Temporary Hair Removal

Remove Hair Temporarily with Shaving, Depilatories, Tweezing, Waxing

Chrissy Dolezal

Temporary hair removal is an easy solution to body hair dilemmas. With many products on the market today, temporary hair removal systems have come a long way.

Temporary hair removers are a quick way to take care of body hair, although continual maintenance will be necessary to keep the desired look. Some temporary hair removal solutions remove hair for a longer period of time than others. Each solution comes with its own benefits and downsides. Depending on the body part and the desired look, it might be best to use different body hair removals.

There are two types of temporary hair removal. Epilation is removing the entire hair, while depilation is removing the hair about the surface of the skin.

Epilation

• Threading: Using cotton threads, the practitioner remove hairs by the root. It can be used anywhere on the body, but is most commonly used for facial hair. Benefits: Relatively inexpensive and a great practice for eyebrows and other facial hair. For many it is pain-free. Downsides: For some it is not pain-free and can cause skin irritation. Also, it can be hard to find a practitioner in smaller towns.
• Tweezing: Using tweezers to remove hair is probably the most popular epilation method. Benefits: The easiest way to shape eyebrows and to tweeze other hairs from the face and body. Downsides: Painful and not the best solution for large areas of the body.
• Waxing: Hot wax is applied to the skin while a strip of cloth is pressed and placed over the hairy body part. The cloth strip is then pulled away in one fast motion. Waxing can be done at home or in a salon. There are many “at home” waxing kits available. Benefits: Can be done in the privacy of home. Fast and usually inexpensive. Results can last anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Disadvantages: Extremely painful! The wax can burn; the hair is ripped from the body, sometimes skin is ripped off as well in the process. Waxing is also messy.

Depilation

• Shaving: Shaving is the cheapest and easiest way to remove a hair from the body. Benefits: Very cheap, especially when compared to other hair removal solutions. Can be done from home and very easy for traveling as well. Downsides: Razor blades need to be replaced often. Can cause skin irritations such as razor burn, dry skin, and ingrown hairs. The results do not last very long, so may be needed every day. Can only be done where one can reach, so it limits the hair that can be removed by one person.
• Depilatories: Hair removal creams are a common product in the beauty market place. These use a chemical that dissolves hair at the surface of the skin. Benefits: Cheap and many products are available, so it is easy to find one in the desired price range. Can be done at home and may be used anywhere on the body. Results can last for a fairly long time, about 7 to 14 days. Downsides: Because it is a chemical, it can cause skin irritations. Plus, the smell is horrible. All of the depilatory products have a strong chemical odor.

Reference:

• www.hairfacts.com, (Online), August 23, 2007