Test your hair removal savvy with this guide to the facts — and myths — that surround fuzz fighting.
We've all had our troubles when it comes to the
battle against body hair
— and we may
even have taken some extreme measures at times
(We're looking at you, Caroline Manzo!)
— but knowing fact from fiction regarding hair removal can make
the whole business smoother.
To help you win the war against body hair, experts reveal the truth
behind fuzz-busting techniques.
— and we may
even have taken some extreme measures at times
(We're looking at you, Caroline Manzo!)
— but knowing fact from fiction regarding hair removal can make
the whole business smoother.
To help you win the war against body hair, experts reveal the truth
behind fuzz-busting techniques.
We've all had our troubles when it comes to the
battle against body hair — and
we may even have taken some extreme measures at times
(We're looking at you, Caroline Manzo!) — but knowing fact from fiction regarding
hair removal can make the whole business smoother.
To help you win the war against body hair,
experts reveal the truth behind fuzz-busting techniques.
we may even have taken some extreme measures at times
(We're looking at you, Caroline Manzo!) — but knowing fact from fiction regarding
hair removal can make the whole business smoother.
To help you win the war against body hair,
experts reveal the truth behind fuzz-busting techniques.
Myth: Shaving body hair makes it grow back coarser.
Reality:
Untouched body hair is tapered and lies flat, making it feel soft and
thin.
Shaving the hair blunts its ends and makes it stand up. "This makes it feel thicker,
but the hair itself is not changed," explains Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, the codirector
of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, D.C.
Imagine you're cutting a drinking straw with scissors on a diagonal rather
than straight across.
"It will simply appear thicker when cut on an angle," says Francesca Fusco, MD,
an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
in New York City.
For a smoother shave, make sure to exfoliate the skin before you reach for the razor.
Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which can block the razor blade and make
for a bumpier result.
Shaving the hair blunts its ends and makes it stand up. "This makes it feel thicker,
but the hair itself is not changed," explains Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, the codirector
of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, D.C.
Imagine you're cutting a drinking straw with scissors on a diagonal rather
than straight across.
"It will simply appear thicker when cut on an angle," says Francesca Fusco, MD,
an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
in New York City.
For a smoother shave, make sure to exfoliate the skin before you reach for the razor.
Exfoliating removes dead skin cells, which can block the razor blade and make
for a bumpier result.
Myth: Laser hair removal eliminates unwanted hair forever.
Reality: Laser hair removal involves zapping hair follicles with a laser that targetsthe dark pigment (melanin) in the hair. The laser's heat kills the follicles, and the hair
falls out 10 to 14 days later. "During the course of treatments,
the laser works to disable only actively growing hairs, which make up about 25 percent
of the total area," explains Dr. Fusco.
"It doesn't work on the hairs that are in a resting phase,
which is why it's important to complete at least six treatments, so you treat all of the hair."
But even so, some follicles will continue to grow if they're not completely destroyed.
To get rid of these holdouts, you need a touch-up session once or twice a year.
So while it's true that laser hair removal and electrolysis are the two best options for l
Myth: You risk an infection if your technician double-dips the wax stick.
Reality: If you go for a waxing treatment and notice that the technician is about to use astick that she used on the last client, head for the door. Despite a popular belief that the
heat of the wax will kill bacteria on a double-dipped wax stick, it doesn't. "Hot wax isn't
enough to kill the wart virus, for instance" says Dr. Tanzi.
"While it's rare," she adds, "certain fungi and viruses can be transferred from person to person."
So be sure to ask the technician to use a fresh wax stick.
Myth: It's okay to leave a depilatory on longer if you have thicker hair.
Reality: False! "Never leave a depilatory on longer than the recommended time,"says Fusco.The ingredients in depilatories can cause severe inflammation and a red, itchy rash if they're not removed after the prescribed amount of time. "What you could develop is called an irritant contact dermatitis," says Tanzi. So stick to the suggested time on the box for optimum results — and
to dodge a nasty skin emergency.
In addition, check with your doctor before using a depilatory on your face — some ingredients
used in skin care products, like retinol, can make your skin too sensitive to tolerate a depilatory
for any length of time.
Myth: Waxing always hurts.
Reality: Short of being tranquilized, there is no way to completely eliminatethe pain associated with waxing (or laser hair removal or tweezing), but thankfully,
there are ways to dull it. Schedule your appointment two weeks after your period,
when your hormones won't make you as sensitive to pain, and use a numbing agent on
your skin before the treatment.
Noemi Grupenmager, founder and CEO of Uni K Wax, also suggests that you avoid
eating or drinking anything stimulating. "Alcohol and other stimulants, such as caffeine,
tighten pores,
which can make removing the hairs more painful," she explains.
Another trick is distraction. "We have a patient hold a vibrating toy, or a fan,
or squeeze a ball during an uncomfortable procedure," says Fusco.
"It somehow interrupts pain pathways."
Myth: At-home treatments give the same results as in-office ones.
Reality:
The answer is yes and no. At-home treatments are a good way
to supplement professional services, but DIY options alone usually aren't as
thorough as pro treatments, says Tanzi. For example, you may be able to extend
the effects of laser hair removal between treatments with an at-home laser device.
"Some of these devices use a window that you use to test your skin color with the machine,"
says Fusco, "so you know it's safe for you."
Or you might eliminate stray strands that sprout between waxing sessions with an at-home
waxing kit. But before you even think about applying the wax, warns Grupenmager,
"thoroughly cleanse the area you're going to wax with a natural antiseptic lotion to
remove all excess oil and bacteria from the skin."
to supplement professional services, but DIY options alone usually aren't as
thorough as pro treatments, says Tanzi. For example, you may be able to extend
the effects of laser hair removal between treatments with an at-home laser device.
"Some of these devices use a window that you use to test your skin color with the machine,"
says Fusco, "so you know it's safe for you."
Or you might eliminate stray strands that sprout between waxing sessions with an at-home
waxing kit. But before you even think about applying the wax, warns Grupenmager,
"thoroughly cleanse the area you're going to wax with a natural antiseptic lotion to
remove all excess oil and bacteria from the skin."
Myth: Pluck a gray hair and three more will grow back in its place.
Reality: There's no gray area here — this is completely false."This myth started because gray hairs seem to multiply quickly," says Grupenmager.
But, explains Fusco, "when you pluck a gray hair,
all that will happen is that one will grow in its place."
Instead, disguise gray hairs with an at-home cover-up kit.
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