Category: Personal Care Blog

I blog about personal care including hair removal, skin care, nail care, and hair care.

  • 11 Tips for Epilating Stomach Hair

    11 Tips for Epilating Stomach Hair

    So you have stomach hair that’s driving you nuts? Thankfully, my days of showing off my abs are over, so I just let my stomach hair grow wild and free like a hippie love child, but I understand the struggle. And I know how to epilate a belly like a boss.

    Can you epilate stomach hair? You can safely epilate stomach hair. The main drawbacks to doing this are the pain and potential of ingrown hairs. The main benefits include less regrowth and many more days between hair removal sessions than with shaving.

    Epilating the stomach is not for the feign of heart, however. In order to pull it off, you should do your research beforehand and know what you are getting into. Then you should plan ahead so you’ll get the best outcomes. Here are my best tips for epilating the belly:

    1. Determine The Cause Of Your Stomach Hair

    If you’ve always had more hair on your stomach than you’d like since puberty, you can probably thank genetics for that. However, if you’ve recently seen a change in the hair on your stomach, you may have a hormonal issue and it’s best to consult with a doctor to make sure all is okay.

    There are many health issues that could cause unwanted, male-pattern hair (also called hirsutism). These issues include polycystic ovary syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, and medication side effects.

    Depending on the cause of your hair, you may need to have your underlying health issue treated. Or your doctor may prescribe medications or creams that will reduce the unwanted hair growth. Then you won’t have to worry about removing your stomach hair.

    2. Decide If It’s Worth It

    Do you even need to remove your stomach hair? Is it really that bad or are you just being hard on yourself?

    Stomach hair is normal on both men and women. The color, thickness, and density vary from one person to the next, depending on hormones and ethnicity, but we all have some hair there. So if your stomach is covered 99.9% of the time by clothes and you’re not feeling overly self-conscious about it, skip removing the hair on your belly.

    On the other hand, if your stomach hair bothers you and you’ll be showing off your abs often, epilating may be a path you’d like to try.

    But epilating is not without side effects and is best for people who are in it for the long haul. You get the best results after regular use.

    3. Get Your Hair To The Right Length

    The worst thing you could do is start epilating fully grown stomach hair. It will be traumatizing, trust me.

    Before you epilate, you need to get those hairs down to about a millimeter or two.

    There are several ways you could go about this. You could just use an electric trimmer. Or you could plan ahead and shave, wax, or use any other hair removal method and then wait for the hairs to grow back to the proper length.

    4. Prepare For The Pain

    You cannot over-prepare for this, my friend. Probably one of the worse parts of epilating stomach hair is the pain.

    But I’m pretty confident that it isn’t that much worse than epilating anywhere else on the body. Most of the horror stories I’ve heard were by people who didn’t trim their hair beforehand. If you’ve followed the previous tip, you’re already ahead of the game.

    Besides that, there are many ways to keep your pain to a minimum.

    Icing your belly for about 20 minutes before you start will help numb the skin. Another option is using heat by taking a hot shower beforehand or using a hair dryer to open pores, warm the skin, and reduce sensations of pain.

    I have many more options for reducing epilator pain in my post about epilator pain.

    5. Plan For Several Sessions

    If this is your first time epilating a body part, you should probably expect to not finish your whole stomach in one session. It’s going to be intense. You will probably only be able to epilate a small section before you’ll need a breather.

    So I would just plan to take several days. Doing a little each day until you’ve epilated your whole stomach. If you are able to do more, then great. It’s just important that you don’t have big plans for wearing a bikini the next day because that may not work out so well.

    After you’ve gotten the whole stomach epilated and free of hair, you should epilate the whole stomach every week for a few weeks. This will help your body adjust to the pain and make sure you get all the hairs that are in different growth cycles.

    After that, you can start epilating just once or twice a month when you start seeing multiple hairs growing back. By then, you’ll be a pro at using an epilator and the pain should be minimal.

