What requires more maintenance than your lawn, seems to grow even faster, but isn’t vegetation? It’s the same thing that sends us into raptures when it’s on our heads but is treated like a common criminal when it appears almost anywhere else.
You know the answer: hair.
It’s summer, and miles and miles of exposed flesh are revealed to the public–and we want it hairless.
Evolution slowly but surely is taking care of this for us. “Eventually, we’ll be totally hairless,” says Lincoln Park dermatologist Jonith Breadon, co-director of the surgery clinic in the division of dermatology at Cook County Hospital. “Over the years, we’ve stopped needing so much hair. Clothing has taken its place.”
Unfortunately, Mother Nature isn’t working fast enough for those of us who plan to don bathing suits anytime in the next eon. In the meantime, you’ve got to choose your weapon.
How you remove unwanted hair depends on how many hairs you need to get rid of and where they’re located, how much time and money you want to spend, and how long you want to be hairless. There are pros and cons to every method.
Your choices include mechanical methods (plucking, tweezing, shaving and threading); chemical methods (depilatories); and physical methods (heat-based systems: electrolysis and laser). Of these, only electrolysis can claim permanent hair removal, and even that is a subject of some debate.
Here’s the lowdown on hair-removal methods:
Laser hair removal: This is the latest craze. Lasers work by emitting light at various wavelengths, which is absorbed by melanin, a pigment in hair follicles. The light generates heat, which damages the hair follicle.
There are more than 12 companies that make laser hair removal systems, says Dr. Kevin Pinski, an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University with a private practice in downtown Chicago. But a perfect system for all hair and skin types and colors has not yet been developed. “Laser technology is still evolving,” says Pinski.
Skin color is an issue because the laser targets pigment. The more pigment in the skin, whether because of ethnic background or time spent in the sun, the more likely the laser will also target the skin. In general, fair-skinned people with dark hair have the most success, but some lasers, such as the long-pulse Yag laser system Pinski uses, is FDA approved for all skin types as well as people who are tanned. The system doesn’t work as well on white, gray or blond hair, however.
For women with extensive facial hair, laser treatments are a revolutionary procedure, says Pinski. “They are so grateful; it changes their lives.”
Pros: Laser hair removal is fast, long-lasting, more comfortable and better tolerated than some of the other hair-removal methods. Lasers can zap hair from the upper lip in a few minutes. Larger areas, such as the back or legs, take longer, perhaps an hour. Laser hair removal is 60 percent faster than electrolysis, according to a study reported in the January issue of Dermatologic Surgery.
Lasers can be used on any area of the body, and hair does not have to be a certain length to be removed.
Although it’s not permanent, you can expect six to nine months without hair after two to three treatments, says Pinski in the study reported in Dermatologic Surgery, six months after treatment the average clearance rate of hairs was 74 percent for those treated with laser and 35 percent for those treated with electrolysis.
There is some discomfort.
Cons: The biggest downside to laser hair removal is the expense. Small areas, such as the chin, upper lip, bikini area, and armpits, cost about $175 to $200 per session. Larger areas, such as the back or legs, cost about $800 to $1,000 per session. Two to three sessions are usually necessary.
Initially, the skin may be red for a day or so. There is some risk of lightening or darkening of the skin. In the hands of an unqualified or inexperienced person, lasers can cause skin burns and scarring.
Electrolysis: While laser hair removal methods can claim to provide only “long-term hair reduction,” electrolysis can claim permanent hair removal. A fine, sterile probe is inserted into the hair follicle and zapped with electricity, destroying the hair growth tissue.
Pros: When the hair follicle is effectively treated, it is permanently destroyed and hair will no longer grow from it.
Cons: Electrolysis is a tedious, time-consuming process because the technician must insert a needle into each follicle. Even a small area, such as an upper lip, takes six months to a year of continuing treatment, sometimes more. That’s because electrolysis is basically a blind procedure, says Breadon. “Once the needle enters the skin, it’s a hit or miss proposition,” she explains. “If the needle doesn’t hit the base of the follicle, the hair will regenerate. Even with a good technician, at best only 50 percent of the treated hairs are killed.”
Because so many treatments are required, electrolysis can be costly in time and dollars. Cost averages $20-$25 for the first 15 minutes and $15 for every 15-minute session after that.
