Hair Removal Methods

Many people have unwanted hair. It’s common on the upper lip, chin, cheeks, back, underams, legs, bikini areas, fingers, feet, and toes.

It can have many causes, including genetics, certain medications such as steroids, higher levels of certain hormones, and poly-cystic ovarian syndrome.

There are several ways to remove unwanted hair. With most methods, at least some of the hair will eventually grow back.

Shaving

Shaving is one of the most common methods for removing unwanted hairs on legs, arms, and face. It can, though, cause ingrown hairs, especially in the pubic region and also needs to be repeated every few days.

Plucking

Plucking or tweezing can be painful, but it may be a good option if you only have a few hairs you want to remove. Times when you might want to pluck include when you’re reshaping your eyebrows or pulling out a few stray hairs that appear on your face.

You should not, however, use this hair removal method for large areas. It can cause ingrown hairs or scarring and is also a rather slow method.

Depilatory Creams

Hair removal creams, also known as depilatory creams, are available without a prescription.

They’re not all the same, so be sure to read the label. For instance, you shouldn’t use a hair removal cream made for pubic hairs to remove hair on your face.

The chemicals in these products dissolve the hair shaft. Using a cream improperly — for instance, leaving it on too long — can burn your skin so be careful when using this method.

If you have a history of allergic reactions, you should first test a little bit of the cream on a small area on your arm to make sure you don’t have a bad reaction to it. Be sure to follow the directions on the cream.

Hot Waxing

You can do this at home or you can have it done by a salon. Hot waxing can be messy and painful and may leave some hairs behind because they can break off.

Infection is one side effect to watch for. If the wax is too hot, you may get a burn.  You should not use this method if you also use certain types of prescription acne creams (such as Retin-A) or take isotretinoin. If you do, the wax will pull your skin off.

Threading

Threading is a traditional Indian method of hair removal that some salons offer. The professionals who do threading use strings they twist in a pattern and use to pull unwanted hair out.

Laser Hair Removal or IPL

There is generally a great confusion between IPL (Intense Pulse Light) and Laser. The easiest way to remember the difference is to compare IPL to a flashlamp and the laser to, well, as laser beam. While they are both light treatments, they work very differently and it is important to know the difference.

While IPLs usually operate in the 520 to 1100 nm range, lasers only have one wavelength such as the 1064nm Coolglide Cutera used by Cutis Medical Laser Clinics which is the first laser cleared for permanent hair reduction in all skin types and is endorsed by physicians worldwide.

Limelight used at Cutis Medical Laser Clinics is a high tech IPL that applies programmable wavelength depending on the skin type of the patient and hence ensuring greater efficacy and safety. Both provide excellent hemoglobin and melanin absorption for uniform treatments and ease of use.

Light and Heat

The LHE Treatment operated at Cutis Medical Laser Clinics combines both light and heat for maximum results. LHE targets melanin in the hair shaft, and then converts light to heat inside the follicle.

The additional heat further elevates the temperature to reach coagulation temperature at a much lower fluence than conventional IPL devices. Future hair growth is inhibited and often prevented. To bring down the energy levels and increase safety, LHE relies on the synergetic relationship between Light and Heat to create an efficient photo thermal technique.

With its unique light and heat combination, LHE maximizes the heat effect on the follicle without damaging the surrounding tissue.

As for all medical treatments, be sure to select a doctor who is highly trained, such as Dr. Sylvia Ramirez of Cutis Medical Laser Clinics and uses US FDA cleared technology for maximum efficacy and safety.