/hair-removal

Table of Contents

Introduction

There might be multiple reasons why you would want to remove body and facial hair, there are multiple methods available and each method has its own pros and cons. Anyone should be aware of possible risks and proper techniques before attempting to remove body (and even facial) hair. This guide is going to focus more on body hair removal, but the same guidelines can be used on facial hair as well.

The reason why this guide is created is because of how commonly people ruin their skin just because they though shaving is simple. While it might not cause too much issues and you might only get a few scars on your first attempt on hair removal, this does not apply to everyone and especially to older people. Each individual is unique and one's advice might be a permanent disaster to another person. This guide focuses as much as possible to all possibilities out there.

Skincare

You might be tempted to skip this step, but this is very crucial for any hair removal method. To minimize the unwanted effects of any hair removal method, you should make sure your skin is healthy. A healthy skin is exfoliated (but not overexfoliated), well hydrated, elastic and non-irritated. Skincare is a complex and you should check a full skincare guide to properly understand how to take care of your skin, but understanding it might be very frustrating.

People are different and their skin is different, what works for some might cause major irritation to other, but there are some very safe options (though a caution for fungal acne-prone skin). Below you will find a very general and mostly safe way to take care of your skin to reduce the possibility of skin issues that can arise due to improper (or lack of) skin care.

Before you preform hair removal, you need to exfoliate your skin. Exfoliation is a process to remove dead skin cells, your skin goes through different cycles and regenerates your skin, but as we age this process slows down and can cause multiple issues with hair removal. A very common method of exfoliation is mechanical scrubs (for example, shower sponges), but they are harsh and cause irritation easily. To make sure you do not overexfoliate your skin you should take a "milk bath" before hair removal, the lactic acid in milk will act like a gentle exfoliator and will make sure you do not create irritation that can easily happen from other exfoliation methods. To create a milk bath, there are multiple recipes, but the minimal setup is to take 2 cups of milk (sheep, goat or cow, powder milk can also be used) and pour it in a warm bath (37C), use the bath for 10-15 minutes and then wash any residue using a body wash. Baths in general should not be taken more than once or twice a week, more often can cause more skin issues.

Note: There are other exfoliation methods, but a milk bath is the safest one that will work for almost everyone. While younger people might not need skin exfoliation, they still can benefit from it and get a nice skin glow.

In case a milk bath is not an option, consider just taking a shower and use a loofah to remove dead skin cells. Moisten your skin in a lukewarm shower for at least 2 minutes and gently rub your skin with a loofah. This can be irritating so make sure you do it gentle without applying too much pressure. This exfoliation method is not recommended to be preformed on the same day when you are preforming hair removal, especially shaving with a razor blade. Note that loofah need to be changed regular basis otherwise they can cause infection. Another common option that people use is getting a body scrub, which consists of a granulated material (commonly with sugar) and gently rubbing in on your skin creates an exfoliating effect, these body scrubs come in various prices, sizes, aromas and effects, make sure you don't rub the product too harshly, it is supposed to be rubbed very gently, almost like gliding along the skin with a slight pressure on it.

IMPORTANT: Other exfoliation methods might cause skin irritation for most people when hair removal is preformed right after skin exfoliation. If you choose other exfoliation methods, then you should preform hair removal on a different day to avoid irritation.

When skin is exfoliated and/or hair is removed, you should moisturize your skin. This is meant to minimize the chance of ingrown hair, skin irritation (most commonly red patches) and other issues. In general, hair removal is a harsh procedure against your skin and you should create conditions for it to heal properly. It is recommended to check a skincare guide to make sure you choose the right moisturizer for your skin type and it suits your skin condition, but in general most people will benefit from a basic drugstore moisturizer, look for a fragrance-free, sensitive, non-comedogenic body moisturizer, preferably something with aloe vera. There are many brands and you will have to see which moisturizer is sold in your area, but as a starter you can look for the following brands: CeraVe, La Roche Posay, Eucerin, Sebamed, Neutrogena and many more. Apply the moisturizer on a damp (but not wet) skin right after you have exfoliated and/or removed hair, you can apply small amounts of water to the skin to make the skin damp.

