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Kylie-Jane
Make-Up Artistry
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 Looking for an instant cold weather pick-me-up?
Nothing does the trick quite as well as a quick swipe of bronzer.
There's just something about luminous, tan skin that gives us that
little lift we need to get us through these last doldrum days of
winter. Whether you've got sensitive, normal, aging, dry or greasy
skin, there's a gorgeous, and non-orange bronzer for you. So, what
are you waiting for? Get glowing!
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Hair Removal
Options...???
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 Wouldn't life be so much easier if us women had
naturally hairless legs? Or perhaps if it was socially acceptable for
us to have hairy legs?
Unfortunately
life's not like that...so we have to shave, wax, pluck and so on...
The good thing is,
though, when it comes to removing hair, we have options.
And that's what we
will be exploring here:
Different hair
removal options to get your legs hairless and baby bottom smooth.
The desire to
remove excess or dark hair usually begins in adolescence and seems to
continue until the day we die. Whether it is hair on the face,
armpits, legs, bikini line, or other body parts, many women AND men
are intent upon having the hair on their scalp be the only visible
hair on their bodies. With the emphasis on smooth, hairless skin, it
is interesting to note that excess hair, especially in women, is
still a taboo subject.
There are many
options available to remove unwanted hair, but few options to get rid
of hair permanently. The different methods of hair removal from the
old stand-by, shaving, to the new treatments, and lasers, are
discussed here. Each person should chose a method or combination of
methods that works best for them depending on cost, time available,
skin type, and the desired hair-free area.
Bleaching is
actually not a hair removal method, but rather a way to make the hair
less noticeable. This is especially useful for areas that already
have thin but dark and therefore noticeable hair like the arms, face,
or neck. Bleaching is performed by applying a chemical to the desired
area, which removes the pigment from the hair.
Hair Removal with Shaving
Shaving is the most
temporary method of hair removal because it merely cuts the hair off
at the skin surface. Shaving does not make the hair shaft thicker,
darker, or grow faster or slower. However, the short hair shaft may
be more noticeable as it grows out because it has a blunt tip instead
of the normal tapered tip. Shaving should be done after applying some
type of moisturizer to the skin to help the razor glide over the
skin, not cut or scrape it. Common moisturisers include water,
shaving cream, hair conditioner, or body wash.
A handheld epilator
has a special high speed tweezing mechanisms or spinning discs that
grasp individual hairs and pluck them out. All you have to do is
glide the device in small circles, over the area you want to epilate.
Once the hair is pulled out at the root it usually takes a week or
two to return, so you'll have smooth, hairless legs for a while! Does
it hurt? Yes! Imaging plucking a lot of hairs at the same time and it
will give you an idea whether it will cause you discomfort. And it
takes a lot longer than waxing or sugaring, so the pain lasts longer.
Of course pain is a very individual experience and some people have
higher tolerance than others. But if you have low pain threshold than
more than likely you will not be able to use an epilator. To give yourself
a little test, grab a pair of tweezers and pluck few hairs around the
sensitive area of your ankles. Keep in mind the pain will be much
worse with the epilator, as it plucks more than one hair at a time.
If you keep using the device, you will somewhat get used to the pain
and it will become more tolerable.
Plucking
Plucking hair with
tweezers is an effective way to remove hair but can be very time
consuming. The hair shaft must be long enough to grasp with tweezers.
Physically pulling
the hair out of the follicle is a common and fairly inexpensive
method of hair removal. None of these methods changes the color,
texture, or density of the hair. The hair takes longer to grow back
because it must grow to the surface of the skin before it is noticed.
Because hair grows at different rates, some of the hair that has been
physically removed may take more time to grow back in. Repeatedly
pulling hair out of the follicle may damage the follicle enough over
time to keep it from producing more hair.
Waxing is an
effective method of removing large amounts of hair at one time. In
this method wax is warmed to allow it to be spread easily over the
skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in
the wax, which cools and firms up grasping the hair. The wax is then
quickly pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth,
pulling the hairs out of the follicles. Cold waxes are available
usually attached to strips, which are patted onto the skin. Wax that
is still left on the skin must be peeled or scratched off. Caution
must be used when heating wax so as not to burn the skin.
