Unwanted Hair Removal

Aside from a quick morning shave or a monthly trim, some men never think about their hair. But if you're involved in a sport such as swimming and bodybuilding, you may find that your athletic pastime or profession demands a streamlined body-right down to the hair on your arms, hands, and feet. Or maybe that bit of peach fuzz on your ears has grown into something less than cute, and you're seriously considering permanent hair removal. Listed below are a variety of ways to remove unwanted hair. Consult your health care professional to make sure that a particular hair removal method is right for you.

Tweezing (Plucking)

This is, perhaps, the least expensive but most time-consuming method of hair removal. The results are temporary; your hair will grow back. Tweezing involves the plucking of each individual hair from its root with tweezers. It can be painful and may cause skin irritation and inflammation of the hair follicle.

Shaving

Shaving is the easiest and probably the safest method of temporary hair removal. You can cover large areas of your face and body in very little time. Refer to our section on Shaving Tips for more information.

Waxing

Combinations of paraffin, beeswax, oils, fats, sugars, and resins make up hair removal waxes. Waxes can be applied hot or cold (cold waxes usually come in the form of wax-coated adhesive strips). The hot wax or cold wax strip is applied directly to the skin and then pulled off; any hair underneath that has adhered to the wax is also pulled up. Waxing can be painful, but it is faster than tweezing and the results last longer than shaving.

Depilating Chemicals

Depilating agents come in gels, foams, sprays, and lotions. They dissolve hair at the skin's surface and are a temporary method of hair removal. Some depilating agents may cause irritation or damage to your skin and eyes, so you will want to exercise extreme caution when using these products.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is a hair removal procedure in which a tiny needle is placed next to the hair shaft and a mild electrical current sent through the needle kills the hair follicle. Since each hair must be treated individually, only small quantities of hair can be treated. Electrolysis is expensive, time consuming, a little uncomfortable, and permanent.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment involves the use of a laser beam to destroy hair follicles and thus impair hair growth. Most lasers today still cannot treat white, gray, light blonde, or light red hair; also, individuals with darkly pigmented skin cannot be treated (this includes people with deep tans). In other words, unless you have dark hair and pale skin you will probably need to choose another form of hair removal. Laser treatment is less expensive than electrolysis and takes less time, but you will probably need to undergo several treatments to get the best results.

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