Note: If you are not sure what kind of moisturizer to use, then you should check the skincare guide. While there is no perfect moisturizer that will fit everyone's needs, "CeraVe body cream and moisturizer" is highly praised due to its contents and how statistically it is safe for most people, consider using it as a safe option.

IMPORTANT: Some people like to use a body oil instead of moisturizer. While body oil can be used, it is not suitable for acne-prone skin and can create a lot of pimples especially after some hair removal methods. Use with caution and a body moisturizer is preferred over body oil because oils only serve an occlusive function, oils do not hydrate your skin.

Common issues

Before we start to discover possible hair removal methods, we should see the common issues and why they occur. Below you will find the most common ones.

Ingrown hair: Hair growth goes through various cycles, at some point your hair will start to grow again. When hair is removed close to the skin, the hair can start to grow sideways and not outwards from your skin, this can create the irritation and cysts (pimples), this can happen due to improper hair removal method, hair growth disturbed by foreign objects (most commonly tight clothes) or it can happen on its own. Another possibility is when the hair has outgrown enough to penetrate the skin, but starts to curl back due to foreign objects. Ingrown hairs are possibly the most common issue that most people complain since it create a lot of pimples.

Irritation: Since hair removal is a harsh process, then more sensitive skin can experience irritation. Under irritation there can be skin redness, pain, razor bumps, cuts, swelling, allergic reaction and other. It is very common for most people to create razor burns due to a dull razor or shaving too harshly or improper technique, another cause is improper skin care, but in many cases some hair removal methods are simply not suitable for certain people.

Allergic reaction: Caused by certain ingredients when a product is used on a skin. This is a very common issue for depilation creams and wax strips. You must always do a patch test to make sure your skin is not allergic to any of a product's ingredients, even if it is said that product is "sensitive", this does not mean it cannot cause allergic reaction, which can be very severe and might need immediate medical attention from professionals.

Infection: You are supposed to do any kind of hair removal in a sterile environment, sometimes people forget this and use uncleaned equipment and create infection. This can result is cystic acne, rashes and other. While this is not very common for shaving methods (though still possible if you cut your skin), this is very common for waxing and epilating methods since you create a tiny wound on your skin that is prone to infection. Some people cannot use waxing or epilating methods since their skin is too prone to infection.

Keratosis pilaris: Sometimes called "chicken legs", it is a harmless skin conditions that creates skin color bumps on your skin (commonly on legs and arms), they are usually caused by improper skincare and/or genetics. Many people tend to simply ignore this issue since it is too hard to avoid it.

Note: While it might be tempting to choose a hair removal method that gives the smoothest results, you should always choose the method that is suitable for your skin to not create an unpleasant appearance.

After some hair removal method you can expect some issues. Most common issue is ingrown hairs (razor bumps). There are other possible issues that can occur, but these are more complicated and should be examined carefully. Bellow you will find information about ingrown hairs:

Ingrown hair occur when hair growing outwards from your skin is not able to penetrate the skin and causes skin irritation in forms of bumps, this also can happen when the growing hair curls back into your skin. To prevent this, you need a well hydrated, exfoliated and elastic skin, this can be achieved with a proper skincare routine, but some methods are still going to cause ingrown hairs for some people. Below you will find things you should not be doing when you have ingrown hair:

  • DO NOT touch
  • DO NOT squeeze
  • DO NOT poke
  • DO NOT scratch
  • DO NOT cut
  • DO NOT dig it out from skin
  • DO NOT punch
  • DO NOT use a flamethrower
  • DO NOT do anything to it, leave it alone!

Your skin is an organ that is able to heal itself, if you do experience ingrown hair (especially from the first time shaving), let your skin heal itself. Ingrown hair should disappear after a few days if you are not touching it. Avoid tight clothes, shower on regular basis and, most importantly, moisturize your skin. The more you are going to touch it, the longer you will see skin discoloration or even scars that can stay for years. Hopefully you will learn your lesson and reconsider the importance of skincare.

