From TheBestLinks.com
(Redirected from
Hair removal)
Depilation is a generic term for hair removal which affects the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving. Another popular option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength, making the hair disintegrate.
Epilation is removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Some individuals may use waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, Intense Pulsed Light or previously electrolysis (cosmetology). Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking.
Why
There is no normal medical reason for the removal of human body hair, which is primarily removed for social and sexual reasons related to the social role of hair in human society.
However, the shaving of hair has been sometimes used in attempts to eradicate lice or to minimize body odor due to accumulation of odor causing micro-organisms in hair. Some people find it medically necessary to remove ingrown eyelashes.
Patients' body hair was once shaved before surgery for reasons of hygiene; however, this turned out to be counter-productive, and as a result patients are no longer shaved in many hospitals.
Hair removal has been practiced for centuries in almost all human cultures. The methods used vary among times and regions, but shaving is historically the most common method and is still prevalent today.
Many cultures have an aesthetic "ideal" amount of hair for males and females. People whose unwanted hair that exceeds this arbitrary standard may experience real or perceived problems with social acceptance.
Many men in Western cultures shave their facial hair, to the point that wearing a beard is viewed as uncommon. This is in spite of the fact that facial hair is fast-growing and has to be shaved daily to achieve a clean-shaven or hairless look.
Many women in Western cultures shave their body hair in the belief that body hair is not feminine (see gender role), or in the belief that it makes them look ugly.
Some cultures forbid men to shave (or otherwise remove) their hair (for example Sikh). Others forbid men, or forbid women, or both, from cutting their hair.
Some men shave their heads, either as a fashion statement or to cover up male pattern baldness. A very few women also shave their heads for fashion reasons.
Where
Hair grows on most areas of the human body, except for the palms of the hands and the feet, but hair is most noticeable in most people in a small number of areas that are most commonly waxed, trimmed, plucked, or shaved:
How
Many products on the market have proven fraudulent. Many other products exaggerate the results.
Permanent
Permanent hair removal involves several imperfect options. A number of methods have been developed that use chemicals, energy of varying types, or a combination to target the areas that regulate hair growth. Permanently destroying these areas while sparing surrounding tissue is a difficult challenge.
Permanent hair removal for most
Permanent hair reduction for some
Lasting hair inhibition for many (requires continuous use)
- Prescription oral medications
- A new method of epilation is to use enzymes that inhibit the development of new hair cells. Hair growth will become less and less until it finally stops, normal depilation/epilation will be performed during that time. Products include the presciption drug Vaniqa (active ingredient eflornithine hydrochloride inhibiting the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase) - effective for 46% of women.
Temporary
Depilation lasting several hours to several days can be achieved by:
- Shaving or trimming (manually or with electric shavers)
- Depilatories (creams or "shaving powders" which chemically dissolve hair)
- Friction (rough surfaces used to buff away hair)
Epilation lasting several days to several weeks can be achieved by:
- Waxing (a hot or cold layer is applied and then removed with porous strips)
- Plucking (hairs are plucked, or 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's rolled across the skin)
- Rotary epilators (devices which rapidly grasp hairs and pull them out by the root)
Some methods are still in the experimental stage or have been banned for most uses due to adverse effects.
- X-ray (banned in the United States)
- Photodynamic therapy (experimental)
Doubtful methods
Many methods have been proposed or sold over the years without published clinical proof they can work as claimed.
- Electric tweezers
- "Transdermal electrolysis"
- "Transcutaneous hair removal"
- Photoepilators
- Microwaves
- Foods and Dietary supplements
- Nonprescription topical preparations (also called "hair inhibitors," "hair retardants," or "hair growth inhibitors")
See also
External links
Related links
Top visited
0 of
0 links
[no links posted yet]
>> place link >>
Discussion
Last posted
0 of
0 messages
[no messages posted yet]
>> post message >>
Watch
You can
add this article to your own "watchlist" and receive e-mail notification about all changes in this page.