Electrolysis is the most painful of all hair removal methods. Topical anesthetics, such as EMLA and ELA-Max can be applied to the skin to ease the discomfort. These are not over-the-counter medications, however, so you’ll have to get a prescription from your doctor and bring the medication with you to the electrologist.
Scarring can occur.Tips: Make sure your technician is accredited by the American Electrology Association or another accrediting body; electrologists are not licensed in Illinois. You can also call the Better Business Bureau for information. A consultation will help you learn how many treatments you’ll need.
Waxing, Tweezing, Threading: These methods remove hair from beneath the surface of the skin. Tweezing removes one hair at a time, so it’s generally used to pluck out extraneous eyebrow hairs or facial hair in women. Waxing is, in effect, a “group pluck.” Either hot or cold wax is applied to the skin in the direction of the hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax and then is pulled off as quickly as possible in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Threading is a Middle Eastern and Indian plucking method that catches and removes individual hairs by grabbing them between threads.
Pros: Because hair is uprooted, it takes longer to grow back–perhaps three weeks or more. Although it’s not a permanent solution, it’s possible that with many waxing treatments, some of the follicles will be destroyed, says Breadon.
Waxing is less expensive than laser or electrolysis treatments. At the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon on Michigan Avenue, a lip wax costs $17 and a bikini wax $30. At Mario Tricoci’s salon in Old Orchard, a lip wax is $9 and a bikini wax $25. You also can buy home wax removal kits at drug stores.
Cons: Waxing hurts, but it’s over quickly. Unfortunately, hair must be one-fourth inch long to be removed. That means you may have some unsightly hair between waxes.
Depilatories: These products use highly alkaline chemicals to dissolve the hair. They come in many forms, and separate products are available for men and women and for different body locations and hair types.
Pros: When they work, they leave the skin smooth and hairless. They’re also inexpensive and less likely to cause ingrown hairs, a common problem with shaving.
Cons: Depilatories can be quite irritating to the skin. “Skin and hair contain some of the same proteins,” says Breadon, “so if the depilatory is strong enough to dissolve the hair, it’s probably strong enough to irritate the skintoo.”
Despite attempts to mask the odor, depilatories smell bad, and they can be messy to apply and remove. And it won’t be long before you have to reapply. Your hair-free period will be about the same as if you shaved.
Tips: Use products designed for specific parts of the body. Some areas, such as the underarms, face and bikini area, are more sensitive than others. Never use depilatories on the eyebrows or anywhere near the eyeLeft on too long, depilatories can cause chemical burns
Shaving: The most popular, by far, of all hair removal techniques for both men and women is shaving, which cuts hair off just above the skin.
Pros: It’s quick and the cheapest of hair-removal methods.
Cons: Hair grows back very quickly and a razor easily irritates the skin. . Shaving is the most likely to cause pseudofolliculitis barbae , also known as “razor bumps,” a rashlike condition. The newly cut hair is razor-sharp and irritates the undersurface of the skin.
Shaving also can cause ingrown hairs, a condition in which the hair curves back and pierces the skin, becoming trapped underneath. Ingrown hairs are especially problematic for certain ethnic groups, such as African-Americans and Hispanics, because their follicles are curved, leading the hair more easily back to the skinTips: To minimize the chances of ingrown hairs and PFB, never shave dry skin. Always wet the hair and use a lubricating gel rather than foam or soapy water. Shave with the grain of the hair, usually down, and use a sharp razor. The closer you shave, the more chance of irritating the skin, so if you’re prone to PFB or ingrown hairs, you’re better off using an electric razor, which doesn’t give as close a shave. Or try using a single blade straight razor rather than a double blade. If your skin does become irritated, you can apply a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream to soothe the skin.
DISPELLING THE MYTHS
How many times did your mother tell you not to start shaving your legs because the hair would grow back coarser and thicker? And have you heard the one about two hairs growing back for every hair that you pluck?
Don’t believe a word of it. No matter what hair removal method you choose, you cannot affect the texture of your hair, how fast it regrows or how much you have, says Dr. Kenneth Pinski, an associate professor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
Although old wives’ tales abound, we are born with a certain number of hair follicles. How many we have is determined by our genes and hormones. In general, we have about 3,500 hair follicles per square inch, which comes to about 2 million in all.
Think about it: If shaving made hair grow back thicker, wouldn’t every bald man be shaving his head?