    6. Prepare A Chill But Sanitary Experience

    You want the least stressful environment possible. So plan to try out epilation on your stomach when you don’t have a lot going on and you won’t be rushed. A quiet, relaxing evening is ideal.

    Get all your supplies together and make sure your epilator is clean so you don’t spread bacteria to your pores, which could cause infection.

    Then turn on some relaxing music or a movie and go for it.

    7. Clean and Dry Your Belly Well

    Make sure your abdominal is clean before you start epilating. Use the cleanser to remove oil, moisturizer, and dirt from the skin. Rinse well so that no residue is left. The cleaner the skin and hair, the better the tweezers can grab hold of your hairs.

    Just as your skin and hair need to be clean, they also need to be super dry as well. Any moisture will make it harder for the tweezers to grab hairs.

    If you use any numbing cream, wait until it has completely dried before starting.

    To make your hairs even easier to grab, you can dust some cornstarch or baby powder on your abdominal as well.

    8. Follow Proper After Care

    If you’ve made it this far and still alive, pat yourself on the back!

    Soothe that skin with some ice if necessary. Soothe the skin with an astringent such as witch hazel. Then slather on some moisturizer. Aloe based gel or lotion works well.

    9. Beware Of Ingrown Hairs

    Ingrown hairs are your number one enemy when using an epilator. And unfortunately, hair on the belly tends to be coarser and more prone to ingrown hairs than many other areas of the body, so you have to be hypervigilant.

    Ingrown hairs are caused by dead skin cells blocking the hair from reaching the surface. So the best way to prevent them is to make sure you remove all those dead skin cells.

    You do this by exfoliation. Exfoliating a day after epilating and then every other day or so will make a huge difference. You can use methods like exfoliating scrubs and massage sponges.

    Or you can try a product with salicylic acid like Tend Skin (click here to compare prices and read reviews on Amazon). These help to remove dead skin that is still deep in the hair follicle and may work better than other exfoliation methods.

    10. Consider Other Hair Removal Methods

    Epilating may just be more trouble than it’s worth for belly hair.

    If you only plan to remove belly hair a few times of the year when you’ll be at the beach, you may just want to use less painful methods like shaving or hair removal cream. It may appear as though more hair grows back, but that is just an optical illusion caused by the blunt tip when you haven’t removed the whole hair out by the root, so don’t worry about that.

    On the other hand, if you’d like a hair-free stomach year-round, you may want to invest in other hair removal methods like waxing. Or semi-permanent methods like laser or IPL. These three types cost more than epilating but may be more suited for you depending on your pain tolerance and skin type.

    And the last and most expensive option is electrolysis. This is the only method of permanent hair removal and should be done by a professional. However, if you are only going to focus on your belly hair, it cost may be reasonable.

    11. Just Bleach It

    If your hair is just dark, but not superabundant, bleaching can be a decent alternative to hair removal. It does require lighter skin and some exposure to chemicals, but you don’t have to worry about pain.

    And if you are prone to ingrown hairs, it may be your best bet for dealing with your stomach hair without spending tons of money.

    Related Questions

    What is the best epilator for stomach hair?

    My pick for best epilator for stomach hair is the Panasonic ES-ED50-N Multi-Functional Wet/Dry Shaver and Epilator (click to check it out on Amazon). This is one of the better epilators for sensitive areas. The gentle epilator head is just the right size for navigating the belly area. And the LED light makes it easy to see hairs. It also has extra protection that keeps skin from getting caught in tweezers.

    Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

    Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!

  • Do Epilators Work on Fine Hair?

    Do Epilators Work on Fine Hair?

    I have a nice variety of hair types on my body for some reason, from thick, coarse, dark hairs in some areas (including my head) to finer, blonde hairs on my thighs. This has given me the chance to see how different hair removal types work for different hair types. And I’ve had quite a bit of practice using epilators to pull out my fine hairs.

    Do epilators work on fine hair? Epilators work for fine hair. In fact, most epilators work better on fine hairs than coarse hairs. Fine hair is also less painful to remove for most people.

