Hair Removal Options, Laser Hair Removal or the Wrong Way (I)
by Steve Peerson

Techniques for Hair Removal

In addition to painfully scraping one's skin with bits of sea shells to remove hair, men and women have tried many other methods throughout history - some more successful than others and some more painful than others.

Waxing: This method involves spreading a warm wax, usually beeswax, onto the skin. A fabric cloth or disposable paper strip is then placed over the wax and smoothed onto the skin surface. It is removed quickly, taking the unwanted hair with it. This method can be very painful; in fact, there are many famous youtube.com videos documenting how painful this procedure can be. The benefits generally last 2-6 weeks, depending on the individual.

Tweezing: Women have been tweezing their eyebrows since Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa. It is generally thought to be a slow and painful process that needs to be repeated often.

Threading: Also called epilation, this process is an ancient technique for hair removal and involves rubbing a twisted thread along unwanted facial hair to remove it. With experience and finesse, the process can be utilized without great discomfort.

Depilatory Creams: As gross as it may sound, a depilatory cream removes hair by physically dissolving it through the use of chemicals. The process is virtually pain-free and can last several weeks. Unfortunately, women with sensitive skin may have difficulty using such a harsh product.

Shaving: The disposable razor companies can tell you that their new 27-blade razor with 17 strips of aloe is just fabulous, but razors still leave us with the dreaded razor burn, not to mention the daily chore of constant hair removal.

Electrolysis: This former high tech version of hair removal was introduced in way back in 1875. The process involves sending an electrical current down into the root of the unwanted hair, effectively killing it. The process took quite a bit of time because each follicle had to be treated separately.

The Rise of Laser Hair Removal

Beginning in the 1990's, physicians and medical professionals begin to see the potential of the laser in permanent hair removal. The advent of the laser allowed practitioners to overcome previous obstacles to hair removal, namely pain and re-growth. In fact, it also eliminates the problems of ingrown hairs, razor burn and those dreaded nicks.
Laser hair removal actually destroys hair at the follicle. The hair falls out and the pore closes up, leaving the patient with smooth skin. The procedure is relatively painless, partially because it covers many follicles at once, unlike electrolysis. In fact, depending on the desired are of treatment, laser hair removal can be performed during a few quick lunch breaks and yet the results last a lifetime. Of course, a MD oversees all treatments but the actual process is done by highly trained medical professionals on the team, right in the doctor's office.
(to be continued)