Should You Shave, Wax or Laser Away Unwanted Hair ?

Hair Removal, also known as epilation or depilation, is the deliberate removal of body hair.

Hair Removal is practised for cultural, aesthetic, hygienic, sexual, medical or religious reasons.

Forms of Hair Removal :

Depilation is the removal of the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving or trimming. Another option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength.

Epilation is the removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Methods include waxing, sugaring, epilators, lasers, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers.

Hair Removal Options : 

Hair Removal Creams : 

Hair removal creams, also known as depilatories, have chemicals that break down the hair structure. In this method, you can apply the cream on an area, wait for 5-10 minutes for it to break down the hair and then use a towel or a plastic scraper to remove the cream along with the hair.

Advantages : Hair removal creams provide results that will typically last longer than shaving but less than waxing.

Disadvantages : The chemicals in hair removal creams are strong and can irritate your skin.  So do a patch test first.

Shaving for Hair Removal 

Shaving works by cutting off the hair at the skin level. It's the most commonly used method of hair removal.

Advantages : Shaving is painless as long as you are careful to not cut yourself. Make sure you use shaving cream or soap and sharp blades. That way you can decrease the chance of having razor burn or post-shave irritation.

Disadvantages : Since the hair is only removed at the skin level, it tends to grow back soon.

Waxing for Hair Removal

Waxing is a hair removal technique that uses wax to remove hair from the root. It is done by applying warm wax over an area and then using a strip of cloth or paper to remove the wax along with the unwanted hair.

Advantages : You have to suffer through only a few seconds of pain for at least two weeks of hairlessness. And it doesn't grow back as stubble. It'll have a tapered tip, making the hair growth less obvious than when you shave. Waxing also leaves your skin feeling silky, and over time regrowth of hair is likely to be finer and slower.

Disadvantages : The drawback of waxing is that you have to let the hair grow enough for the wax to pull it out.

Epilation for Hair Removal 

Epilation is a hair removal method that can be done at home. It involves using an epilation device called an epilator which is battery-operated. You need to place and move the epilator on the hair to remove it from the follicle.

Advantages : The good thing is epilation leaves your hair smooth and hair-free for weeks because the hair is pulled out from the root. It is one of the most effective at home methods of hair removal. 

Disadvantages : You need a higher pain threshold when epilating as it pulls out each stand of hair at a time. This means, there is a pricking sensation during the process.

Best Among All : Epilator - It is a small device with rotating discs which when moved at 90 degree against the normal hair growth removes the hair from it's root. Although it is a painful experience in the beginning but most women get used to it in sometimes. It is much more convenient than waxing and needs to be done less frequently than razors. It may sound costly but it is actually the cheapest of lot as the life of one epilator is minimum 4 to 5 years.