    There are some caveats to this, though. I’ve used epilators to remove fine hair with little problems and I know of lots of other people who report the same. But there are still some people who say they’ve had no luck removing fine hairs with an epilator.

    Is this because they are using a low-quality epilator? Or are they using the epilator incorrectly? I don’t know. But there are specific things to do that will increase your chances of success when using an epilator for fine hair.

    Do You Even Have Fine Hair?

    Before you need to know how epilators work with fine hair, it’s good to know for sure that you actually have fine hair. So how do you do that?

    Well, the easiest way is to get a strand of hair and hold in between your fingers. What do you feel?

    If you can’t even feel a hair, you have fine hair.

    If you feel a hair and it feels strong and thick, your hair is probably coarse.

    And if you feel the hair, but it doesn’t feel particularly thick, you can consider the hair about medium.

    Whatever your hair type, there should be an epilator that works for it. You just need to know what to look for when buying one.

    Features of the Best Epilators for Fine Hair

    When choosing an epilator, you should look for a few specific features if you want to get good results with fine hair:

    Light

    Many epilator models have LED lights that shine on your skin as you epilate. This is really essential if you have fine or light-colored hairs. You will be able to see the hairs well as you epilate, even in the shower or bath or a room with poor lighting.

    Multiple Speeds

    It’s pretty easy to find epilators with at least two speeds these days. I highly recommend getting an epilator with two speeds if you have fine hair. This allows you to try different speeds to see which works best for your hair.

    Generally, a lower speed is best for fine hair. The higher the speed, the more likely that you’ll break off hairs at the surface instead of pulling them out. And this is especially important with fine hair because it is weaker.

    Hair Lifting or Gripping Technology

    There are different terms for this, depending on the brand, but the general idea is that you want an epilator that has some extra feature that helps to lift or grip hairs better. This will make it more likely that your epilator will grab all your fine hairs without as much hassle.

    Braun calls this “close-grip technology,” a feature on most of their epilators, that increases the gripping power of the tweezers. This is why these epilators can pull out hair as short as 0.05 millimeters.

    Some Philips epilators come with a “hair lifting massage cap” that you can clip on the epilator head. It combs and lifts hairs from the skin so that the epilator can grab them better.

    Using an Epilator on Fine Hair

    Once you have a good epilator for fine hair, you can follow most of the general advice about epilating. However, the most likely hurdle you’ll have with fine hair is that it will break while epilating instead of being pulled out completely. If that happens, the hairs will be back in a few days which defeats the purpose of epilating!

    So here are a few specific steps that people with fine hair should remember:

    Don’t Be Smooth

    You want your hairs non-slippery and easy to grab. Even if you have a wet epilator, it’s best to epilate fine hairs without water.

    Instead, you should take a shower or bath before you calm skin and open pores, but then thoroughly dry your skin and hair before you start epilating.

    You should also make sure that your skin is squeaky clean with no moisturizer or anything else. To increase the traction, you can also add some baby powder, corn starch, or other powder to your hairs before you begin epilating.

    Pull Skin Extra Taut

    You should do this no matter your hair type, but it’s especially important if you have fine hair. Pull your skin with one hand so that it is stretched and hairs will be easier to grab and pull out.

    Go Slow

    This is one of the most important steps for people with fine hair. You need to start with your epilator at the lowest speed and probably just stay at that speed. Basically, the epilator needs that extra time for grasping.

    Hold the epilator at a 90-degree angle against your skin and move very slowly until you get the hang of it. Then you can try speeding up until you start noticing hairs snapping off instead of being pulled out. After a few tries, you’ll find the perfect speed to go.

    Move Against the Direction of Growth

    Move your epilator in an upward direction against hair growth. Moving in this direction will help lift hairs better so that they get pulled out.

    Preventing Ingrown Hairs

    Fine hair doesn’t seem to be that prone to ingrown hairs, but when epilating, people with fine hair are at risk for ingrown hairs, unfortunately.

