What is hair removal?

Hair removal is the process of taking off the threadlike covering that grows from the surface of the skin. Hair grows on all areas of the body except for the palms of the hands, the lips, certain areas of the genitals and the soles of the feet. Hair usually is most noticeable in people in the following areas: the face, head, eyebrows, eyelashes, chest, abdomen, pubic area, legs, armpits and back. There are a number of processes for removing hair; most work only temporarily.

There are two general types of hair removal: depilation and epilation. Both are temporary solutions. Depilation is a generic term for hair removal that affects the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. Depilation may last several hours to several days and may be achieved by shaving or trimming (manually or with electric shavers), depilatories (creams or shaving powders that chemically dissolve hair) or friction (rough surfaces used to buff away hair). Epilation is removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Epilation lasts several days to several weeks and can be achieved by waxing (a hot or cold layer is applied and then removed with porous strips), plucking (hairs are pulled out with tweezers), sugaring (similar to waxing, but with a sticky paste), threading (also called fatlah or khite, in which a twisted thread catches hairs as it is rolled across the skin) or rotary epilators (devices which rapidly grasp hairs and pull them out by the root).

There are also permanent hair removal procedures. Methods include the use of chemicals, energy of varying types or a combination to target areas that regulate hair growth. Permanently destroying these areas while sparing surrounding tissue is difficult. Methods include electrolysis, laser and flashlamp (also called Intense Pulsed Light or IPL). Lasting hair removal for many may require the continuous use of prescribed oral medications.

Hair removal has been practiced for centuries in many human cultures. The methods used vary among times and regions, but in the United States, shaving is the most popular form of hair removal. Reasons for hair removal have included medical, social, cultural, sexual, religious, military or as punishment.

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Hair removal is the process of removing facial or body hair either temporarily or permanently. Temporary measures include waxing, depilatory creams or shaving. The most popular permanent solution is laser hair removal.

Hair removal can be achieved with lasers, shaving, threading and plucking. In my office, we do quite a bit of laser hair removal. There are several lasers that target the pigment in the hair itself to damage the follicle and decrease the hair growth. It will usually take 6-8 treatments, 6-8 weeks apart to have a significant reduction in the hair. It is not permanent and touch-ups will be necessary.