Ultimate Hair removal

Superfluous hair! It can be a pain, a source of embarrassment, it can be genetic and it can be related to our hormones. It's fine to embrace it but if this is not you there are ways to get it removed. Please don't be embarrassed about excess hair, you are not alone in this, there are many people of all ages who want hair removal.

Let's take a look at the hair lifecycle:

There are 3 stages to hair growth as seen above and it's hard to know exactly what stage a single hair is at, as they grow to different lengths and hairs do not grow collectively in the same cycle. Which is why when you start waxing/laser/electrolysis hair removal you can have re-growth quite quickly but then as each session removes the hairs, eventually all hairs will be caught and the period of not needing hair removed becomes longer.

Here are some methods for hair removal:

Shaving - Pro's can be done at home, it can be done often and is needed often to keep hair free, it's cheap to buy but hair is cut at the thickest point so creates sharp stubble on re-growth

Dermaplaning - Pro's a gentle way to remove facial hair and its part of a facial. This facial is more of an exfoliation and uses an extremely sharp blade. Whilst blades can be purchased for home use, it is not the same grade as a professional tool. As part of a facial this exfoliation helps products to absorb into your skin. Over use of Dermaplaning can stimulate more hairs to grow from vellus (soft and light) to terminal (dark and strong). I would not recommend this treatment more than once in 3 months and would view this as a facial rather than hair removal treatment.

Hair removing cream - Pro's can be done at home and only a little more expensive than shaving. The cream dissolves hairs that are above the skin. This can be done weekly, depending on brand instructions. However, it is messy and not always suitable for sensitive skin. Hair needs to be 0.5mm in length.

Epilation - Pro's can be done at home but the machine is expensive. Hairs are pulled from the skin and can be painful but can last 3 weeks. Hair needs to be 0.5mm in length.

Waxing - Pro's hair is removed from root and skin is left feeling smooth. This can be done at home but it's messy. Salon treatments will be more costly but the therapist is trained and can reach areas you will struggle with and knows of techniques to help reduce the pain. This treatment can be painful but can last for a month. Hair needs to be 0.5mm in length.

Laser - Pro's permanent removal of dark hair under the skin but takes several sessions and is costly. At home laser machines are costly but the laser is not as strong as a professional machine. Professional laser machines are improving and some now do lighter hair. A professional can reach the areas you cannot. Large hair areas can be removed as well as small areas. Hormone surges will mean new hair growth. Hair is shaved before laser takes place meaning you do not need to have growth showing.

Electrolysis - Pro's permanent hair removal of dark and light hairs. Hairs are removed individually so not suitable for large areas. Like laser, several sessions are needed to clear an area of hair to make sure each hair is caught in the growth cycle.

Prepping your skin for hair removal:

Whatever method you choose for hair removal looking after your skin is important. Without proper care, you can get keratosis Pilaris, commonly know as ingrown hairs. It is important to keep the area clean and to exfoliate, encouraging the hairs to grow to be removed rather than causing bumps/spots which can lead to infections/pain. If you squeeze the bump a hair will pop out however it is better to exfoliate the skin rather than potentially damage it by squeezing.

When removing hair, it is very important that skin is kept clean. Otherwise you can get folliculitis which is a skin infection and make sure you follow the aftercare to reduce this risk. At the salon, I will not wax skin that is infected/sore/inflamed/skin conditions because it can make the condition and situation worse. It could lead to bigger infections. I will not wax open/healing wounds or moles, this is for your safety. I can wax around a mole and can trim hairs with scissors.

At Wildflowers Beauty we use satin smooth waxes, and Kaeso cleansing lotion to prep the skin and soothing oil/gel as part of your treatment. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have.