    Why is this? When fine hairs re-grow from the follicle, the tips are so fine that they don’t make it through the skin surface very well.

    To prevent this, it’s important for people with fine hair to exfoliate and remove the upper skin layers regularly. I recommend exfoliating before you epilate, the day after, and then every other day, as long as it doesn’t irritate your skin.
    There are tons of ways to exfoliate. Here are a few that tend to work well:

    • Washing with Massage Sponges
    • Exfoliation Peels
    • Sugar and Salt Scrubs
    • Mechanical Exfoliation Brushes
    • Using Pumice Stones

    Final Takeaways

    Epilators can work well for all hair types, including fine hair. The main concern you’ll have is that your hairs may break off while epilating instead of being pulled out by the root. However, you can address this by buying an epilator with the right features and then following a few guidelines for epilating with fine hair, including making sure the hairs are dry and then moving the epilator slowly along your skin.

    Related Questions

    What is the best epilator for fine hair?

    My pick for best epilator for fine hair is the Braun Silk-épil 9 (click to check it out on Amazon). This epilator has two speeds and works great on fine hairs. The wide head covers lots of area quickly and it even pivots so you reach hairs better. It also comes with an LED light so you can see all those fine hairs and make sure you don’t miss any.

    Do epilators work on coarse hair?

    Epilators work on coarse hair, but not always as well. The main drawbacks to epilating with coarse hair are the pain and ingrown hairs. You can address these problems by trimming hairs before epilating and exfoliating like crazy.

    Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

    Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!

  • Are You Supposed to Shave Your Thighs?

    Are You Supposed to Shave Your Thighs?

    I get a lot of questions about hair removal and some just don’t have any definitive right or wrong answers. Thigh hair is one of those gray areas where the answer is basically: it depends. But I dug a little deeper into the internets to see what most people are saying to try to get the most definitive answer possible for you, dear reader.

    So are you suppose to shave your thighs? In most Western countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, women typically shave their thighs if the hair is dark and noticeable. Women with lighter and less noticeable hairs are less likely to shave their thighs. The cultural ideal is to appear to have hairless legs from ankles to the top of thighs. Of course, these are just cultural norms and individuals can choose to shave their thighs or not shave their thighs for various reasons, including health issues and personal beliefs.

    Why do women decide to shave their thighs or not shave their thighs? Should you shave your thighs before you leave the house next time? Are people going to even care? These are some questions I pondered over.

    Should You Shave Your Thighs?

    I still clearly remember being 11 and riding in the car with my super-cool college-aged aunt (who I idolized) while she described many beauty rituals that I had to look forward to as a teenager. When she got to leg shaving, she told me that the thighs were optional. And since I had fine, blonde thigh hair, it would be perfectly acceptable if I didn’t shave my thighs.

    However, a few years later, most of my peers were shaving their thighs, so I followed the pack. Unfortunately, as time goes on, due to the many industries selling us beauty products and sex, women are pressured to remove hair from more parts of the body. Thighs are one of those places.

    Even so, there are still tons of women who choose not to shave their thighs. There are many reasons for this. Having blonde and less noticeable hairs is one reason. Wearing longer shorts, skirts, or pants that cover the thighs is another. Some just don’t give a shit about what other people think and don’t want to waste more time than necessary for hygiene.

    On the other hand, there are several reasons why you may still want to shave your thighs. If your leg hairs are darker, you may be self-conscious that people will notice them or that they will look out of place with your shaven calves. You may also just enjoy the look and feel of hairless legs from one end to the other. It does feel smoother and you don’t have to worry about tiny hairs glistening in the moonlight or showing up on Instagram photos.

    Now that I’m an adult, I’ve given up removing hair from my thighs except for the rare occasions when I am in a swimming suit. Then I go all out with the hair removal using my epilator, mostly to avoid weird looks from strangers. The rest of the time, I don’t worry too much and just let those hairs grow wild.