You can use an exfoliator to help the healing process, but be very gentle. Using harsh exfoliators will make your skin condition only worse, only chemical exfoliators are recommended if you experience ingrown hairs.

Trimming

Possibly the safest hair removal method involves cutting the hair quite far from the skin. This prevents skin irritation almost to no risk and greatly minimizes the chance to ingrown hair (though still possible, especially with tight clothes). Trimming hair is the least likely method to cause issue due to improper skincare. While it might not be required for most people to have a full and proper skincare routine, it is still highly recommended to minimize the risk of ingrown hair as much as possible. There are multiple types of trimmers: clippers, foil shaver, rotary shaver. Even though some of them are actually electric shavers, they deserve to be categorized as trimmers since they have similar effect.

Pros:

  • Almost completely safe from creating skin irritation
  • Does not require shaving cream
  • Very unlikely to cause itching
  • Can be done on dry or wet skin (depends on the trimmer)
  • Almost impossible to cut your skin
  • No allergic reactions (only can happen in very rare cases)
  • Almost impossible to create infection
  • In general shaving direction does not matter (might depend on the trimmer)
  • Recommended even for sensitive skin

Cons:

  • Hard to achieve smooth hair-less feeling
  • Requires a trimmer, costs more than a razor blade in short term (but is cheaper in long term)
  • Requires multiple passes to properly remove all hair (takes longer time, can take even up to an hour for full body hair removal)
  • Noise
  • Leaves longer hair than when using a razor blade (by a small margin)

Note: Trimming does not require you to take a bath or exfoliate your skin, but it is highly recommended. You can achieve a closer shave when your skin is exfoliated and in the evening (skin is less swollen at the evening and allows you to trim hair shorter). Moisturizing is also not needed, but is still recommended to minimize chance of ingrown hairs.

There are no direct instructions for all types of trimmers, for this reason you should check the products page of your trimmer and read the manual, though you only need to be aware of if the trimmer should be used on dry/wet skin and what length should your hair be in order for the trimmer to be able to work (usually only electric shavers pre-trimming the hair to certain length). You are simply supposed to glide the trimmer along the skin until you have trimmed your hair, though you might need multiple passes to achieve the desired result.

Note: Make sure you clean the trimmer properly to not create skin infection. You should look at the device's manual to make sure you wash only washable parts in order not to break the device.

Choosing a trimmer is a matter or preference, look for reviews and needs. Some trimmers have special features that can improve the results by sensing the used pressure, some trimmers can be used on all body parts (even pubic area), some can be used in the shower. When choosing a trimmer, make sure you are able to buy replacement heads since they are required to be changed anywhere from 3 months to 1 year (depends on usage and model). If you are after a silky smooth feeling, then pay attention to how close can the trimmer cut the hair, some of these trimmers can get very close to the skin, but not that increases the risk of ingrown hair.

Shaving with razor blade

The most common, but sadly a very harsh method is to remove hair with a razor blade. This method involves gliding a thin razor blade against your skin to cut the hair as close to skin as possible. It is possibly the hardest method to master and can cause a variety of issues.

Pros:

  • Fast, can even be done in 10 minutes for full body hair removal
  • Achieves almost the smoothest possible feeling (if done properly)

Cons:

  • Very likely to create ingrown hairs
  • Very likely to create skin irritation
  • Requires shaving cream (substitutes are not effective)
  • Very easy to cut your skin (and create infection)
  • Shaving direction is very important
  • Can cause a lot of itching sensation after a few days
  • Not very suitable for sensitive skin

Below you can find a general guide on the steps of shaving with a razor blade:

  1. Wait till evening (can achieve a closer shave at evenings)
  2. Exfoliate your skin (preferably the milk bath method)
  3. Wash your skin with a body wash
  4. Apply shaving cream (or shaving gel) on the area you want to shave
  5. Glide your razor blade in or against hair growth direction
  6. Wash off excess shaving cream/gel
  7. Moisturize skin
  8. Try not to touch your shaved skin to minimize the chance of infection

Note: Many tend to think that shaving with a razor is simple and does not have any caveats. While many may advertise, that shaving with razor works for them very well and does not even cause irritation, this does not mean that you will have the same experience. Not only some skins are sensitive and acne-prone, some skins are older, which means they are less elastic, less hydrated and does not have a proper skin cell turnover rate, the older the skin, the larger the chance that shaving will cause complications. Something that might have worked fine for your early 20s, might be a disaster in your early 30s.

