Many women have tons of routines they perform constantly, to keep themselves looking as amazing as they do on a daily basis. There is the weekly/bi-weekly hair appointment, manicures, pedicures, shopping to stay on top of the latest fashions, and sometimes the most painful of all - Hair Removal. In the process of keeping our title of "Fabulous Woman" we remove upper lip hair and shape brows, we deal with ingrown hairs, razor, burn, skin sensitivity, and the horrible pain of certain hair removal techniques. However there are ways to stay fabulous with baby smooth facial skin.
There several different types of hair removal Some of my favorites are:
Shaving
Shaving is one of the more popular less expensive methods of hair removal, lasting some about 1 to 3 days until hair returns. But a woman's face is not meant to be shaved, not unless she is shaping her eyebrows with a dry eyebrow razor. Shaving improperly raises the risk of ingrown hairs, razor burn, and cuts, not the type of treatment a woman should give to her face.
Tweezing
Tweezing is another one of the cheaper methods of hair removal, lasting a little longer than shaving (2-6 weeks). If done improperly, you run the risk of ingrown hairs, infection, and irritation. The process is very painful, since hairs are ripped from below the skins surface one by one. A good tweezer could cost anywhere between $2-$30.
Depilatories
Depilatory cream is a strong chemical for hair removal. The chemical breaks down hair molecules and dissolves it. Results can last a few days to a week depending on the texture of the hair being removed. The chemical in depilatory cream works pretty quickly but is messy, has a foul odor, and is usually too harsh for the fragile skin on the face. There are some depilatory creams that promise to be gentle enough for the face, but people with sensitive skin should stay away from depilatories at all costs. Depilatories cost between $5-$30.
Waxing
Waxing is a method similar to tweezing but more preferable since more strands of hair are pulled out at once, making it quicker and shortening the amount of time enduring pain. It's highly recommended to get waxing done by a professional to avoid over waxing or damage to skin due to an improper technique. Waxing can last about 2-4 weeks. Some people may be sensitive to the ingredients in wax. Waxing is usually more expensive than tweezing at home and shaving costing from $10-$150 depending on the area being waxed and weather its done professionally or at home.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is a method of hair removal that can only be done by a professional. A more permanent and expensive procedure done in many mini sessions. Using a needle and electric current directly into the skin and hair follicle it permanently stops hair growth. Usually done in small areas at a time and takes a while to be finished. Costs can range from $25-$150 per session. Some people get scars and irritation on there skin from the procedure. Hair removal sometimes still isn't permanent.
Laser Hair Removal
Laser Hair Removal is another, more permanent, procedure that can only be done professionally. A laser is applied to the skin in larger areas than electrolysis but the technique is also usually less permanent and maintenance may need to be done every 6 months to a year. Laser hair Removal is more expensive per treatment than Electrolysis costing around $400 a session. However irritation can be less extensive.
Eyebrows: A lot of women get eyebrows done professionally, but it is possible to achieve great looking eyebrows at home. You could get a at home wax kit and follow directions on the package or you could use a razor. when waxing eyebrows at home a good technique to zone in on what hair should be left on the face is to get a eyebrow stencil (in the shape you want your eyebrows to be, and looks right with the natural shape of your eyebrows), a dark colored eyebrow pencil, eyebrow brush, little scissors.
1. brush eyebrows up and outwards to make all hairs lay in a natural neat direction.
2. Place eyebrow stencil on brow matching up where your brows begin to the line straight above from the sides of your nostrils, your arch is where the diagonal line from the side of your nostrils that goes over the pupils of your eyes, and the point of your brow is the diagonal lines from your nostrils to the corners of your eyes. Mark all of these points with a eye pencil to give the stencil a guide.
3. Shade inside stencil using brow brush and dark powder, filling completely.
4. brush brows, careful not to mess up the shading you have just made (if any of the powder or pencil lines smudge a little you can take a q-tip and gently remove any of the smudged lines that move outside of your shaped brow.
5. Using a scissors trim any long hairs that stick up and outside the guide you have shaded onto your brow.
6. Using a razor (or wax if your hand is steady and you feel confident you wont wax your entire brow off) take off hair growing outside of the shaded area.
7. using makeup remover, a baby wipe, or a moist cloth wipe off all the pencil markings and check your work. If parts were missed and you left hairs that needed trimming. go back with the razor or tweezers and clean up strays. Make sure you do not take off anymore than necessary. If you make a tiny mistake on one brow do not attempt to even both brows out, or else when you remove the brow makeup you will be left with thin awkwardly shaped brows or even worse none at all.
Upper Lip: There are a few different ways to remove lip hair. Some people go to a salon and have a professional handle things while others take matters into their own hands at home.
My favorite at home method is waxing.
1. Clean the area to be waxed with a mild facial cleanser
2. Using a at home wax kit (pre-waxed strips are the easiest) lay the strip over hair and rub over the strip in the direction of hair growth.
3.While holding skin tight with one hand, quickly pull off the waxing strip from the opposite side in the opposite direction of hair growth.
4. If any little hairs are left over use a tweezer to finish the job.
5. Finish off by using a gentle soothing cream to calm down the skin, Aloe and vitamin E work wonders.