    So should you shave your thighs? The reality is that our culture values hairless legs on women. And that includes the thighs. But you should do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. If you don’t mind what society thinks (which I think is the best way to go!), you do you! Some people may think it’s a little weird if your thighs are more hairy than average, but they are your thighs.

    As Cartman from South Park says, “Whatever, whatever. I do what I want.”

    I hate that show and that character, but I live by those words!

    Tips for Shaving Thighs

    If you choose to shave your thighs, here are a few tips so you can get great results:

    Don’t Skimp on a Razor

    Single blade razors will get the job done if necessary, but it’s best to invest in a razor with four or five blades. Single blade razors often drag against the skin, causing irritation. With extra blades, you will get more hairs without having to go over the same area multiple times. This also reduces irritation and possible cuts. And multiple blade razors are generally easier for navigating behind the knees and at the top of thighs where there are creases.

    Exfoliate

    Use an exfoliating scrub or pumice before and after shaving to remove dead skin. This will not only help make your skin silky smooth, but it will also prevent ingrown hairs.

    Take a Bath or Shower

    Soak in the bath or shower for 10 to 15 minutes before you start shaving. This will open hair follicles and allow hairs to soften. Don’t wait longer than 15-minutes, however, because your skin may start to wrinkle from the moisture and you won’t get a close shave.

    Use a Foam or Gel

    Never skip this step! Dry shaving will leave you will irritation and razor burn. It also makes nicks and cuts more common. Choose a shaving foam or gel to slather on your legs before you shave. If you are out of shave foam or gel and desperate, use hair conditioner.

    Shave Against the Grain

    If necessary, get a mirror and check out the growth patterns on your thighs. Which way is the hair growing? You want to shave against that growth for a smooth shave.

    Change Blades Often

    There’s no point in buying a fancy razor if you don’t change the blades. Dull blades produce bad results, increase the chance of cuts and irritation, and put you at risk of bacterial infection. Change your blades when you notice they are getting dull or after 5-10 shaves.

    How to Shave the Back of Your Thighs

    If you are having trouble shaving the back of your thighs, I hear ya. It’s kinda like doing yoga. They should make a yoga pose for it, to be honest.

    The first thing I would suggest is getting a mirror and checking out the back of your thigh. See how the hairs are growing. Hair growth on the back of the thigh is often cray-cray, growing in random directions you didn’t even imagine. But get a good idea of how yours is growing because you need to shave against that growth.

    The best way to approach shaving the back of your thigh is by sitting down on the edge of the tub. Make sure it’s dry so you don’t slip and make sure your feet are positioned so you won’t lose your balance.

    You can even position your mirror so that you can see the back of your thighs while sitting on the edge of the tub. But either way, you should lather the back of your leg with shaving cream, foam, or gel and reach around your leg with your razor. Shave against the hair growth in short, slow strokes until you remove all the hairs.

    Then get back in the shower and finish your shaving routine and rinse. Woot! You didn’t die or break a hip! 😉

    Related Questions

    Are you supposed to shave your private parts?

    Nope. You are not “supposed” to shave your private parts. However, many people choose to shave their private parts for a variety of reasons. However, the most common one cosmetic due to popular culture. Also, some people just don’t want long pubic hairs sticking out of their swimsuit bottoms in public.

    Does thigh hair grow back thicker?

    There is no scientific evidence that thigh hair grows back thicker after shaving or any other hair removal. Many hair removal types, like epilating, can make thigh hair grow back thinner over time.

    Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!

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  • Hair Removal Cream Side Effects (for Face or Body)

    Hair Removal Cream Side Effects (for Face or Body)

    I loved the idea of using hair removal creams like Nair or Veet for the hair on my face as well as my legs. It’s such a simple and straightforward process and my hairs grow back less densely afterward. Unfortunately, I’ve found out first hand that there are many side effects that can sometimes outweigh the benefits of using these creams on the face or body, depending on how sensitive your skin happens to be.