You can benefit of shaving only in the evening. When you wake up, your skin is swollen and razor blade will not be able to cut the hair as close as you would in the evening. Another benefit it that shaving is irritating and your skin tends to heal at night. Considered adjusting your schedule so you can shave in the evening.

You can choose either shaving cream or shaving gel, both serve a function to lubricate the skin and reduce razor irritation and as well as minimize the chance of razor cuts, they also make sure your body hair is as straight as possible to reduce the itching and ingrown hair. Shaving gels might have a significant advantage, they usually create a protective layer on the skin to reduce irritation and they tend to have moisturizing ingredients, though they still don't replace a proper moisturizer.

Shaving direction is very important, shaving against hair growth direction is going to give you smoother results, but cause more irritation. Some people simply cannot handle the irritation of shaving against the grain and therefore only shave in the hair growth direction. Sensitive skin should always avoid shaving against the hair growth direction. You must make sure you know which way is the hair growth direction, it is not the same all over the body, it even changes from person to person. In many cases the hair behind your upper leg grows upwards, but grows downwards in front of your upper leg. You can use a credit card and listen to the sound when gliding it against your skin to determine the hair growth direction. In general you should only do a single pass, gently and slowly (without applying much pressure to skin) gliding the razor blade.

Choosing a proper razor blade is also crucial. You should never use a dull razor blade, for this reason many people choose to use disposable razor blades so they are sure to always use a sharp blade. Failing to use a sharp blade can easily cause ingrown hair and razor burns. Another factor is razor blade count, more blades mean closer shave, but more blades also mean more irritation. Many people choose a safety razor that uses only a single blade just to reduce the irritation. There are also razor blades for sensitive skin that do not cut your hair so close to the skin and some of them have a calming balm strip on top of the razor blade to reduce irritation. You might have to try different types of razor blades to find one that suits your needs. Many women prefer men's razors since they tend to adapt to skin's curves better.

Be especially careful around area with bumps, such as your ankles, your knees, shoulders and so on. You should take very small strokes and shave very slowly these area to prevent razor cuts. It is a matter of personal experience to prevent razor cuts, but they will still happen from time to time.

In some cases you can create an infection by touching your freshly shaved skin, this should be avoided since your skin is irritated and prone to infection. Avoid touching the skin as long as possible and let it heal.

A common cause for ingrown hairs is tight clothes. When hair is growing back, it can be blocked by tight clothes and start to either curl back or start to grow sideways. You should avoid wearing tight clothes if you have chosen to use a razor blade for hair removal. While all methods (except one) will have a chance for ingrown hairs, shaving with a razor blade is the most likely to have it since it cuts the hair closest to the skin and creates the largest chance of sideways ingrown hair.

IPL/Laser

IPL and laser hair removal is becoming popular and is considered safe for most people, but it should be noted that IPL/Laser hair removal is a method to prevent hair from growing and not actually removing hair, you will need to use a different hair removal method before preforming IPL/Laser. Both of IPL and Laser hair removal works by subjecting the hair to intensive light that makes the hair to stop growing (and eventually falling out). The difference between IPL and Laser is what kind of light is used, but the concept and procedure is mostly the same.

Note: Even though it is considered safe, IPL/Laser hair removal can cause damage to the skin. It is highly recommended to preform this procedure by a professional in an office. There are devices that can be used at home, but they require knowledge for their usage.

