Posts Tagged ‘hair removal’

Hair Removal With a Cream Depilatory

{ July 28, 2011 @ 8:59 am } · { Depilatory Creams, hair removal }
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While other types of hair-removal methods can leave you feeling sore or involve much expense, depilatories are relatively pain free and inexpensive. HairFinder.com notes that cream depilatories go as far back as 3000 B.C., where women used harsh ingredients like arsenic to remove body hair. Today, the ingredients are much safer, but they can still cause an allergic reaction if you don’t use the products properly. By reading the instructions and following them carefully, you can remove hair painlessly and effectively.

Step 1

Choose a depilatory cream based on the body part where you intend to use it. More sensitive parts of your body require a more sensitive formula. The active ingredients in cream depilatories include sodium or calcium hydroxide and barium sulfate, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Formulas for the face or bikini line may have less active ingredients or use more sensitive ingredients for less irritation.

Step 2

Read through all of the directions on the product packaging. Each cream depilatory brand will have different instructions, time limits and warnings, and it’s important for you to read and understand them all before you spread the depilatory on your body.

Step 3

Test the depilatory cream on an inconspicuous part of your body to ensure that you don’t suffer an allergic reaction, suggests the University of SouthernCaliforniaDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Choose a patch of skin, like the inside of your arm, that is unnoticeable and moderately sensitive. Follow the instructions on the packaging perfectly, and then wait 24 hours and observe your skin. If you develop redness or a rash, discard the product. If you don’t observe any reaction, it is safe to use.

Step 4

Distribute the depilatory cream evenly over the hair. Ensure that the hairs are completely covered; the active ingredients in depilatory cream dissolve hair away, and the hair must be covered for it to work properly. When you’re finished spreading the cream, set a timer for the amount of time specified on the product packaging.

Step 5

Rinse off the excess when the timer goes off. Wipe off a small test patch to ensure that hair is loose and comes away from the skin easily. If it doesn’t, leave the cream on your skin for another minute. Then, use a washcloth or an item with a straight edge, like an old credit card, to scrape away the hair still left after rinsing. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer after blotting the area dry.

Hair Removal Techniques: Waxing

{ July 25, 2011 @ 8:31 am } · { Waxing }
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Waxing is a quick and efficient method for hair removal. It is done by spreading the resin-based wax over the hair according to the direction of its growth and pulling the wax off in the opposite direction. When done correctly, this method leaves a smooth, clean finish and the hair does not grow as fast as compared to when shaving because waxing removes the hair follicle up to the root. Waxing can be done on the usual places where there is unwanted hair growth, namely, the face, underarms, chest, shoulders, arms, the back, leg and the bikini area.

There are two types of waxing. The first is the more popular cold wax or strip wax, which comes on ready-made strip, sized according to the body part you’re going to want to wax. The second type is the hard wax, which does not come attached on strips because it becomes solid in itself.

An advantage of waxing is, as previously said, hair removal will not be as frequent as compared to when one is shaving because the wax removes the hair follicles up to the roots. Also, if one does waxing with great frequency, the hair could be removed permanently. Waxing is also convenient since it can be done quickly at home. Products that allow us to do this hair removal method at home are easily available in supermarkets and department stores. While waxing is painful at first, and is not as quick as shaving, it gives a cleaner and smoother finish. If one is too lazy to wax, it can be done professionally. Most spas and beauty salons offer this kind of service.

Some rules should also be observed when waxing. Firstly, you can only do waxing on a surface only once. Do not attempt to wax over the area twice, even if the finish is not as smooth as you want it to be. Waxing more than that could hurt your skin, leaving it irritated. Secondly, this hair removal technique should not be done over areas on the skin with moles, nor should it be done on skin areas with sunburns or wounds. Doing so would leave the skin scarred.

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Hair Removal During Pregnancy

{ July 23, 2011 @ 6:50 am } · { hair removal }
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Electrolysis:

There are no studies that evaluate the safety of electrolysis during pregnancy. Many health care providers and electrologists recommend avoiding electrolysis during pregnancy because of the lack of information about the effect on the fetus. If you choose to have electrolysis, the breasts should be avoided in the last trimester, especially if you’re going to breastfeed. In the final weeks of pregnancy, you should avoid the abdomen because it is very sensitive and would be very uncomfortable for you at this point in the pregnancy.

There are two types of current used in electrolysis, thermolysis and galvanic. Thermolysis may also be referred to as diathermy, radio wave, short wave, or high frequency. Galvanic electrolysis sends a minute electrical current through the client and back to the device. This is not recommended because the baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid.

In this situation, amniotic fluid acts as a conductor of electricity. For this reason, galvanic current is not recommended for electrolysis during pregnancy. Thermolysis does not flow through the body and has not been found to be harmful to pregnant women or the fetus. Many electrologists require a letter from your health care provider authorizing treatment during pregnancy.

Laser:

Laser hair removal targets dark pigment in the hair and causes thermal and/or mechanical damage to the hair follicle. There are no studies that evaluate the safety of laser hair removal during pregnancy. Many have no specific opinion about laser hair removal.

If you choose to have electrolysis, the breasts should be avoided in the last trimester, especially if you’re going to breastfeed. In the final weeks of pregnancy, you should avoid the abdomen because it is very sensitive and would be very uncomfortable for you at this point in the pregnancy.

Waxing:

Waxing  is a popular hair removal method because it’s convenient, it’s proven effective, and it is available in at-home kits and as a professional treatment. Hair removal wax also comes in a variety of substances and application methods, and it doesn’t pose many major side effects.

Minor waxing side effects include bleeding, light bruising and possible skin infections. Probably the biggest factor against waxing is the pain that many report with usage. This doesn’t mean that the wax hair removal method is a bad choice during pregnancy, it just means that on the whole, it could be very painful and it still may not guarantee the length of results that you’re after.

Creams and Depilatories:

The main concerns with depilatories during pregnancy are the active ingredients barium sulfide powder and calcium thioglycolate. There is no evidence that they are harmful during pregnancy, but there have been no studies that prove they are safe either.

As with any cosmetic, you should try a patch of skin to see how you react. The chemicals, once exposed to oxygen, leave a distinct odor, which may be very unpleasant for you and in rare cases has been known to cause an allergic reaction. You will want to take extra measures to ensure a well-ventilated area and proper timing so chemical burns do not result.

Shaving:

Arguably the most convenient method of hair removal available, shaving removes unwanted hair with a razor at the skin’s surface. The only real problem with shaving might be the difficulty of performing it yourself as the baby grows, and the discomfort of maintaining the positions necessary to shave different body areas especially when considering the frequency required with shaving!