Hair Removal Techniques Explored

According to the FDA, permanent hair removal means the "long-term, stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing after a treatment regime". In other words, the number of hairs regrowing must be consistently less than the duration of the complete growth cycle of hair follicles, which varies from four to twelve months by body location

For as long as there are records men and women have been primping and pruning themselves and hair removal has always been the number one focus. There are a few historical favourites with proven results and there are some new techniques with huge claims and sad results. Today we are briefly dissecting each one to uncover the benefits and pitfalls or problems associated with each.

SHAVING: This will certainly be our first encounter with hair removal as children, watching either mum, dad or grandad shaving obvious body parts. We see how its done and are given various explanations of why its done. We also soon discover that while it leaves skin smooth and silky, it needs repeating daily because hair continues to grow. Shaving is the same as mowing the lawn, the razor simply cuts the visible top off the hair that has erupted through the skin. The speed of regrowth depends on your hormone levels and general body health.

SUGARING and WAXING: Basically they are same process but using slightly different products. Waxing takes a little more time than shaving and is uncomfortable, but the hair takes longer to regrow which leaves you with smooth hair free skin for much longer.

Waxing will often be the second step in home hair removal or the first visit to a professional salon.

The process involves warming up wax and wiping it onto the skin then quickly smoothing a piece of material over the wax before it sets. Once it has cooled a little- in only a few seconds- the material is pulled off, thus pulling off the wax which has encased the hair. This results in the hair being literally ripped out by the roots. Uncomfortable and, in some areas, a little painful, but the results are many times better than shaving. The skin is often left reddened due to the minor trauma, but normally settles after an hour or so. It is very rare to have allergic type reactions to wax, skin issues are generally caused by overheated wax causing minor burns, which results can be present for 2 to 10 days depending on the severity.

Skin is left hair free for up to 4 weeks, and as an additional benefit, the wax also pulls off the very top layer of dead, loose skin cells leaving the skin silky smooth.

DEPLIATORY CREAMS: Smoothed onto the affected areas, these chemical concoctions claim to dissolve the hair and travel down the hair shaft to the root, giving you up to 2 weeks of hair free skin. In reality they do little other than to irritate the skin and create a chemical burn which can be visible for 1-5 days depending on the contents of the cream. Even given the warming effects of body temperature on the creams' consistency, it is physically impossible for it to travel down the hair shaft and effect the root of the hair.

The hair is normally noticeable again once the skin burn has subsided making it no better than shaving from a results viewpoint.

However, with more than 20 chemical active ingredients including urea and sodium laurel sulphate, but not including the water and perfume base, and no research into the effects of combining these chemicals, it is not known what the physical damage could be with repeated use. I suggest that you research each and all of the chemicals before you make a decision to use this process on a regular basis.

I.P.L: Intense Pulsed Light- often wrongly called laser hair removal by marketing brochures and sales people. This is a very modern technology first designed in 1995 for the treatment of spider veins and other skin conditions. Its use quickly spread to a wider variety of medical and cosmetic settings and in 1997 the first device was designed specifically for hair removal.

The protocol is simple; a high-powered, hand-held, computer-controlled flashgun delivers an intense, visible, broad-spectrum pulse of light, generally in the visible spectral range of 400 to 1200nm. The light is so intense that the handle requires cooling with iced water in order to keep the temperature down to between 68-72 degrees celcius. It treats a large area at a time and is good for flatter areas such as backs, and legs.

Due to the number of variables- machine settings, client skin and hair type, operator ability, client general health- the results are hit and miss. All the marketing brochures describe a treatment plan of 8-20 sessions 4-6 weeks apart, in reality, many people do not complete the course due to the severe discomfort, skin burns, lack of results or side effects such as skin pigmentation

LASER HAIR REMOVAL: The protocol is very similar to IPL- a handle is used to deliver a focused pulse of light to a specific area at a set wavelength. The main difference is that the laser light is only a max of 1.2mm wide and is good for small and contoured areas due to the time taken to treat such areas. perfect for underarms and bikini.

A 2006 article in the journal Lasers in Medical Science compared IPL and both alexandrite and diode lasers. The review found no statistical difference in effectiveness.

Laser hair removal, being more detailed is significantly more expensive and much less popular than IPL.

S.H.R. HAIR REMOVAL: Super Hair Removal was created in 2006 by 2 scientists with an interest in laser technology. It is a combination of the three different aesthetic laser wavelengths that are utilized for hair removal. According to the patent 'the first wavelength targets coarse, dark hair. The second tackles finer hair, while the third focuses on the stem cells responsible for hair growth'.

This triple-wavelength approach ensures comprehensive coverage, making S.H.R. suitable for all skin and hair colours.

Treatment protocol is 4 to 6 sessions 26-32 days apart. The timing is vital to ensure the guaranteed results.

The protocol is similar to IPL- a handle is used by the nurse to deliver the low-fluence light pulse with a high repeat rate, this ensures that the area is kept at a consistent temperature of around 39-42 degrees celcius. Warm enough to seriously damage the hair follicles, but not hot enough to cause a burn. The end result being that the follicles are 'part boiled' and become defunct.

Hairs normally fall out during the next hot shower or over the course of the next few days. The hairs which grow back are those adjacent hairs that were dormant at the time of treatment. If the body is strong, or the patient particularly wooley, follicles may not die off, but instead continue to produce 'bum fluff' or very fine, very pale hair, it is the patients choice to keep this or undergoe additional sessions.

Occasionally there will be some skin redness, but this is usually gone before the client leaves the salon.

P.C.O.S. The effectiveness of SHR on the male pattern hair growth of women suffering from PCOS has been remarkable.

Women as old as their late 50's who have been forced to shave, wax and cream for 30 years are being freed from their chains and given the ability to live life without constantly worrying about their facial hair. Even those who have endured 20 plus IPL sessions have literally cried in my clinic after just 1 session has made an enormous impact on the amount and look of their unwanted hair.

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