Pros:

  • Semi-permanent (it requires the procedure to be redone periodically)

Cons:

  • Requires other hair removal methods prior to IPL/Laser hair removal
  • Expensive
  • Cannot be used on dark skin tones (Laser hair removal can be used on dark skin)
  • Is not effective on white hair, not effective on red hair
  • A bit painful
  • Requires multiple treatments (usually 3-6 treatments)
  • Requires regular treatments (every 6-12months)
  • Creates an unpleasant flash to the eyes
  • Can create an unpleasant burned hair smell

If a professional preforms the procedure, you must follow their instructions, they will most likely instruct you to remove hair 12 hours before the appointment, but some might instruct to just trim the hair, it will depend on the method (some use epilation and ice, some use only special lotions). If you preform this procedure at home, you MUST follow the instructions in the manual, each device will have slightly different instructions. Below you can find general steps when preforming IPL/Laser hair removal at home:

  1. Preform hair removal prior to IPL/Laser hair removal, you can choose trimming, shaving or depilation (epilation is going to greatly reduce the efficiency or IPL/Laser hair removal)
  2. Clean your skin from any residue and moisturizers (if any are used)
  3. Set the correct intensity for the device
  4. Apply and press the trigger button on small patches of skin
  5. Continue the procedure until whole area has been treated
  6. Apply moisturizer
  7. Avoid anything that can cause skin irritation, including exposure to sun

IMPORTANT: Read carefully the instructions provided with your IPL/Laser hair remover, find the manual online before buying the device to understand whether it is suitable for your skin and hair color. Consult with your doctor if you are not entirely sure if IPL/Laser hair removal is suitable for you. Make sure you follow the recommendations from the manufacturer to set the correct light intensity, darker skin tones should never use the highest power setting. Improper usage can create painful skin damage!

Note: IPL/Laser hair removal is most effective on white skin with dark hair, it can work on red and grey hair, though it is not going to be very effective. Some in-office treatments using IPL/Laser hair removers can sometimes be effective against those hair colors.

The principle of IPL/Laser hair removal is simple, the hair is subjected to large amounts of light that heats up the individual hair to its root, this disturbs the growing cycle and prevents the hair from growing, eventually the hair falls out. If the hair is too long, the heat is going to be distributed across the individual hair and the amount of heat on the hair's root might not be sufficient to disturb the grow cycle. Hair (except white hair) contains some amount of melanin, which is a pigment, that gives the hair its dark color. Dark hair has the most melanin, grey has the least (red hair is a special case), while white hair has no melanin. If an individual hair does not contain melanin, it will not be able to receive the heat from IPL/Laser light and therefore will not be effective removing the hair.

Each manufacturer will instruct for their initial and touchup periods. Usually IPL/Laser hair removers will instruct you to use the device every 2-4 weeks for 4-8 times and then every 4-8 weeks as a touchup procedure to prevent new hair from growing. When IPL/Laser hair removal is preformed by a professional, they are allowed to use much more powerful devices and you might only need to schedule a new appointment only every 6-12 months, though you might still need 4-8 appointments to achieve the desired result. IPL/Laser hair removal is not permanent, it requires you to redo the procedure.

Note: You cannot increase the efficiency of IPL/Laser hair removal by preforming it more often, it will not give you any difference, you might only increase the skin's irritation. For maximum efficiency stay with the manufacturers recommended schedule.

IPL/Laser hair remover generates heat, this can create a burn on your skin, if you are not using the device correctly. Some devices will come with an adaptive function that determines your skin tone and reduces the chance of skin burn. This process in general is irritating to the skin and for this reason you should moisturize your skin and avoid sun for at least 24 hours. Consider even using sunscreen. Some areas can have higher hair density, this can create unpleasant feeling and you might need to reduce the intensity in that area.

Note: IPL/Laser hair removers can be used all over the body, some devices will come with special adapters that are more suitable for each body area, but area around your anus and your nipples is too dark, therefore IPL/Laser hair removers cannot be used there. Women can use these devices on face, but men cannot use these devices on face.

IPL and laser hair removal is almost the same and in this guide almost everything has been associated with both of these methods. The main difference is efficiency and usage on dark skin tones. It is considered that IPL hair removal is more effective, but laser hair removal can be used on darker skin tones.

