Hair Removal 101

There are cultures that embrace body hair. Women can walk around with hairy legs, hair arms and not feel embarrassed. Wouldn't that be nice? Wouldn't you love to meet the misogynist who started it all, who said to his wife or girl friend, "Could you please do something about the situation under your arms?" I have a few things to say to that guy....

Historians say that hair removal, for men, can be traced back to caveman days. Men wanted to get rid of their hair so their enemies wouldn't have anything to hold onto if they got into an altercation. They also wanted to rid of their beards to avoid mites. Of course the methods for hair removal were barbaric-a sharp rock would be used to scrape away the hair. Ouch.

The ancient Egyptians were fond of a method known as "sugaring," which was an early version of waxing. A sticky paste, sometimes made from heated sugar and lemons or beeswax, would be applied to the areas in question, a strip of cloth applied over it, it was ripped away and, voila, a smooth, hair-free situation emerged. The ancient Greeks considered pubic hair uncivilized, leading women to pluck or singe it off. In Roman Empire days, the amount of hair you had or didn't have would be an identifier of class. Perhaps that is why Wall Street is so chock-full of clean shaven masters of the universe.

The history of hair removal takes us to 1915, when the first women's razor was introduced. Harper's Bazaar ran an ad that read, "Summer Dress and Modern Dance combine to make necessary the removal of objectionable hair." Bye bye hairy arm pits...Objectionable, really? Let's see what would happen if men 'had' to get rid of their under arm hair.

Aside from the havoc that World War II wreaked on the world, it also caused a nylon shortage in our neck of the woods. Women were encouraged to shave their legs because they didn't have stockings to hide the growth. Stupid war.

"Manscaping," has become part of the vernacular and women continue to torture themselves to remain hairless in all of the appropriate places. Brazilians became popular in the 80s, brought to us by a bunch of sisters that opened a salon, but like the tide, the trend comes in and out of style. Your choices for hair removal are plentiful-shaving, plucking, waxing, depilatory creams, hot waxing, threading, laser hair removal and electrolysis..to name a few. Let's take a deeper look at what choice would be best for you. And if your prefer au-natural, more power to you!

Shaving

Shaving is the most convenient of the hair removal options. Quick, easy and cheap, if you have got a date and don't have time to get to the salon, apply some shaving cream or lather up some soap and you are good to go. Shaving dry is a bad idea on so many level. The drawback to shaving is that the result isn't long lasting and if you aren't paying attention, you can slice away some much needed skin. Fun fact-Gillette isn't just a brand of razor, it is the name of the man who invented them-King Camp Gillette.

Depilatory Creams

Depilatory creams sound scarier than they actually are. The smell can be mildly offensive, but the companies that make them try their best to hide the odor. Apply them to the area, wait for the exact amount of time the instructions say, otherwise, you risk irritation; And then wash the hair away. The smooth effect only lasts about a day or two longer than shaving, but some people are afraid of razors, so they prefer the cream. Veet is the most popular of the depilatory cream genre.

Plucking

The thought of plucking might bring tears to your eyes; As anyone who has plucked errant nose hairs knows that tears are usually brought to your eyes with this process of hair removal. Plucking is ideal for shaping eyebrows, removing those nasty hairs that creep up on your chin (it seems they appear magically) and the previously mentioned nose hairs. For larger areas of hair growth, like your legs or arms, plucking each one could be quite time consuming and totally ineffective. Make sure you purchase a quality tweezers with sharp points for the most effective result.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis advertises as a form of permanent hair removal. This may prove true in some individuals, but not everyone. Electrolysis is defined as the removal of hair roots by application of heat using electric current. It can be painful, so it is suggested you apply numbing cream before your treatment. Sessions can range between 15 minutes and an hour, and can be pretty pricey. If permanent hair removal is what you are looking for, this could be an option, as electrolysis destroys the hair follicle. It also gets rid of all hair colors, not just dark hair.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal works by pulses of laser light that destroy the hair follicles. How is laser hair removal different from electrolysis? It covers a larger area so it takes less time. It works better on dark hair. It isn't always permanent, but can be. It can be costly and it takes about 4 sessions to get rid of the hairs in question.

Hot Waxing

A humane form of torture, both men and women have become slaves to waxing. This semi-permanent form of hair removal, the results last for four to six weeks. A thin layer of wax is applied to the area in question and then strips of paper are placed on top, smoothed down and then quickly ripped off. Sort of like pulling off a bandaid...several times. The hair is pulled from the root, which is why it eventually grows back because the root remains intact. There is also a "strip-less" wax which is applying a thicker layer of wax to the area, letting it harden and the pulling off the wax with out the papers. The choice is yours!

Threading

Threading originated in India, but has become a popular method of eyebrow shaping in the United States. Threading studios have been popping up all over the place; But don't let the soothing name fool you, threading, though for only a short amount of time, came be quite painful. The end result, however, is a beautifully shaped brow.