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Lasers
Laser Hair Removal: Hair Raising Experience
by: Barry Lycka, M.D.
 More
and more people are giving laser hair removal a shot!
If you're not into this hot, new treatment, then you've
come to the right place. Imagine never having to deal
with messy creams. Imagine talking to the grocery clerk
and not having her stare at the hair on your upper lip.
Imagine never having to hide your precious parts at the
beach.
Stop imagining! You can make your dreams of hairless summers
and hairless winters come true. First of all I believe
it’s important for women and men to find out what
causes abnormal hair growth before they start drastic
measure to remove it. Doctors say hair usually grows abnormally
due to hormones. Once you’ve determined whether you
have health concerns related to your hair, then you can
decide on the appropriate remedy.
I can tell you lasers are safe and effective in the removal
of unwanted hair. A trained specialist can help you determine
what treatment is best for you using your skin and hair
type. With lasers you don’t have to worry about shaving,
tweezing, or waxing now and forever. Forever sounds like
a long time, doesn't it? Lasers produce a beam of light
that is used to remove hair. The light passes through
the skin to the hair follicle. Once it gets to the hair
it basically kills it. Neat, huh? The process only takes
less than an hour.
Lasers are attracted to dark colors. You'll get the best
results if your hair is darker than your complexion. You're
wondering if the laser has any side effects. It does if
you have a tan. Tanning and lasering leads to burning.
Ouch, it really hurts so you’ll want to beware of
adding the two in combo. Also, it's important to note
that the laser doesn't do a thing for blondes, white or
gray haired people.
If you’re not ready to give lasers a shot, then there
are several other techniques on the market that can help
you get rid of your hair-raising problem. Let's talk about
the only permanent hair removal known to man right now.
It's called electrolysis. If you're scared of needles,
then this is not the treatment for you. You'll want to
make sure that you have not waxed or tweezed within a
few days of having a treatment. This makes the hair follicle
easier for the electrologist to reach.
The electrologist inserts a tiny needle into each hair
follicle and uses a short impulse of energy to kill the
root. Sounds, cool, huh? The hair is tweezed out one at
a time. Sounds like an awfully long process. However,
it only takes a few hours. You will most likely need more
than one treatment to kill all of your hair. There are
electrolysis kits that you can use at home, but I wouldn't
recommend it. You're better off using a licensed electrologist.
Speaking of problems, what's yours? Everyone has a specific
area of the body where they want to be bald. Women usually
hate facial hair on their upper lips, chin and sides of
face. Hairs in those areas don’t seem to bother men
that much! Okay, I shouldn't joke about it! Hair on the
lip is very troubling to most women. It can be removed
using a bleaching procedure.
Bleaching works if your hair is similar in color to your
skin. Be careful, bleaching lightens hair in dark complexions.
I’ll never forget someone with a dark complexion
once asked me if she could use a depilatory creams on
the lip. No way, don't even think! My response was fast
and furious. Depilatories are harsh on sensitive skin
and should never be placed on the lips or eyes areas.
The important thing to remember about depilatories is
you should use them on the legs and thighs only. Depilatory
creams dissolve the keratin in hair. As you can imagine
that’s some pretty strong stuff! Be sure to test
patches of skin before you put the cream on. The cream
can cause rashes and skin discolorations. It is possible
to treat a negative reaction with an anti-bacterial solution
and antibiotic.
Waxing on the other hand is a great way to remove hair
from the legs and thighs and bikini area. Your skin will
feel so clean, smooth and soft after this procedure. Waxing
doesn’t irritate your skin the way shaving and creams
do. However, waxing is a temporary hair removal procedure.
Waxing is similar to the sugaring procedure that is also
temporary.
Sugaring is becoming more popular for people who want
to be hairless in the bikini area. The sugar is warmed
not at all like the high heat that’s used in waxing.
The warmed sugar is placed on the skin. Your technician
will then remove the sugar with muslin strips. The sugar
sticks mostly to the hair and not the skin. That makes
it easier when it’s time to remove the hair. I highly
recommend sugaring because the red bumps and other skin
irritations are minimized with it.
You’re daring, right? You want a bikini wax, but
you want it all over. Then, you’ll have to try what
is called a Brazilian bikini wax. Have you ever been to
Brazil? The natives are not at all ashamed of their bodies.
The Brazilian wax removes hair all over the pubic area
including the labia and buttocks. You can tell your technician
how far to go, or not go. A patch of hair is sometimes
left above the vagina.
Now, the procedure for getting a Brazilian wax is the
same just about as with a bikini wax. You’ll be given
a paper thong if you’re a little shy to put on for
Brazilian bikini wax. Your hair will be cut using some
scissors. The wax is then put on using a wooden stick.
Strips of cloth are used to take the hair off. Tweezers
are sometimes used to pick away stray hairs. Some folk’s
say it hurts, others swear it works magic to improve their
self-esteem and body image. You now have choices whether
it’s shavers and creams or lasers and wax. You no
longer have to live with a hair-raising experience. Get
rid of it! The choice is yours.
About The Author
Barry A. S. Lycka is a cosmetic dermatologist and surgeon
who practices in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he has
worked from 1989. Dr. Lycka was the Dream Makeover doctor
for Edmonton's Dream Makeover. For more information you
can visit his website at www.barrylyckamd.com. |
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