Bare Facts about Hair Removal
Before you shave, tweeze or wax, read these must-know hair-removal facts.
By Mary Rose Almasi
Every summer, it happens. Women are faced with the inevitable (and unavoidable) dilemma of hair removal. With teeth clenched, they have their body hair yanked, pulled, stripped, shaved or blasted with electrical currents -- all so they can bare their bodies on the beach or their legs in a skirt or shorts. Read on to help make it easier (and a little less painful). You may even discover a method that's better for you. 1. When it comes to razors, the sharper the blade, the less risk of nicks. Microscopic dings occur on the blade with every use, increasing a blade's friction on the skin, which ups your chance of getting cut. Stay sharp by changing blades every three or four uses. (If you can't remember the last time you changed your blade, it's time to toss it.) Try the Gillette Venus razor, $8, or the Shick Xtreme III, $5.50 for four, both available at drugstores nationwide. And take a cue from men: Use shaving cream. It's moisturizing, and it helps razors glide over skin. (Try Skintimate Bikini & Underarm Moisturizing Shave Gel, $2.49; www.skintimate.com.) 2. Home waxing really works. Do-it-yourself kits have made waxing from head to toe easy and no more painful than having a pro do it. Results last as long as salon waxing -- about a week or two, depending on your hair's natural growth rate. To do it yourself, try Sally Hansen's Washable Cold Wax Hair Removal Kit ($8; www.sallyhansen.com). 3. Vaniqa is the only cream that slows hair growth. In clinical trials, Vaniqa, a new FDA-approved prescription cream, slowed the growth of facial hair in 60 percent of women when applied twice every day. "But it has only been approved for facial hair," says New York dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff, M.D. "And it doesn't get rid of hair permanently; it only slows its growth by impeding the enzyme that makes facial hair grow. Once you stop using it, the hair grows right back." Who it's best for? Women with excessive facial hair -- not those who have to wax every once in a while. Results can be seen after two months of use, Sarnoff says. The only reported side effect: possible skin irritation.