Epilating

It is possible to remove the hair with its root, this can be done using a pair or tweezers or an epilator. There are different kinds of epilators, but essentially they trap the hair and pull it out with the root. You can use tweezers for small areas, but for larger areas an epilator is more suitable.

Pros:

  • Gives you a smooth feeling a bit longer than shaving
  • Fast, but takes a bit longer than shaving with razor
  • Can be done on wet or dry skin (depends on the epilator)
  • Hair that regrows tends to be thinner
  • Works on all skin and hair colors

Cons:

  • It is quite painful, many people cannot withstand the pain
  • It is very likely to cause infection
  • Not recommended for sensitive skin
  • Most people will not be able to tolerate the pain in pubic area and other sensitive areas
  • Prone to ingrown hair, but less than shaving with a razor blade
  • Causes a lot of irritation
  • Requires your hair to be at certain length

Below you can find general steps for epilating hair:

  1. Exfoliate your skin (preferably the milk bath method)
  2. Wash your skin with a body wash
  3. If your epilator does not work on wet skin, then wait till your skin is dry
  4. Glide the epilator against hair growth direction on an 90 degree angle on your skin
  5. Wash off excess hairs and dampen your skin
  6. Moisturize skin
  7. Try not to touch your epilated skin to minimize the chance of infection

Many women tell that they cannot withstand the pain that an epilator causes, they even go as far as drinking a glass of wine, numbing the skin and pulling the skin to minimize the pain. Women tend to have thinner hair then men, this means that men will be more likely to feel even larger pain. Even though it is very painful, people manage to do it, but you should be prepared for the pain.

Epilators can be used on all body areas, but some areas (especially the pubic area for men) is not just going to be way too painful, it might not even work with most epilators since they hair is thicker there and regular epilators might not be able to pull out such hair. Some people like to epilate only certain parts of a body and then shave other parts of the body, just because it is too painful.

Note: Epilators need to be glided on your skin against the hair growth direction, make sure you have determined the hair growth direction properly on each body part as it changes between areas.

Epilators trap the hair (usually between rotating disks), this means that the hair must be at certain length for the epilator to work. This is usually a length quite close to the skin, but epilator models differ and each will have a working range for the hair length. If your hair is longer, consider trimming the hair down to the required length. If your hair is shorter, then you will need to wait till your hair grows to the required length. In general, the shorter the hair, the less painful is the epilation.

The biggest issue with epilation is the skin irritation, your skin will be highly sensitive after epilating and it will be very prone to get infection. This can be avoided to some extent by applying moisturizer on the skin right after epilating, but that is also not a guarantee. Most commonly people use aloe vera gels after epilating to calm the skin and to have an anti-bacterial effect, but that does not prevent infections completely.

When you epilate your hair, you pull the hair with the root out from your skin, but this leave the hair follicle open. This opening is very likely to get infected if not treated. Some people put alcohol on this area to disinfect it, but that is not recommended, you are more likely to cause skin irritation. Look for a moisturizer with anti-bacterial properties, aloe vera gels are the most common ones. To minimize the chance of skin's infection, you should avoid touching your skin after epilating.

While it might seem that exfoliating is not needed, it is actually as important when shaving with a razor blade. When your hair starts to grow back, it will need to penetrate your skin and you are still prone to ingrown hair either by them growing sideways or curling back. Properly exfoliated and moisturized skin is crucial when epilating. Remember that you need to allow your hair to grow back a bit in order to preform epilation again.

Note: Epilating is simply not suitable for everyone. Some people cannot reduce the irritation nor reduce frequency of infection and there is nothing they can do, epilating is not for them.

Waxing

Waxing is an alternative to epilation since it works with the same principle. The difference between epilation is that instead of a epilator (or tweezers), a sticky substance is used and then pulled of against the hair growth direction. The substance that is used varies, but it is usually a hot wax.

