Back in 2013 a staggering 92% of women said they shaved their legs and other body parts regularly. A number which dropped to 85% in 2016 and continues to drop in 2020. Are all of those women becoming hairier or embracing other methods of hair removal?
During those first few weeks of lockdown we may have embraced the fuzz in the hope that our appointments would be rescheduled but with at home hair removal products so readily available how long did it take us to start experimenting?
Like it or loathe it, many (including us) see it as a way of maintaining a sense of self through grooming, a form of self care if you will, and so our morning coffee chats this week have been surrounding the best techniques for hair removal, both at home and by the professionals.
Shaving
The fuss-free solution for all. It’s cheap, super accessible (you can pick up a decent woman’s razor almost anywhere these days) and best of all you can do it yourself in the shower. You can do a whole leg in a hot minute, and those decent razors we mentioned are now designed to handle the curves arounds the dreaded knees and ankles.
BUT and that’s a big but. It only cuts the hair off above the skin, meaning you will most likely need to repeat every couple of days if you want to relive the bliss that is newly shaved legs on fresh bed sheets.
We doubt you need any tips on this one (but we’ll share them anyway). For best results, warm the hairs with hot water before hand, always lubricate the skin well, frequently replace your blades and leave 24 hours before tanning.
Waxing
It may come with a side of ouch, but waxing can be utilised from brow to toe and the results can stretch from 4 to 6 weeks making it a firm favourite for the twentieth century gal. This technique yanks those little guys out by the roots which means exfoliation is your best friend (advised the night prior to treatment) to help them along.
Waxing to remove body hair almost always removes this outer layer of your skin, and with it any traces of a sunless tan so best to go without for your appointment and, like with shaving, hold off for 24 hours before reapplication, unless you want DHA stained pores. It can be done at home, or by a professional therapist (we love options) Waxing
You’ll need around ¼-1/2 inch of growth for best results and it will be more painful in the days directly around your cycle.
Sugaring
A safe, natural a chemical free choice, that’s currently all the rage is the Egyptian practice of Sugaring. Made up of lemon, sugar & water, it doesn’t stick to the top layer of the skin or pull at live skin cells - unlike waxing. Instead, it removes the hair from the root, leaving the follicle with less blood supply which results in less growth each time, and those that do grow back will be finer and sparser.
This method is particularly ideal for our young ladies who haven’t removed hair before, and like most that remove from the root the longer the better (aim for the size of a grain of rice at least).
Now for the best bits! Sugaring is performed at room temperature and removes hair in the direction of growth instead of against making the world of difference in comfort.
If sugar queen Pamela Kennedy of International Beauty Ireland, has taught us anything this year it’s that the Alexandria Professional method of sugaring is a full circle of skin health! Salt smoothie beforehand followed up with the mud puddle rejuvenating treatment he perfect blend of salon treatment followed up by an at home product regime. Sugaring is indulgent, and leaves amazing positively glowing skin (free of ingrown hair!) but does require a trip to your specialist every 4-6 weeks.
Laser Hair Removal
Say goodbye to irritating AF ingrown hairs and open pores caused by shaving and waxing and hello to clearer, smoother skin and permanent hair reduction through Laser Hair Removal. Lusso Tan Co Founder Lynsey Bennett is a fan and we spoke to her therapist and industry expert Donna, from The Laser Clinic NI who filled us in on the science that is laser.
The only method for permanent hair removal, laser works by destroying the root of the hair follicles. “We destroy the follicles by using pulses of light designed to heat the hair follicle to the point that it dies. We use specific wavelengths of light that target pigment, so the skin remains undamaged but the follicle is destroyed.”
For full body Donna recommends a treatment every 6 weeks. Why? Because your hair has different growth cycles Anagen, Catagen & Telogen. When it comes to laser, the Anagen phase is ideal for targeting the pigment of the hair and destroying the follicle so that it doesn’t grow back and you guessed it, it takes around 6 weeks to get the hair into that cycle.
You also have to be really regular with your appointments because your hair follicles are all at different stages of their growth, so you want to make sure each one has a chance to get targeted. You’ll need a full consultation prior to treatment & a patch test is essential. You’ll then be advised to on a good exfoliation, full tan removal & a clean shave preferably done 24 hours before your appointment (there’s a trend developing here).
So is it painful?
Some people say its like an elastic band. Donna describes it as a spike that passes quickly and ensures us it is reasonably comfortable – Lynsey agrees.
As you’d expect with any science led method, Laser comes with a lot guidelines. Going on holidays? Visit at least 2 weeks before you go and wait 2-4 weeks afterwards dependant on the level of tan you pick up while you’re away. *Side Note TLC NI do not accept anyone who uses a tanning bed. It fails the treatment and puts the client at risk.*
The heat from the laser stays in your skin for 24 hours so no gym, saunas, hot showers, you get it. If you do, you run the risk of creating a lovely warm environment for bacteria to multiply and give you spots. After treatment the only product you can lather on is aloe vera. Sounds extreme but it’s nice to have a few days off, and 4 days will whizz by before you can resume exfoliating, tanning & your normal skincare regime.
The biggest bonus is that you can continue shaving between appointments, so although Donna informs us it can take 10 months to a year (6-8 treatments) for the final results dependant on how the individual body accepts laser and reacts to treatment, you can remain hair free throughout the entire experience!
That concludes our round up. Now which will you choose?
A great tan comes down to great formulas and an educated technique for application. We’ve put the work in so you can rest assured your Lusso Tan glow will perfectly pair with which ever method you choose to ditch the fuzz.