    What are the side effects of using hair removal cream on the face or body? When using hair removal creams on the face or body, the most common side effect is mild skin irritation and pain. Other possible side effects include allergic reaction, burns, odors, skin darkening, scars, ingrown hairs, folliculitis, eye irritation, and possible poisoning if accidentally ingested.

    Some of these side effects sound a little scary, but it’s important to remember that most are rare and temporary. Once you have an understanding of all the side effects and how they are caused, you can take several steps to prevent them the next time you use hair removal cream.

    Mild Skin Irritation and Pain

    Skin irritation is the most common side effect of hair removal creams on the face and body. The harsh chemicals in these creams irritate the skin. Burning, redness, and itching are normal skin reactions to these chemicals.

    While the cream is still on the skin, you may feel a mild stinging or burning sensation. Once the cream is removed, this feeling will usually subside immediately or within a few hours.

    The skin may also have some redness after application that usually goes away within a few hours.

    Allergic Reaction

    Although some irritation is normal with hair removal creams, some people will develop an immune response to the chemicals in the cream, resulting in a more severe skin irritation called contact dermatitis. This can happen during the first application or you can develop an allergy after multiple applications.

    With contact dermatitis, you may see a reaction immediately or it may be delayed, showing up minutes, hours, or days after the cream is removed.

    With an allergic reaction from hair removal cream, you may have a rash with any of the following symptoms:

    • itchiness
    • redness
    • dry, scaly, or cracked skin
    • blisters
    • bumps
    • oozing and crusting
    • swelling
    • burning
    • tenderness

    Contact dermatitis will usually clear up on its own within two weeks as long as you avoid using the hair removal cream again.

    Chemical Burns

    Chemical burns are a major hazard when using these creams. Your skin is made of the same substances in hairs. So the cream will eventually break down your skin like it breaks down hairs if you leave it on too long. This can cause first or second-degree chemical burns.

    Signs of a chemical burn include redness, extreme pain, and blisters. They usually resolve within a few weeks but may need medical treatment.

    Strong Odors

    The chemicals in hair removal creams have strong, unpleasant odors. Companies have tried hard to mask these smells, but it’s pretty much impossible. You will have to deal with the smells while using the creams and some odor may linger on your skin for a few hours after application.

    Another concern with the odors is that some of the chemicals emit fumes that can irritate the lungs and may be too strong for people with existing lung and breathing issues.

    If the fumes bother you or affect your breathing, get yourself to some fresh air.

    Darkening of the Skin and Scarring

    When hair removal creams inflame or burn skin, a dark patch of skin can develop. This is called inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It is more common in people with darker skin types. Fortunately, it is temporary and will eventually fade.

    Skin irritation, burns, and allergic reactions may also cause wounds and blisters that may result in hyperpigmentation or scars.

    Ingrown Hairs and Folliculitis

    With any hair removal method, ingrown hairs and folliculitis are possibilities.

    Ingrown hairs happen when hairs get trapped under the skin when they are growing back.

    Folliculitis is inflammation of the hair follicle. When using hair removal creams, folliculitis may occur if ingrown hairs cause irritation or become infected. This may cause swelling, pain, itching, and scars.

    The good news is that hair removal creams don’t typically damage the skin and hair follicles like other hair removal methods, ingrown hairs and folliculitis is usually less likely to happen. In fact, many dermatologists recommend hair removal creams to people who have problems with ingrown hairs.

    Eye Irritation and Damage

    When using hair removal cream on the face, you should never use it near your eyes. However, it is possible that you may accidentally get some cream near or in your eye. If this happens, serious irritation and serious eye damage can occur.

    If you get cream in an eye, rinse with water for several minutes. If you are wearing contact lenses, remove them and continue rinsing.

    Poisoning

    Hair removal creams contain poisonous substances including sodium or calcium hydroxide (alkalis), barium sulfide, and thioglycolates. 

    Although unlikely, it is always possible that you may get some cream in your mouth when using it near your upper lip or chin. If this happens, you should obviously spit out the cream, rinse your mouth well, and seek medical advice.

