|
Treatment for unwanted hair - Part II
|
Treatment for unwanted hair - Part I
Hair removal, their advantages and drawbacks:
Depilatory creams: Depilatory creams are a good bet if one is in a hurry to remove unwanted hair. They are easy to apply and effective in the short run by removing hair just below the skin's surface.
Depilatory creams contain sodium and calcium thioglycolate that were patented in the 1930s for removing the hair from cattle hides. These chemicals interact with the hair and dissolve the keratin which makes up the hair shaft. There is often a mildly unpleasant sulphur like odour that fades away when the cream is rinsed off.
For best results, first apply a warm washcloth to the area; this will soften the hair and open the follicles so the depilatory can be better absorbed. Never exceed the recommended time for leaving the cream on the skin. When removing the cream, use a washcloth to wipe it off instead of simply rinsing (additional pressure can help remove more of the hair shaft). This type of hair removal lasts several days.
Their disadvantage is that the chemicals that "burn" off hair can also cause skin irritation. Those with very sensitive skin may not be able to tolerate depilatory creams. Test depilatory cream on your forearm before using it to determine whether your skin reacts to it adversely (some cause skin discoloration or staining; others provoke allergies). The allergies can result from either thioglycolate or the fragrances used. If your skin breaks out when using a depilatory cream, wash the area and apply an antibiotic or cortisone cream to reduce the inflammation. Most importantly remember never to apply a depilatory to an area that has cuts, scratches or other kind of wounds.
Threading: Commonly undertaken by skilled women in salons, threading is an ancient manual technique, made popular in the Arabic and other eastern countries. It involves the use of a long twisted loop of thread rotated rapidly across the skin. By maneuvering the twisted string, hairs are trapped within the tight entwined coils and are pulled or broken off. It should be done using clean, new thread by skilled staff only as inexperience and incorrect techniques can result in infection of the hair follicles (folliculitis). Other side effects include pain, pigmentation and occasionally, ingrown hair.
Shaving: Shaving body hair is not the most preferred method chosen to remove hair especially so by Indian women although it is the fastest, easiest and most economical technique.
Shaving is performed with a razor on wet skin using shaving cream or other lubricants. For sensitive areas, shaving with the direction of hair growth may reduce cuts. Shaving cuts only the hair above the surface of the skin, so you need to shave regularly to maintain a smooth surface. And underarm hair grows twice as fast as leg hair; you might need to shave there more often, depending on your rate of growth. Also the hair is cut off at the skin surface level and hence once it grows back it gives a feeling of coarseness viz a viz waxing. This unfortunately propagates the theory that shaving causes the hair to grow thicker.
The downside, of course, is that hair grows back quickly, so the bare feeling that shaving provides is only temporary. Other adverse effects of shaving include skin irritation, cuts and ingrown hair.
Bleaching: Hair bleach, like the bleach used on clothes, is an oxidizing agent. Hair is made lighter by changing part or all of the melanin pigment in the hair into a colourless substance. The melanin is not washed out of the hair - it is changed chemically, and the change cannot be reversed. The bleach most commonly used is hydrogen peroxide, which can be used alone to lighten dark hair. Bleaching is popular, but it is only effective if the hair is similar in colour to the skin and isn't too heavy. If you have a dark complexion, bleaching will just highlight your moustache by lightening it. Hydrogen peroxide and commercial products either for bleaching and colouring hair must be used properly and carefully, following the instructions. They can cause irritation to the eyes and mouth. Besides the hair bleached and coloured surely will be drier and more fragile.
Electrolysis: This procedure uses low-level electricity to kill that renders the hair follicle inactive. On the upside, results last longer than with waxing and depilatories, but the process can be time consuming and expensive. Finding a reputable practitioner is the key because electrolysis performed incorrectly can cause pigmentation as well as scarring. It has become relatively obsolete with the advent of lasers. Electrolysis has best results on women with white or very blonde hair (where lasers are inefficient) and for women who have isolated areas of unwanted hair.
Lasers: These are the latest cutting edge of technology and a boon to many women. Lasers works best on dark hair against a fair skin but newer lasers are apparently helping remove the finer hair as well. Various lasers have been experimented with ever since its inception over 2 decades ago - the Ruby, the Alexandrite and the most common used commercially - the Diode & Nd Yag. These lasers ensure removal of coarse hair but achieve only a reduction as far as other hair is concerned. The advantages are obvious - relatively painless and permanence of results, but the flip side is possible pigmentation, scarring, the cost factor as well as the time consumed e.g. lasering both the lower limbs can take more then an hour or so. It is wise to consult a dermatologist if you are considering either electrolysis or lasers.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| | Wockhardt Cardiac Health Check | Obesity Package | Heart Check | Rs.7,210 ($153.80) | Rs.7,880 ($168.09) | | | Rs.2,708 ($57.76) | Rs.5,246 ($111.90) | Rs.4,900 ($104.52) | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask our Experts :
Personality Development, Immigration (US), Tarot, Hot Couture, Face Value, Matrimonial Laws, Infertility, Life, etc, Gender Wars, Shaping Up. |
|
 |
|
Furl it
Reddit
