7 Things You May Not Know about Hair Removal But Should

Removing unwanted hair has become a part of our routines as going to the supermarket. Thanks to modern technology, nowadays you can get your hair removed with far less irritation. In fact, once you see the seven advantages we’ve searched, you may stop thinking of hair removal as a nightmare and may even look forward to it.

You don’t have to steal his razor anymore

Your man razor once had an edge over your smaller one because it had more blades, an essential detail that gives a closer shave. But women’s products have shortened the gender gap, with new models featuring up to five blades, making it more convenient to get rid of hair on your legs, underarms, and bikini. For less irritation, use some shaving cream before removing hair; it’s more hydrating and allows for a less painful shave than soap does.

The newest depilatories are basically odor–free and work quicker.

“The authentic versions owed their strong scent to the chemicals calcium thioglycolate and sodium hydroxide, active ingredients that soften hair,” says Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Miami. While these ingredients are commonly used, they’re now paired with charming scents that help balance their odor. Depilatories are also no longer messy: They come in a variety of designs to stay put as they do their job, usually in 10 minutes or less. Some of them are even waterproof, so you can use it in the shower while you’re shampooing (it won’t rinse off until you wipe it with a washcloth).

No need to go to spa for a perfect waxing result

The newest at–home waxing kits include professional–quality wax to minimize post–treatment bumps. Most of them contain glyceryl resonate, an ingredient that makes the removing process softer. Another product that’s made it easier: Mellon strips. “Good–quality person is a stiffer, less porous fabric than the old muslin; the wax doesn’t seep through. This allows the strip to grip even the smallest hairs firmly,” says Jodi Shays, owner of Queen Bee Waxing in Los Angeles. ”

The battles with ingrown are over; you just have to treat your skin right.

There are few things more frustrating than spending time and cash to go bare only to see unsightly bumps flare up. “Whenever you pull out the hair from below the skin, you run the danger of triggering ingrown,” says Giraldo. These can be caused either by bacteria entering the follicle or by new growth getting caught under the skin.

Lasers can be used on almost any skin type

The lasers we used 10 years ago were only useful for people whose hair are dark and skin are light,” says Susan C. Taylor, M.D., a dermatologist in Philadelphia. “But now lasers target the pigment in the hair rather than the pigment in the skin, so they work for women with darker skin too.” As the hair absorbs the light, intense heat causes damage to the hair follicle. This leads to the continuous destruction of the hair, about a 20 to 25 percent reduction with each visit.

Creams work even better at slowing hair growth

Vaniqa, a prescription cream with the chemical eflornithine, blocks the enzyme necessary for hair growth and keeps you smooth longer in between hair removal (no matter what method you use). In fact, roughly 94 percent of women who treated their upper lips with both Vaniqa and a laser experienced almost complete hair removal, versus about 70 percent for women who underwent laser sessions alone, according to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The new epilators are far more gentle than their predecessors

When epilators– handheld machines that yank multiple hairs out by the root–were launched in the eighties, they were draconian equipment that called for an enormous pain threshold. While you may have vowed never to let anything starting with “epi” near your skin again, we promise there’s good reason to give these electronic hair removers another shot. Several manufacturers have reworked the design: Now, rather than a rotating coil that violently pulls at hair (and your skin), the new equipment use rows of tiny tweezers to easily lift, loosen, and remove even the shortest strands. “You’ll still feel stinging, but the sensation is significantly less painful than before,” says Giraldo.