    Never, ever swallow hair removal cream. If you do swallow any cream, call 911 or poison control immediately and follow their directions.

    How to Prevent Hair Removal for Face Side Effects

    There are several precautions you can take that will help you avoid many of the side effects of depilatory creams:

    • Do a patch test, following the directions that came with your cream.  Wait at least 24 hours to see if you have an allergic reaction.
    • Use hair removal cream in a well-ventilated room to reduce lung exposure to harsh fumes
    • Do not use on eyebrows, ears, nose, or near eyes.
    • Do not put cream on sunburned, cut, broken, or inflamed skin.
    • Do not rub the cream into your skin.
    • Do not leave the cream on for longer than recommended. To really be on the safe side, use it for less than recommended by doing a test on a small area every minute to see if the hair is gone or not. As soon as the hair is removed, wipe off all the cream.
    • Have a wet cloth or a shower ready so you can get the cream off quickly if your skin has a reaction.

    Related Questions

    What are the long term effects of hair removal cream?

    If you use hair removal creams regularly, your skin may become more sensitive to irritants and sunlight. You may also develop an allergy to the cream which will cause contact dermatitis.

    Does hair removal cream make hair grow back thicker?

    There is no evidence that hair removal cream makes hair grow back thicker. In fact, it’s more common to see hair growing back less densely and thinner after repeated use.

    What’s the best hair removal cream for the face?

    My pick for best hair removal cream for face hair is Nair Hair Remover Moisturizing Face Cream (click to check it out on Amazon). Nair has been around for over 50 years and they have had tons of time to perfect their forumla so it gets the best results with the lowest risk of side effects possible. This cream is also super affordable and leaves your skin exfoliated and feeling super soft.

    Want to remember this? Pin this to your favorite Pinterest board so you can find it later!

    References

    Consumer Product Information Database: SDS For Nair Hair Remover Precision Face and Upper Lip Kit-01/21/2016

    Consumer Product Information Database: SDS For Veet Botanic Inspirations Hair Removal Cream, Sensitive Formula

    U.S. National Library of Medicine: Haz-map for Contact dermatitis, allergic

    U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Removing Hair Safely

    Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: Allergic contact dermatitis: Overview

    The Indian Journal of Surgery: Shaving Versus Depilation Cream for Pre-operative Skin Preparation

  • Does Epilation Reduce Hair Growth?

    Does Epilation Reduce Hair Growth?

    I’ve gotten this question quite a few times, and I’ve always answered based on my personal experience. However, I decided recently to look into this a lot more so that I knew for sure I was giving everyone the most reliable information. This is what I found out:

    So does epilation reduce hair growth? Epilation with a rotary epilator can sometimes make hair grow back thinner and less conspicuously. In some instances, long-term use damages the hair follicles, which reduces hair growth. Other epilation methods, including electrolysis, IPL, and laser hair removal, are more likely to reduce hair growth.

    In my personal experience, I’ve found that after epilating for a while, my hairs do seem to be thinner, less dense, and less noticeable when they grow back. I’ve heard this from lots and lots of other epilator users online and in person.

    However, this isn’t the case for every person. And this subject has not been studied very much, so we just don’t know for sure. I have drawn my ideas from tons of anecdotal accounts, the opinions of hair removal professionals, and what we know about anatomy and physiology to come to an educated, but not quite conclusive verdict.

    How Epilators Reduce Hair Regrowth

    If epilators reduce hair growth, how exactly is that happening? There are three possible explanations that are most frequently used to explain this puzzeling benefit of epilation.

    Optical Illusions

    First, compared to shaving, hair just feels softer when it grows back, giving the appearance of less hair growth.

    Why is this? Shaved hair has a blunt tip, which feels thicker when it’s growing out.

    Since epilation pulls the whole hair out, it doesn’t grow out with a blunt tip and therefore just feels and looks thinner without necessarily being thinner.

