Fort Wayne Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics Guide to Hair Removal
Some people are perfectly happy going au naturel with their body hair, while others prefer it removed. For those who want to remove it from certain areas, there are numerous options to consider, and those options may work better for certain parts of the body, and certain kinds of hair. For the head-to-toe rundown, read on!
Eyebrows
Tweezing is probably the most common form of at-home shaping of eyebrows. Plan ahead when tweezing, using a white pencil to mark where to stop. Place the pencil vertically along the side of your nose, and where it touches your eyebrow, make a mark. Then, angle the pencil outward from your nose until the side of the pencil touches the outside corner of your eye, and mark your brow at that point. Lastly, looking straight ahead, mark just above the outside of your iris, for the high point of the arch. Connect these marks by drawing with the pencil along the lower part of your brows, and pluck the hairs that stray outside the lines.
Waxing eyebrows should only be done by a professional for best results, and for your eye health and safety! A week before your appointment, stop using topical retinols, which make your skin more sensitive and susceptible to damage when combined with waxing.
Upper Lip or Chin
Waxing can quickly remove hair elsewhere on the face, too. Waxing does require follow up every week to a few weeks, to continue to remove regrowth on an ongoing basis.
Laser hair removal is a great long-term solution. Laser treatment sessions are typically fast, with some short-term discomfort, and while it is not technically permanent, no further maintenance is usually required for a year – and often longer. The primary downside of laser treatment is that it depends on contrast between the hair and skin, so it is not helpful for individuals with pale hair or dark skin.
Underarms
Shaving is the most common way to control underarm hair. The area should be lubricated generously with shaving cream, soap, or your preferred lathering agent. Shave gently from top to bottom, then again from bottom to top, and even from side to side, to make sure to get hair that may be growing in any direction. While shaving is relatively inexpensive in the short term, if you only use a razor two or three times (recommended for best results), the cost (and waste) can add up over time.
Waxing can keep scratchy underarm stubble away longer, and it often grows back finer over time. It can, however be somewhat painful under the arms.
Laser treatment of the underarm area yields great results. A high number of people report that after a few sessions of laser hair removal under the arms, they do not experience any regrowth, even many years after treatment. Again, laser works best for high-contrast hair and skin, so may not be as effective for people with dark skin or pale hair.
Forearms
Waxing is more common than shaving, when it comes to forearms. While some women do shave their forearms, waxing does not yield prickly stubble, and regrowth appears finer.
Lasering is again a good long-term solution for hair removal on the forearms. While the forearms are a larger area than the underarms, even a few laser sessions yield a significant reduction in the amount of hair. This may be enough, even with some regrowth, to not require regular follow-up treatments.
Bikini
Waxing seems to be the most popular and effective means for removing hair in the bikini area. Shaving causes uncomfortable stubble, and other methods can be too expensive to effectively treat the area. For best results, leave it to a professional. They can more easily remove the most hair in the fewest attempts. Let the hair grow to a quarter of an inch (or half an inch for more coarse hair) before your appointment.
Legs
Shaving is definitely the most common form of hair removal for women who prefer no hair on their legs. Pro tip: if you apply your shaving cream against the grain, you may remove slightly more of the hair shaft. We also recommend changing your razor blade every 3-5 shaves to get the cleanest results and avoid irritation.
Waxing might be a bit painful, but the results can last for weeks, and regrowth is softer and more comfortable (especially in hot summer time) than stubble.
Laser removal of leg hair is great for long-term treatment for people who have enough color contrast between their hair and skin. While some maintenance may be required down the road, several laser sessions may be enough for some people for years.
Random Hairs
Tweezing those annoying random hairs that pop up in small groups or all by themselves is very effective for at-home treatment. Toes, small chest areas, nipples, that random one or two on your chin, the backs of shoulders, and other individual hairs can sometimes be inconvenient to pluck – especially if you don’t notice right away when that one embarrassing hair is back!