Pros:

  • Gives you a smooth feeling a bit longer than shaving
  • Fast, but takes a bit longer than shaving with razor
  • Hair that regrows tends to be thinner
  • Works on all skin and hair colors

Cons:

  • It is quite painful, many people cannot withstand the pain, some find it to be less painful than epilating
  • It is very likely to cause infection
  • Not recommended for sensitive skin
  • Most people will not be able to tolerate the pain in pubic area and other sensitive areas
  • Prone to ingrown hair, but less than shaving with a razor blade
  • Causes a lot of irritation
  • Needs to be done on a dried skin
  • Requires your hair to be at certain length
  • Can cause allergic reaction to some people

Below you can find general steps for waxing hair:

  1. Exfoliate your skin (preferably the milk bath method)
  2. Wash your skin with a body wash
  3. Wait till your skin has dried
  4. Apply hot wax to skin
  5. Place a cloth strip on top of the wax
  6. Let the hot wax to cool down
  7. Pull the hardened wax off your skin by pulling it against the hair growth direction with a fast movement
  8. Wash off excess hairs and dampen your skin
  9. Moisturize skin
  10. Try not to touch your waxed skin to minimize the chance of infection
  11. Avoid anything that can cause skin irritation, including exposure to sun

Note: Follow the instructions on the packaging of your specific wax, they will differ by the time needed to heat it up and how much time is needed for it to harden as well as other indications. It will also mention the required hair length for the wax to be effctive.

IMPORTANT: Some people can develop allergic reaction from waxing, make sure you preform a patch test!

Waxing is sometimes considered less painful than epilating, but people report that it is simply a different kind of sensation and to some it is easier to adapt to the pain created from epilation than the one created by waxing.

Note: Waxing can be done professionally, you should not preform it yourself if you are inexperienced, there are many reports that people burn their skin because of the hot wax, create rashes, irritate their skin severely or cause infections.

When you wax your hair, you pull the hair with the root out from your skin, but this leave the hair follicle open. This opening is very likely to get infected if not treated. Some people put alcohol on this area to disinfect it, but that is not recommended, you are more likely to cause skin irritation. Look for a moisturizer with anti-bacterial properties, aloe vera gels are the most common ones. To minimize the chance of skin's infection, you should avoid touching your skin after waxing.

IMPORTANT: It is possible to use wax strips to wax your hair, but they can cause allergic reaction to some people, regardless that they are labeled as "sensitive". Always make sure you preform a patch test and wait 24 hours to see if you do not develop allergic reaction or skin irritation!

One of the drawbacks with waxing is that it requires longer hair than epilating. Usually waxing requires about 7mm of hair length for waxing to work, this means you cannot shave between appointments or between waxing at home. Some waxes might work with shorter hair, you should check the instructions for your wax to make sure.

Note: There is a popular home-made waxing-like method available, it is called sugaring. This is essentially the same as waxing, only difference is that instead of using wax, sugar is used in a recipe to create a wax-like substance.

While it might seem that exfoliating is not needed, it is actually as important when shaving with a razor blade. When your hair starts to grow back, it will need to penetrate your skin and you are still prone to ingrown hair either by them growing sideways or curling back. Properly exfoliated and moisturized skin is crucial when epilating. Remember that you need to allow your hair to grow back a bit in order to preform epilation again.

Note: Waxing is simply not suitable for everyone. Some people cannot reduce the irritation nor reduce frequency of infection and there is nothing they can do, waxing is not for them.

Depilation

A chemical hair removal method involves dissolving the protein structure of a hair to a point where it breaks off just on its own. Depilation is done using depilation creams or powders, but they all contain chemicals that are able to break down hairs, but they can do this only above the skin.

Pros:

  • Fast, but takes a bit longer than shaving with razor
  • Very unlikely to cause ingrown hair
  • Very unlikely to cause infections
  • Very unlikely to cause itching
  • Some depilation creams/powders can be used on pubic area
  • Exfoliation is not required, but still recommended

Cons:

  • Can cause allergic reaction to some people
  • It might create skin irritation to some people
  • Removes hair above the skin level, it is less smooth than other methods

Note: The exact instructions can be found on the packaging on individual depilation cream/powder. Follow these instructions to make sure you do not irritate your skin by leaving the product on for too long.

