HAIR REMOVAL (epilation/depilation)

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

 

hair typically grows all over the human body. hair can become more visible during and after puberty and men tend to have thicker more visible body hair than women. both men and women have visible hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, pubic region, arms and legs; men and women also have thicker hair on their face, abdomen, back and chest.

 

hair does not generally grow on the lips, the underside of the hands and feet or on certain areas of the genitalia.

 

hair removal maybe practiced for cultural, aesthetic, hygiene, sexual, medical or religious reasons. forms of hair removal have been practised in almost all human cultures since atleast the neolithic era. the methods used to remove hair have varied in different times and region, but shaving is the most common method.

 

forms of hair removal :

 

• depilation is the removal of the hair above the surface of the skin. the most common form of depilation is shaving or trimming. another option is the uses of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair it's strength.

• epilation is the removal of the entire hair including the part below the skin, methods include waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, threading, intensed pulse light or electrology. hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers.

 

hair removal methods :

 

many products in the market have proven pradulent. many other products exaggerate the result or ease of use.

 

• depilation methods :

"depilation" or temporary removal of hair to the level of the skin, lasts several hours to several days can be achieved by :

• shaving or trimming (manually or with electric shavers)

• depilatories (creams or "shaving powder" which chemically dissolve hairs)

• friction (rough surface use to buff away hair)

 

• epilation methods :

"epilation" or removal of the entire hair from the roots, lasts several weeks and maybe achieved by

• tweezing (hairs are tweezed, or pulled out, with tweezers or with fingers)

• waxing (a hot or cold layer is applied and then removed with porous strip)

• sugaring (hair is removed by applying a sticky paste to the skin in the direction of hair growth and then peeling off with porous strip)

• threading (also called fatlan or khite in arabic or band in persian) in which a twisted thread catches hair as it is rolled across the skin.

• epilators (mechanical devices that rapidly grasp hairs and pull them out.

 

some medicines, steroids and hormonal therapy certain medications that are given various treatments can lead to abnormal growth of hair on a person's body. some of these drugs are :

 

• testosterone : 

used during hormonal therapy

• danzol : 

used during treatments of endometriosis and benign a fibrocystic breasts.

• anabolic steroids : 

used during injury, to boost muscle mass.

• glucocorticoids :

 a potent group of drugs to treat multiple inflammations.

• cyclosporine : 

mainly used for preventing organ rejection.

• minoxidil : 

used to prevent thinning or falling of hair.

• phenytoin :

  used for the treatment of epilepsy.

 

hair removal methods :

 

• shaving : 

razers have gotten sharper, safer, better in recent times. different razors for men and women take into account the differences in hair hardness between the two genders. shaving can done at home all you need is shaving cream or gel and a razor. you should always shave with the grain (in the direction of the hair growth). though shaving against the grains cut the hair finely, it also causes the skin inflammation, bumps and ingrown hair. you must use the razor precisely or else you may end up cutting your skin.

 

• sugaring : 

apparently started by the ancient egyptians, this method of hair removal with lemon juice, sugar and water, instead of wax, maybe better suited best for those who have sensitive skin.

 

• plucking :

 historical artefacts show that plucking or tweezing is something we have in common with our ancestors from thousands of years ago. it's a simple method where a sharp tool is used to pluck unwanted hair and make your eyebrows look on fleek.

 

• waxing : 

yet another means to remove body hair from the roots, waxing have many variations today. example, rica wax is said to remove hair as well as reduced future hair growth. chocolate wax is reputed to be better for harder hair growth and ready-to-use wax stripes are also easily available in the market, for those who prefer the convenience of hair removal at home.

 

• depilatory creams : 

hair removal creams contain chemical like salts of thioglycolic acid (potassium thioglycolate or calcium thigolycolate) or barium sulfide. these chemicals react with the protein in the hair and make it weak, so it comes away from the skin easily when you see the spatula from the hair removal cream kit.

these cream kits are available in the market for easy removal of hair. all you need to do is to apply cream over the desired area, keep it for suggested amount of time and then remove the product. you should do a patch test first, before trying it on the rest of the body, this will help you to prevent an allergic reaction.

 

• laser :  

laser hair removal treatment involves the emission of laser light that is absorbed by the pigment (melanin) in the hair. the light gets converted into heat, which then damages the hair follicles that produce hairs. this damage to the follicles inhibits or delays the growth of hair. the future laser hair removal must be done by a trained professional. it can reduce the growth of unwanted hair on the body.

 

• electrolysis : 

electrolysis is a procedure where a trained professional passes an electric current through a hair follicle. this electric current damages the follicle, thus preventing new hair growth. it can only be practiced by a dermatologist who is certified to do electrolysis. it is said to be the most permanent way to remove hair currently.

 

• epilator : 

an epilator is a device that pulls several hairs out of your skin in one go. it can be painful. using warm water and a mild scrub beforehand may help reduce the pain.

 

risk and complications of hair removal :

 

• cuts : 

while shaving you are more prone to get cuts and bruises easily.

 

• minor burns :

the uses of hot wax can cause minor burns on the skin.

 

• skin inflammation :

inflammation of the skin could be seen after waxing or shaving, it occurs mostly due to fiction during hair removal.

 

• bumps : 

this is a very common side effect of waxing.

 

• ingrown hair : 

ingrown hair is usually seen after waxing. during waxing you pull hair out rapidly in the opposite direction of hair growth. this disrupts the hair follicles, so when the hair grows back it regrows inward (inside the skin) resulting in ingrown hair.