Tress-Less - BeautySTYLE

Tress-Less… A Go-To Guide for Spring Hair Removal

By: Joy Randall

Spring is officially here and its time to shed that winter fur! Some beauties are blessed to not have a lot of body hair. Well, I didn’t get that blessing in my box. And luckily for you, I’ve tried them all! Just about every way to remove hair, I’ve tried. So here’s a quick breakdown in hair removal techniques. Hopefully my trial and error can help you make the best decision for you. 

Epilating Creams: You know? Nair? Neet? You slather it on and stand in some awkward position for about 10 minutes (which can seem like an eternity depending on where you put it). Oh, and let’s not forget that lovely fragrance (insert sarcasm)! And hopefully you got enough on and in the right place because God forbid you have to go through the process again! 9 times out of 10 you will end up using a razor anyway to detail. But I definitely think these are good for the sloughing of fur. Meaning, when you wanna just get rid of everything, and you’ve got some time to get ready. Cover your whole body in it and get er’ done! 

Electric Razor: They get it gone, but not baby’s butt smooth. I do like this for the bikini area. Depending on how you like it down there. If you’re ok with just a little or more, this is great for grooming. But you will end up with a little stubble. Added benefit is less skin irritation.

Regular Razor: Closest shave and least expensive. Can definitely give you that “baby’s butt” smooth feeling! But it may come back tomorrow and it’ll probably be a little itchy, May get some razor burn too. Hair texture can be a factor here as well. Coarser hair textures (like mine) can be prone to "in-growns", so you may want to grab an exfoliator as well.  Regular razors can be used just about anywhere (under arm, bikini, face, legs). Just make sure the skin is moist and warm and have a good body wash or shaving cream as well. 

Tweezing: Got some stragglers? Here’s your go to tool. Great for detailing too! In your brows or anywhere else you would never want to admit you found a hair. But be careful of over tweezing. Tweezing can actually stimulate the hair follicle and cause the hair to grow back stronger and harder (Yup, that’s why that one hair ALWAYS shows up!). Being hairy is bad enough… no one wants to deal with “angry and aggressive” hairs too.

Threading: Can definitely give you a smooth finish that lasts a couple weeks. Note that it is not the best feeling in the world though. Threading, takes off hair by rows, so be careful. If you are growing out brows, they can be risky business with threading. In my experience as well, the thread can create a cutting or burning sensation as well. So be vocal if the person doing it is being too aggressive. I think threading is great for facial hair removal.

Waxing: Waxing, when it’s done right can be smooth and long lasting. However, it is high risk hair removal for a few reasons. Sanitation, making sure no one is double dipping and using dirty tools and products can be hard to keep tabs on. People also tend to have more sensitivity with waxing. It’s common to have breakouts after and in some cases, people have even had skin pulled off. Day spas and waxing studios tend to be safer options than nail and hair salons. Only because, they have people who specifically offer the service and take special care of keeping things sanitized.

Laser: Can get pricey. But it’s starting to be more attainable with places offering memberships and packages. Laser is ideal for all areas and works on shrinking hair follicles over time as well as even out skin tone. It can be a little painful. Different facilities offer ice packs and numbing creams. Be careful with your tattoos too! The laser can take away pigment in custom creations. I did have it done “Brazilian” at one point… let’s just say, I didn’t finish my treatments. #Ouch #WasntCommittedToTheProcess

Electrolysis: Slow and Steady wins the race. Definitely be ready to invest! Not easily found and takes time. They basically take a small, needle point laser and go into each follicle to destroy the root in the proper growth phase. Still hurts, but you get used to it. Over time, this can create permanent hair removal. But it can take over a year to complete the process. I’ve been going for about a year now and things have cleared up so well! If you are self conscious and really want a change, this is the move. 

Hope these tips help turn you into smooth criminals this Spring! And we’ll leave the fur to the cute baby animals. Until next time… keep it cute and classy!