    Hair Growth Cycles

    Another aspect of hair regrowth is that hair grows back in cycles. Once you’ve epilated a few times, hairs will be growing back at different times.

    if you are epilating on a regular basis, you will only see a small portion of hairs on your skin at any time. This makes it appear like you have less hair than before.

    However, if you stopped hair removal for months at a time, all your hairs would make it through their growth cycles and you’d likely see a lot more hair than you imagined you still had.

    Hair Follicle Damage

    A third possibility is that long-term use of epilators causes damage to hair follicles and this affects hair regrowth.

    This damage may be causing hair to grow back less dense or with a finer texture. Or it may be preventing some hairs from growing back at all if the follicle is damaged enough.

    Other Reasons

    There are a few other explainations for reduced hair growth to consider. If someone sees a change in hair growth after using the same hair removal method for a long period of time, there may be other changes causing the hair reduction besides the hair removal method.

    One possibility is hormonal changes or health issues crop up unnoticed, affecting hair regrowth before other symptoms are apparent.

    Another common occurrence is that hair follicles simply stop working as well as people age. This is why it’s common to see thinning hair in older people.

    Other Types of Epilation and Hair Growth

    Since epilation is a word for removing hair by the root, there are several other epilation methods besides rotary epilators. Out of all the methods of epilation, there are three types that have been shown in studies to reduce hair growth. These are electrolysis, intense pulsed light, and laser hair removal.

    Electrolysis

    Electrolysis or electrology is a type of hair removal that uses a thin metal probe to deliver electricity to a hair follicle. This damages the hair follicle after a series of sessions.

    Electrolysis is the only method of hair removal that consistently produces permanent hair removal in studies. However, for it to be effective, it has to be done properly, which takes a degree of skill.

    Another issue is that it just doesn’t work for about 5-10% of the population for various reasons. However, even in this subset of the population, it does provide reduced hair growth.

    Laser and IPL

    Laser and IPL (intense pulse light) are two types of hair removal methods that use light to cause heat and damage to the hair follicle.

    The main difference between the two is that IPL uses a wide spectrum of wavelengths while laser uses only one wavelength of light.

    After a series of sessions of laser or IPL, hair regrowth is reduced or in some cases, hair is permanently gone.

    However, this is usually only the case for people with light skin and dark hairs. And there are also many side effects and unknown risks when using this method of hair removal

    Other Methods that Reduce Hair Growth

    Beyond epilation, there are two other methods commonly utilized to reduce excessive hair growth, particularly in women with hirsutism. These are topical cream and oral medications.

    Topical Cream

    Vaniqa is a prescription cream that is applied to the skin and reduces hair growth. It is different than other hair removal creams because it doesn’t remove hair, it just prevents hair from growing.

    It is approved for women with unwanted facial hair. Unfortunately, it is only effective in about half of people who use it, however.

    Oral Medications

    Anti-androgen medications including Spironolactone, Finasteride, Cyproterone acetate, and Flutamide are sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat hirsutism and other medical conditions that involve unwanted hair. These medications can have serious side effects, but some people with excessive unwanted hair find the benefits outweigh the risks.

    There are many over the counter supplements marketed for this as well, but most or all of them have little evidence to support their claims of reducing hair growth and should be avoided.

    Final Takeaways

    All epilation methods can potentially reduce hair growth, but electrolysis is the only guaranteed method to work for most people.

    This is how I see it: it’s worth it for me to use an epilator for hair removal simply because I get the benefits of waxing at home at a reduced cost and with less waste. Getting lucky and being one of the many users who see reduced hair growth is a sweet bonus, but shouldn’t be your main reason for using an epilator.

    Related Questions

    Does epilating stop hair growth?

    Epilation with a rotary epilator will not stop hair growth. The only well-proven method of permanent hair removal is electrolysis. However, even electrolysis doesn’t stop hair growth permanently in everyone.

    Does epilating make hair grow back thicker?

    Epilation, like any other hair removal method, does not make hair grow back thicker or darker. This has been debunked quite a few times.

    Have more questions about epilation? Check out the Epilator FAQ and Beginner’s Guide!

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