#AskHauterfly: What Is The Best Way To Remove Body Hair?
A wise person once said, “with great power comes great responsibility”, and applying it to the current season, with the warm embrace of summer dresses, mini-skirts, tank tops, and hot shorts, comes the pain of getting rid of all that unwanted body hair. Yes, being desi has its perks! Besides the naturally tanned complexion we hone, we also carry the baggage of body hair.
Not to imply that body hair is bad. In the past, we have been trained to believe that hair removal is absolutely necessary, especially when you hit puberty.
But, at Hauterfly, we do feel like this a choice that’s completely up to you. Whether you choose to own your body hair, or remove it and go bare, it has to be your decision at the end of the day.
So if you choose the latter, here’s everything you need to know about the world of hair removal — the what’s, how’s, and most importantly, the how long.
METHOD 1: Waxing
The age-old method to remove body hair, waxing involves using a sticky, sugary substance that is applied directly on to the skin and yanked off by a soft fabric.
How: By applying hot wax in the direction of the growth and yanking the hair off in the opposite direction, the hair is pulled off from the root. Painful, but highly effective.
Pros: Since the hair is yanked from the root itself, growth takes about 2-3 weeks to show on the skin. Which means your smoothness will be by your side for approximately a month. It’s a perfect removal method, especially if you’re going bare down there, with a bikini or brazillian!
Cons: Firstly, it is painful AF — but you do get used to it…after a while. Secondly, the wax cannot remove extremely tiny hair, therefore, you have to wait for a bit till it reaches full-growth. Thirdly, this is something that is best left to professionals to carry out.
Since it involves sticky substances, hot wax, and a lot of pulling, it’s better if you DO NOT do it yourself (unless you’re using one of those home wax strips…but still, you won’t be able to yank every hair yourself).
Perfect for: Full body.
Gilette Venus Breeze Razor (Rs 299)
METHOD 2: Shaving
Shaving your hair basically slices off the top of the follicle, leaving the surface of your skin hair-free.
How: A razor usually uses a 3-4 blade technology that cuts the surface of the hair, i.e. basically the part that sticks out of the skin. Nowadays, ladies’ razors come with a gel-like substance that conditions the hair for smoother removal. Contrary to popular belief, shaving your hair doesn’t make it grow thicker.
Dr. Jaishree Sharad suggests shaving along the hair growth and not against it, to avoid any in-grown hair.
Pros: Shaving is fast, cost effective, efficient, and convenient, something every on-the-go girl counts on. You don’t need to wait till the hair grows back completely and you can totally do it yourself! It isn’t painful at all, unless you nick your skin accidentally, of course.
Cons: It can sometimes leave razor burns and streaks on your skin, if not done with a conditioner. Also, because the hair is not pulled from the root, your left with smooth hair-free skin for only around 1-2 days.
Perfect for: Arms and legs for convenient hair removal.
Veet Hair Removal Cream (Rs 59)
METHOD 3: Hair Removal Cream
A relatively newer way of removing body hair, depilatory creams or hair removal creams is another faster method to remove body hair.
How: The cream basically contains chemicals which softens the tip of the follicles and melts them. Within 10-15 minutes of applying, with a spatula or sponge, the cream can be wiped away along with the melted hair.
Pros: Another fast and effective way to remove body hair, creams can be used at home at any point in time. They are easy to use and leave your skin feeling soft and hairless after the wash.
Cons: These creams stink, like actually stink! Sitting on with the cream for 10 minutes seems like an eternity when you have to take on the whiff of the product. Secondly, due to the chemicals, you cannot use them in sensitive areas such as your bikini line. It also tends to darken the skin.
Perfect for: Arms and legs for convenient hair removal.
METHOD 4: Sugaring
A pretty ancient Middle-Eastern method of hair-removal, sugaring is a waxing-like process to get rid of body hair, which involves a mix of natural products.
How: By blending a mixture of sugar, honey, and lemon juice, the syrup can be applied to the skin just like wax and pulled off with a strip of cloth.
Pros: It’s less painful as compared with waxing, as it only sticks to the hair and not to the skin. So when the syrup is yanked off it just pulls the hair, and not your skin. It also takes out in-growths — something, which waxing doesn’t quite get to.
Cons: It’s only good for smaller areas with lighter hair, such as your eyebrows, upper lip, and doesn’t quite work with coarser follicles. Also it doesn’t exfoliate the skin like waxing does.
Perfect for: Face, eyebrows, upper lip, underarms, and bikini like.
METHOD 5: Laser
Laser is a semi-permanent hair removal technique that involves burning the hair off with a laser beam.
How: It is carried out over a long period of time, and can be used anywhere on the body. The laser beams basically target the hair and gradually burns it off through pulses.
Pros: As mentioned, it is a semi-permanent hair removal method that is medically carried out by professionals. It leaves your body hair-free for long periods of time and reduces hair growth.
Cons: It is a lengthy procedure that is very expensive and can be rather painful, depending on the area targeted.
Perfect for: Full body.
METHOD 6: Epilation
An epilator basically works just like waxing, in terms of pulling the hair out from the root. However, this is done via an electrical machine.
How: The hair is pulled from its roots, using several plastic or metal tweezer-like plates that pinch together and pull it out.
Pros: It is a one-off investment, that you can keep using each month. It pulls the hair out from the root, so you’re left with longer-lasting smoothness and there’s no mess left behind thanks to the product. Also, you can literally carry it wherever you go! Holiday and all.
Cons: It is rather expensive to purchase an epilator, although it is a one-time investment. Secondly, the first couple of times, the process is rather painful and can leave ingrown hair. Lastly, since it is a small machine, larger areas take a while to finish completely.
Perfect for: Arms and legs.
METHOD 7: Threading
Threading is another way to remove hair, especially in those tiny areas where there are small strands of hair that cannot be pulled off.
How: By rubbing a fine thread together, the friction between two creates a scissor-like effect that pulls the hair out from the root.
Pros: Works great for small hair growths, especially around the face, underarms, etc.
Cons: It’s a little painful and leaves the skin patchy and red for a bit. Secondly, it can only be used for smaller areas, or else it will take forever to remove the hair.
Perfect For: Face, upper-lip, eyebrows, and smaller ingrown hairs.
