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Hair Facts
Humans are born with approximately 3,000 to 4,000 hair follicles per square inch - approximately two million on the whole body. Many follicles grow tiny hairs that are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
The amount of hair a person has is determined by his or her genetic make-up. However, hormonal imbalance, certain medications and a high stress level can all increase hair growth.
Evidence of depilatory use dates as far back as 4000-3000 B.C. when women used a depilatory "rhusma turcorum" containing orpiment (natural arsenic trisulphide), quicklime and starch made into a paste. Since then, various civilizations have used animal, vegetable or mineral ingredients in hair removal recipes. For instance, South American natives used secretions from the Coco De Mono tree to remove hair. The chemistry of today's depilatory products has its foundation in these original beauty aids.
Types of Hair Removal
About Depilatories
Depilatories come in a variety of forms of Creams and Waxes.
About Creams
Within cream depilatories, there are lotions, creams and mousses. They work by breaking down hair with a high pH substance such as potassium thioglycolate, or calcium thioglycolate - which reacts with the protein structure of hair. The process of breaking down the hair usually takes between three and ten minutes but may vary with the product and the coarseness of the hair.
The effect of using a cream depilatory is usually smoother skin lasting days longer than when using a razor. This is for three reasons.
- Unlike a razor, a cream depilatory removes hair below the skin's surface. - Hairs emerge from pores in your skin - and depilatories are able to dissolve not only the hair you can see above the surface, but some of the hair in the pore. This means it takes longer for the hair to grow back to the surface. The timing depends on your hairs' growth rate and growth cycle.
- A cream depilatory acts as an exfoliant, meaning it removes unwanted dead (and often rough) skin cells on the surface of your skin. By removing dead skin cells (which are created every day), your skin feels softer and smoother.
- Many cream depilatories (including all Nair depilatories) contain moisturizing ingredients, such as Baby Oil, Almond Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Aloe. These help contribute to softer smoother skin.
About Waxes
Waxing, which can be performed in a salon or at home, means literally pulling hair out by the root with a "wax" that is able to grip onto hair. Waxes may be primarily beeswax, resin, or a sugar formulation. Some come in pre-formed "cold" strips. Typically, waxes are spread onto skin, a cloth or non-woven material is pressed onto the wax, and the cloth and wax are quickly pulled off the skin, taking hair, root and all, with it. The well-documented effect of waxing is smoother, hair-free skin lasting weeks longer than shaving.
- The latest innovation in wax is No-Strip wax. They are heated in the microwave, partially melted by the heat, and can work to open up pores and allow for more effective hair removal. This wax eliminates the need to use cloth strips, saving you a step every time, because it forms into strips on its own. Simply smooth on wax and peel off.
- "Cold" waxes are usually pre-formed strips with wax already embedded in the strips. The benefit of cold waxing is that it is convenient - it doesn't require preparation or heating time.
- "Washable" waxes are usually "sugaring" waxes - they are water soluble. This means that any residue left on the skin after waxing is easily washed off.
About Bleach
To bleach isn't to remove hair; instead it is used to lighten the color of hair. Bleaches generally are used on the face or arms, where hair can be the thinnest and less noticeable. Generally, it takes 7 to 10 minutes for bleach to lighten hair, depending on the coarseness and color of hair, and the concentration of bleach.
About Tweezing
Tweezing, like waxing, is about pulling hair out by the root. Regrowth usually occurs anywhere from two to eight weeks. Tweezing, however, requires pulling hair out one by one, and is usually reserved for delicate, precise jobs, such as eyebrow shaping.
About Electrolysis
Electrolysis is used to deaden the hair follicle with an electric current. A very thin wire is inserted into the hair follicle, an electric current destroys the root, and the hair is plucked out by tweezers. The process can permanently end hair growth in that follicle. The process is very time consuming because each hair must be targeted, and repeat visits to a professional may be needed for up to a year. Hair grows in cycles - and certain hairs may be missed that weren't in a growth phase at the time.
A newer, "tweezer" method of electrolysis doesn't require inserting a wire down into the follicle. Instead, tweezers are applied to the hair shaft, and an electric current passes through the tweezers, through the hair shaft, down into the root.
About Lasers
A new, and expensive, way to remove hair is with lasers. This technique works by applying a specially formulated liquid to your skin and allowing the liquid to absorb into the hair follicle. A laser is then scanned across the skin, where the heat from the laser is absorbed by the liquid, destroying the hair follicle.