Sugar waxing is a
popular form of hair removal that works in the same way traditional
waxing does. A thick sugary substance similar to caramel is spread on
the skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded
in the caramel. A cloth or paper strip is patted onto the caramel and
then pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth,
pulling the hairs out of the follicles. The advantage of this method
over traditional waxing is the clean up. The sugar substance is
water-soluble and can be removed easier than wax by rinsing with
water.
Depilatories use a
chemical called thioglycolate mixed with sodium hydroxide or calcium
hydroxide to literally melt the hair away. Thioglycolate disrupts
disulfide bonds, which are chemical bonds that hold skin and hair
cells together. The disulfide bonds that hold hair together contain
more of the protein cystine than do the disulfide bonds that hold
skin cells together. Thioglycolate is more effective on disulfide
bonds that contain cystine. The major side effect of a depilatory is
skin irritation because the chemical can melt away skin cells.
A depilatory is
applied to the area with unwanted hair and left on for 3 to 15
minutes. During this time the chemical dissolves the hair and the
resulting jelly-like substance is wiped or washed off after the
appropriate time. The chemical should be tested first on a small skin
area at least 48 hours before applying it to a large area. Applying a
hydrocortisone cream after hair removal may help decrease irritation.
Electrolysis
involves inserting a fine needle into the hair follicle and applying
an electrical current to the follicle root. This procedure actually
burns the hair root theoretically preventing it from producing more
hair. Each hair follicle must be treated individually and may take
several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is a
permanent form of hair removal but it has several drawbacks. First,
there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis so
finding an experienced, effective technician is difficult requiring
talking to clients who have experienced permanent results. Second,
this method requires repeated treatments for up to 12 to 18 months.
Hair follicles that are in the telogen phase are more difficult to
destroy than hair follicles in the anagen phase. Shaving
approximately 3 days before an electrolysis treatment ensures that
the hairs that are visible are in the anagen phase. Finally, side
effects can include pain, infection, keloid formation (for people who
are susceptible), hyperpigmentation, or hypopigmentation.
Laser treatment of
various skin conditions has blossomed, as laser technology has become
more understood. Hair removal is a common application of laser
technology, but it is not permanent and not for everyone. Lasers work
by emitting light at various wavelengths, energy output, and pulse
widths. The wavelength used determines the skin structure it will
affect such as veins, melanin, or water. Most lasers used for hair
removal target melanin and are therefore designed to burn structures
that contain melanin. The more melanin, the more damage. It makes
sense that laser hair removal works best for light-skinned people
with dark hair. As with electrolysis, hair follicles in the anagen
phase are more easily destroyed than those in the telogen phase.
Therefore, laser treatments for hair removal must be repeated. At
this time it appears that laser treatment, while not causing
permanent destruction of all hair follicles, does retard the regrowth
of new hair.
If all
of the above seems to complicated or too much fuss, then below are
some great tips for plain old Shaving:-
- Invest in a good
razor - The disposable ones, although inexpensive will not do as
good of a job as a reusable, and yes, a little bit more
expensive razor.
- Change your blades
frequently - A dull razor increases the chances of ingrown hair,
and will give you those annoying nicks and a razor rash.
- Do not shave right
after getting out of bed in the morning - Your skin is more
puffy first thing in the morning, so your hair stubble is not as
visible. I recommend waiting 20-30 minutes before grabbing a
razor.
- Scrub or loofah
before shaving - Grab a soft skin brush or a loofah, and
give your legs a nice massage...Start at the ankles and work
your way up to the thighs, in slow circular motion. This will
get rid of the dead skin which can clog up your blade. Plus it
will give you smooth and soft skin.
- Wet your hair
first - Before grabbing that razor wet your skin for 2-5
minutes. When your skin is well hydrated, your hair will stand
up, allowing for a closer shave.
- Don't shave after a
long bath - If you're planning to shave in the bath, do it in
the first 5 minutes. It takes skin just under 10 minutes to
shrivel in warm water, which makes it harder to get at the hair
and get a close shave.
- Don't use soap
- Shaving cream will moisturise your skin and the razor will
glide on better. Another option is to use a hair conditioner. It
will leave your skin smooth and silky and it does just as good
of a job as a shaving cream.
- Let
your shaving cream sit on the skin - Allow your shaving cream
(or conditioner) to sit on your skin for a couple of minutes.
That will moisturize the skin and the hair will stand up for a
closer shave.
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Kylie-Jane
Kylie-Jane
Make-Up Artistry
Cosmetician & Make-Up
Artist
Phone: 0413 699 280
*www.kyliejane.com*
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