Every woman has had that moment. Staring in the mirror after a shower there’s a hair, or two…or tons in a less than desirable place. Although your first reaction may be to pluck away, certain areas of the skin respond better to certain methods of hair removal. As they say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, so let’s get to it.
DEPILATORY CREAMS
Best For:
Upper Lip
Chest
For short term relief, depilatory creams are a great option. Although many are turned off by the pungent smell, Completely Bare is coming out with a cream that smells more like lemon than rotten eggs and breaks the hair down in five minutes. Always use warm water to rise off the cream and don’t touch with soap or other lotions after application, as they may irritate.
PLUCKING
Best For:
Chin
Neck
It’s an embarrassing process, we know. The chin is a tricky place, because as small of an area it is when hairy it becomes the centerfold. Other methods sometimes don’t work because of the texture of the hair, but plucking literally gets to the root of the problem. After using tweezers, rub down the area with a piece of ice for the skin to not swell and rise.
SHAVING:
Best For:
Legs
Remember the first time you picked up a shaver and felt like a grown woman? It’s funny how something so exciting quickly turned into a chore! But for the cheapest and most pain-free result, the ole double metal head is the best choice. Need some variety? Switch lathers.
WAXING
Best For:
Underarms
Eyebrows
Bikini Area
Buttocks
Women who get waxed always to seem to be die-hard loyal fans of the procedure. Although painful, waxing is a fast way to remove a large amount of hair. Coarse leg or pubic hairs remove with no fuzz, leaving a clean and smooth look. Don’t wax if the hair isn’t at least a quarter of an inch long because the muslin strip won’t pick anything less up. Always remove hair the opposite direction it grows in and apply aloe or hydrocortisone after wiping clean. For Brazilian waxing GO TO A SPECIALIST, point blank period.
THREADING
Best For:
Eyebrows
Straight from India, threading is an awesome way to quickly and cleanly remove hair from the brow. The process consists of twisting a piece of thread into a double strand to remove hair, creating a precise hairline. Depending upon where you are, the price differs from $5 to $20 (average cost closer to the former price).
LASER, SUGARING, and OTHERS
Best For: Hopeless Hairy Causes
Laser treatment is the most technologically advanced of all removal treatments. If planning on going to a dermatologist or spa, make sure they specialize in your skin type and have good reviews. Along with being the most long term and advanced, laser treatments are also the most expensive ranging from $70 to $250 per session (most women need more than four sessions) depending on where the hair is removed. Sugaring, a practice that goes back as far as 1900 BC is best for the armpit and bikini area. Create a warm mixture of brown sugar lemon and honey for the best results. Although this works great, sugaring is by far the messiest of methods. For hair growing in the nose or ear, buy a clipper for the specific area and follow directions to a tee. Don’t want a huge band-aid over one nostril.
