor, damp your skin and apply a layer of a shaving cream first. This preparation makes hair softer and helps the razor glide smoothly, which translates into lower risk of irritations. If you don’t have such cosmetic at home, you can make use of a lathery shower gel or soap featuring moisturising agents. Try to choose razors designed for women because they have movable handle thanks to which the tool is able to adjusts itself to the curves of woman’s body. Another facilitation that disposable razors feature are the soft lubricating bands, frequently soaked with aloe gel.

Run the disposable razor against the grain (glide the razor the opposite direction that the hair grows).

Epilator

Its purchase is connected with quite a big spend, yet it’s just one-time expense, and therefore such a solution could appear to be more beneficial for you than regular restocking of your supplies such as shaving creams, wax or disposable razors. Epilator features discs that grab and pull out hair. The best effect can be obtained if you use the device in the evening, after taking a bath. Before that, massage your body with a bath sponge – thanks to this you will raise your hair to make it easier for the epilator to catch it. Apply small, circular motions and try not to press the device too hard to your skin.

Epilator pulls out most of hair bulbs hence hair starts growing out weaker after more or less four weeks. Sadly, the procedure is rather painful which is especially felt on the sensitive body parts. Luckily, there are epilators with pain-reducing functions: massaging, cooling or almost painless underwater hair removal. Despite the pluses, using an epilator isn’t recommended for those people who have varicose veins and are prone to broken capillaries. Moreover, it’s typical for hair to grow into skin if epilator is used often. To prevent this, you should rub your skin with a rough bath sponge or apply body scrubs regularly.

Wax

It’s better not to use hot wax at home because it’s really easy to scald skin with it. The safest are the readymade wax stripes owing to which you can remove hair form all body parts safely. Wax hair removal carried out at home must be proceeded with getting your skin ready, which means that you have to make it damp and then dry (while drying it, keep rubbing a towel against the skin so as to raise hair). Additionally, it’s also a good idea to wipe selected body parts with a little bit of talc to facilitate higher adherence of the wax stripes. To warm up the strip, keep rubbing it between your palms, then separate the strips and attach to your body in the direction of the hair growth. After that, smooth it out and press against the skin. Then, rip the stipe from the skin against the grain. What’s important, you can use one stripe a few times during one hair removal session. Rinse wax residues through rubbing your skin with a natural oil. You can also make use of cosmetic wipes that are soaked with oils.

Wax hair removal have many benefits. Firstly, wax removes hair together with bulbs thanks to which skin remains smooth even for 4 weeks. Secondly, if you keep reapplying this procedure regularly, the hair is supposed to grow weaker and thinner. On the other hand, such treatment is rather painful. Contraindications to using wax stripes are varicose veins and couperose skin. Moreover, after wax hair removal it becomes typical for hair to grow in. Since wax makes hair weak, it grows out softer so it isn’t strong enough to pierce the epidermis. As a consequence, an inflammation might occur. How to prevent this? Try to apply body scrubs fairly regularly (once a week). Also, try to keep your skin soft and well-moisturised using the right body creams and balms.

What home hair removal methods do you recommend and why? I’m waiting for your comments!