TEMPORARY HAIR REMOVAL

Shaving:
This is probably the quickest, easiest and least expensive method of removing hair temporarily. Most people use this method, and it works fine as a very short term solution, but sooner or later that bristly razor stubble rears its ugly head.

Depilatories:
This method offers a small advantage over shaving, in that some hair is dissolved below the skin line, and you may go a little longer after using a depilatory before the regrowth appears. However, since the hair is not removed entirely, it is still a short term solution and expensive for large areas.

Tweezing or Plucking:
Since the hairs have to be removed one at a time, it is very time consuming for large areas.

Waxing:
For temporary hair removal on the body, this method is quick, efficient, and not as expensive as one might think. Waxing is very much like tweezing, except that it is carried out on a much larger scale. The hair is removed completely - root included - so the skin is left smooth, with no bristly stubble. The hair should be a least 1 cm long before it is waxed, to allow the wax something to adhere to. Some hairs grow slower than others, so you should try to go at least two weeks without removing any hair on the area to be waxed. The longer you let it grow, the longer you will go afterwards without regrowth. When the hair grows back, it will be new hair, that is usually slightly softer and lighter, with no bristly stubble. If you do get bristly regrowth after a waxing, it was not done correctly. If you have any doubts, ask your esthetician to show you the hair she is removing - the root bulb should be clearly visible. Most people can go 3 weeks or more before regrowth is seen. Facial areas should not be waxed, because this very often encourages darker and coarser regrowth, and if the hair is already deeply rooted, it may scar these areas, by ripping out subcutaneous tissue with the hair root.

PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL

Accuracy of the electrologist, and efficiency of electrolysis method are the two most important points when considering permanent hair removal. Other considerations, such as speed and cost are secondary, because if the work is not permanent, it is no bargain, no matter how fast or cheap.

Electrolysis:
This is the first method of permanent hair removal, developed about 100 years ago, which has subsequently lent its name to all methods of permanent hair removal. It is a direct current, or polarized type of current, that causes a chemical reaction in the hair follicle. This reaction creates a lye, which dissolves the papilla (germinative part of the hair root), which cannot be removed by any other method. Even when the hair is removed, root bulb included, the papilla immediately starts to grow another hair in its place. If hair removal is to be permanent, it must disable or destroy the papilla. The lye created by electrolysis is very efficient in destroying the papilla, and unless the electrologist is very inaccurate, the lye tends to stay in the follicle and not disturb or scar the surrounding tissue. This method is accurate, efficient and safe for most patients, but in cases involving coarse, deep-rooted hair, it does take a long time to destroy the papilla - about 60 to 90 seconds.

Thermolysis:
Most people who have had what they presume to be electrolysis, have really had thermolysis. This is a shortwave or microwave type of “burn”. This works in much the same way as a microwave oven cooks a roast, but on a different scale and radio frequency. If you have had thermolysis, you probably heard the “click” of the electrologist’s foot switch, and felt a short “jab” of heat. This method has a high rate of regrowth, and if the epilator is set too high, could cause scarring. The only thing that could be said for thermolysis is that it is fast - but if you were having an operation, would you want the surgeon to go as fast as possible, or as carefully as possible?

The Blend:
Accepted as the most efficient electrolysis method available, the blend is a combination or “blending together” of electrolysis and thermolysis. When properly blended, the electrolysis creates some lye, which is then heated by a small amount of thermolysis current, making it “super active”. This superactive lye is most efficient in destroying the papilla and, in my opinion, will give the best value for the time spent on permanent hair removal. It seems a little of both works better than a lot of either electrolysis or thermolysis, especially with coarse deep-rooted hair.

A Tip:
If you are considering a large amount of permanent hair removal, then it might be wise to go to several electrologists and have each of them work for 15 minutes to clear an area. Remember which electrologist did each area, because after a couple of months the area with the least regrowth will reveal your best buy in permanent hair removal.