Home Hair Removal Treatments - Part 1
If you are one of the millions of men and women who wish to remove hair from places where you wish it wasn't growing, but you don't want to pay thousands of dollars to hair removal professionals, take heart! There are plenty of home hair removal procedures that are easy to do and relatively inexpensive. In this two-part series we'll take a look at some of the most common ones.
Shaving Tips for Men
Shaving in the shower softens up the beard and makes for a smoother shave. Whether you use a cream or a gel, the important point is not how much you put on, but how you apply it. Apply shaving cream or lotion by massaging it lightly onto the skin. This causes the pilli muscles to life the hairs up which makes them easier to cut. Single blades give a better shave than double or triple ones do. Change your blade when it is no longer sharp. Shave in the direction that your hair grows for the first one or two passes, then reverse and shave against the grain the final time. Rinse your face with cool water after your shave and pat, don't rub, with a towel. Some men have to shave their faces twice per day although daily shaving is much more common.
Shaving Tips for Women
Choose razors made specially for women. They are more conveniently shaped and hold the blade at the right angle for legs and underarms. Run warm water on legs and underarms before massaging in your gel or shaving cream. You don't need expensive shaving lotions, hair conditioner works just fine. Women are better off shaving at night when body fluids are not so tightly packed around the hair follicles. Be careful when shaving the bikini area. Your underwear can chaff you if you leave a shaving rash behind. Shaving facial and moustache hair will not make it grow back thicker. That's an old wives tale. Underarms are usually shaved twice per week depending upon the desired look and how fast the hair grows. Legs may also require the same frequency although many woman find that once per week works well.
Tips for Tweezing
Always clean your tweezers in hot water before using them. Wiping them with alcohol beforehand is even better. Tweezing is great for shaping eyebrows or removing stray hairs on the face and chin. Never tweeze nose hairs. Infection could result. Tweeze in the same direction as the hair growth. Cover the area to be tweezed with a hot face cloth for a minute to open the pores. Don't apply creams or moisturizers before tweezing. It can cause infected or blocked pores and it might make you slip with the tweezers. The effects of tweezing usually lasts for two weeks or more.
Tips for using Depilatories
Check for allergic reaction by applying a small dab to the spot that you want to treat. Follow label instructions and then wait 24 hours before doing the entire area. Depilatories work best after a bath when the hair is softened and your pores are open. Follow label instructions exactly! Keep a timer handy so you don't keep the product on for too long. Wait for another time if you have a rash, cuts, mosquito bites, or acne blemishes in the area you are planning on treating. Most women apply depilatories twice per month, although that frequency depends upon how fast your hair grows back in.
In Part 2 we'll continue examining home hair removal options.
