hair-free zone

Vegetarian Times, June, 2001 by Valerie Latona

Waxing, zapping, shaving, plucking, tweezing -- which one's best for you?

We love it on our heads but hate it pretty much everyhere else. In fact, we 11 try just about anything to get rid of unwanted body hair. Toward that end, we allow hot wax to be dripped on our skin then ripped off. We tweeze and pluck till there's next to nothing left. We pay lavishly, in dollars and tears, to have it lasered off. And yet, as much of an indignity as hair removal can be, few of us are willing to go au natural. Vanity, thy name is perfect hair.

So just in time for summer--the season in which we bare the most skin--we've compiled a complete guide to the most effective and advanced ways of banishing unwanted hair.

Shortcuts

Despite the latest advances, shaving is still the easiest, safest and least expensive method of hair removal. In fact, it's the preferred method of 88 percent of women. It's also the only method that doesn't hurt. All you need is a razor (ideally a triple-blade, to prevent nicks) and shaving cream, to keep skin smooth and moisturized and to prevent irritation. (In a pinch, of course, you can make do with foamy soap.) If possible, choose moisturizing creams with olive, avocado or coconut oil and soothing ingredients like aloe vera gel. The trick to close shaving is to wet your skin with warm water first to soften the hairs, making them easier to remove. The downside to shaving is that hair grows back within a few days.

Waxing Poetic

If you can't stand shaving every day or so, then waxing may be the way to go. You can either get it done at a salon ($30 to $80 a visit, depending on how much hair you're removing) or do it yourself in the "comfort" of your own bathroom. For home waxers, here's how to do it: First, spread melted wax over unwanted hair, cover with a strip of cloth then quickly pull the cloth off. Be sure to apply powder to your skin first, says Maggie Santos of the J. Sisters International Salon in New York City. Dusting with a cornstarch-based product before waxing will help prevent sensitive skin from becoming irritated. Santos also recommends pine- or honey-based waxes because they are gentler on the skin. Beeswax-based products are good for sensitive skin, too--and most are all natural. The downside: It hurts, though you don't have to do it very often--about every four to six weeks. You need to let your hair grow at least a quarter of an inch before getting waxed (the wax grabs longer hair easier), meaning you may have to go "hairy" for a little while. To avoid the common problem of ingrown hairs, exfoliate religiously (see "Take It Off, Take It All Off").

Zap It

Electrolysis is a technique whereby a licensed electrologist inserts a hair-thin needle (connected to an electricity source) into the hair follicle. Then she turns the electricity on--destroying the hair follicle and preventing regrowth. As time consuming as this process is, it's the closest you can get to permanent hair removal. But it can't remove it all at once. "It takes about a full year of regular 15- to 30-minute visits to get rid of all the hair," says Teresa E. Petricca, Certified Professional Electrologist (C.P.E.), executive director of the American Electrology Association (AEA) in Trumbull, Conn. Since electrolysis targets hair in different growth phases, clients start off by going twice a week for a few weeks, then once a week for several more weeks, then once a month for up to a year. While you can have electrolysis done on any area of the body, the face and bikini line are the most popular. The cost: About $1 a minute. The only potential downside is that if you go to someone who's not trained properly, you run the risk of scarring from improper use of the needle and electricity. To find a licensed electrologist in your area, call the AEA at (203) 374-6667 or visit www.electrology.com.

Going Techno

If you'd like to get rid of a lot of body hair and are willing to pay the price, you might consider the latest hair removal technique: lasers. When lasers were first introduced, they could only be used on people with dark hair and light skin. (The pigment in the hair follicle is what attracts--and absorbs--the laser light. The heat generated by the laser is transmitted to the hair roots, which damages or destroys the hair's growth center.) And until recently, whenever lasers were used on people with dark hair and dark skin, the light would get absorbed by areas outside the hair follicle and cause a loss of skin pigmentation, as well as blisters and scars. "Now the newest lasers can work on all skin types because they're not pigment-specific," explains New York City dermatologist and laser specialist Melanie Grossman, M.D. Typically, the treatment is conducted in a series of five to eight sessions (one to two weeks apart), each lasting 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how much hair is be removed. "Over time, there's a progressive reduction in the amount of hair that grows," says New York City dermatologist Alan Kling, M.D. "But there will never be a permanent 100 percent reduction in all hair growth."