Below you can find general steps for depilating hair:

  1. Wash your skin
  2. Apply the depilation cream/powder on the skin
  3. Leave the product on (usually 10minutes, but check the instructions)
  4. Wipe off the depilation cream/powder (some products include a spatula)
  5. Wash off any excess product
  6. Moisturize your skin

Note: Depilation does not require you to take a bath or exfoliate your skin, but it is highly recommended. Moisturizing is also not needed, but is still recommended to minimize chance of ingrown hairs.

IMPORTANT: Depilation creams/powders can cause a severe allergic reaction to some people that can require immediate medical attention from professionals. Regardless if the depilation cream/powder is labeled as "sensitive", you MUST always do a patch test and wait 24 hours to make sure you do not develop allergic reaction or skin irritation!

Depilation is a preferred method to most people that cannot seem to reduce the irritation and itching that comes from shaving with a razor blade, this is because depilation creams/powders dissolve the hair above the skin and does not (in most cases) create a sharp hair that makes you scratch. When you wipe the depilation cream/powder off, you break the hairs and as a result you have removed excess hair from your body. Depilation leaves longer hair than shaving or trimming, but it is by a margin as well.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you do not keep the depilation cream/powder longer than stated in the instructions. If you leave the product on your skin for too long, you can develop a chemical burn. Do not use a depilation cream/powder on pubic area, if the product does not state that you can use it on pubic area, it is most likely that this product will cause skin irritation or even chemical burns.

Electrolysis

The only true permanent hair removal method involves placing an electrode (small needle) in the hair follicle, there are two currently types of electrolysis - galvanic and thermolytic (and a mix of both). The most dangerous hair removal method of them all.

Pros:

  • Permanent hair removal

Cons:

  • Its expensive
  • Its dangerous
  • It takes a lot of time even for small areas
  • Its painful
  • It requires a highly skilled professional
  • Not widely available
  • High risk of creating scars
  • Almost impossible to preform yourself
  • Can require multiple appointments
  • Can cause infections

IMPORTANT: If you are interested in permanent hair removal, then electrolysis is currently the only method available, but it is extremely complex procedure and you should talk to your doctor before making any decisions!

The principle is quite simple, a very small electrode (needle) is placed in a hole of a hair follicle and then the hair root is subjected to either heat (thermolytic) or electricity/RF (galvanic). What makes this a very dangerous method is the need to place the electrode exactly right (depth, location and angle), failure to do this creates large amounts of pain and leaves a scar.

Note: Even professionals not always preform this procedure perfectly, some specialists report that they require more than 10000 zapped hair roots in order to get consistent results, this is just to comprehend the complexity of the procedure and why it should not be preformed at home. Some devices use a technology that reduces the chances of scarring when electrode is not properly placed, but they still need to re-preform the procedure to break down the hair root.

There are a lot of devices available that claim they are based on electrolysis for hair removal, but many either do not use electrolysis (and therefore is not permanent hair removal) or are not effective (or even more dangerous than proper medical grade equipment). Proper electrolysis hair removal can cost easily multiple hundreds of US dollars and even those can have doubtful results, proper medical grade devices will cost thousands of US dollars.

Note: Moisturizing and exfoliation might not be required for your skin, bit proper skincare can reduce the chances of permanent scars that can form from electrolysis, ask your doctor for proper instructions.

Since an electrode needs to be placed inside a hair follicle and then zapped, the whole procedure requires a lot of time and therefore is very expensive, sessions can cost anywhere between a hundred to thousand US dollars. Usually because of the time restraints (and high costs) women choose only to remove upper lip area with electrolysis since that usually takes multiple hours and does not give you a guarantee that the procedure does not need to be redone on that area. It is very uncommon to preform electrolysis on larger areas.

If you do decide to get a at-home electrolysis based hair remover, then make sure it actually uses electrolysis and do note that you always need to have a sterile environment and sterile device since you are placing a needle into your skin that can easily cause infections. Preforming this at home is very difficult and you will most likely be able to remove a few individual hairs.

Note: This guide avoided exact instructions and only gave you brief knowledge about the procedure, this is to prevent you from preforming it yourself, talk to your doctor!