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When it comes to female beauty standards, body hair has always been considered women’s no. 1 enemy. Women would invest time and money in personal hair removal just to be able to wear a skirt or go to the beach. Hair removal market in the United States alone is estimated at $9 billion annually, paving the way for developers and manufacturers of a variety of products – razors, creams, waxes and electronic devices, all claining to provide a method of personal hair removal that will last longer, look better, be cheaper, painless and will not take forever to do.
The evolution of means for personal hair removal Shaving – In 1762 a French barber named Jean Jacques Perret invented the safety razor by attaching a metal guard to his razor blade to prevent the blade from cutting the skin. In 1895 King Gillette started up a company based on his idea of disposable razor blades. By 1915 his company was selling 70 million blades a year.
Today, shaving legs, arms, face and bikini areas, whether by blade or by an electric razor, is the fastest and least expensive method of personal hair removal, but because shaving removes the tapered tip of the hair shaft, re-growth will be stubbly.
Tweezing – Tweezing is an economical and precise personal hair removal, but it can cause stinging and is time consuming, thus usually used on small facial sites such as eyebrows. The results last from three to eight weeks.
Rotary epilators:
These devices are similar to electric razors, but with rows of tweezers on a rotary head instead of a cutting blade Rotary epilators pull hairs out by the roots. The results last from several days to several weeks, and are good for arm and leg hair. Personal hair removal using rotary epilators is painful, especially on sensitive areas.
Threading:
In this ancient Middle Eastern method of personal hair removal, cotton thread is entwined with facial hair on the upper lip or eyebrow by rolling it along the skin and then pulling hairs out. It lasts three to eight weeks, and causes minimal skin irritation.
Waxing and Sugaring:
Using a personal hair removal technique first developed in Egypt, a paste of warmed sugar solution or a wax formula is applied to the skin. Cloth strips (usually cotton) are pressed into the paste, and the strips are then pulled away from the skin, bringing the hairs with them. Hair is removed for four to six weeks, and subsequent re-growth is lessened. Waxing and sugaring can safely be used on most body areas, but is usually painful.
Depilatories:
Depilatories are chemicals, liquids or creams, which are used for personal hair removal by creating a chemical reaction with hair protein structure and dissolve it. Although chemicals are harsh, they can not affect hair growth. Depilatories are usually used on legs, arms and pubic areas.
Hair Inhibitors:
Hair inhibitors are also chemicals that claim to be able to change the structure of the hair follicle, mimicking the process of baldness and causing newly grown hair to grow finer and softer, until all hair gradually disappears. Personal hair removal using hair inhibitors is designed to take place following personal hair removal by some other means that involve hairs being pulled out by the roots. Treatment should be repeated twice monthly until all hair growth ceases, allegedly after six months. Hair Inhibitors can be used on all hair types and all body sites, but the efficacy of this personal hair removal method has never been proven.
The 20th century brought various hair removal technologies designed to stop the growth of unwanted body hair permanently. Until recently, to achieve this desired result safely, the use of these technologies required application by skilled and trained professionals, normally at clinics, spa’s and aesthetic salons.
Electrolysis:
The medical condition of blindness caused by ingrown eyelashes, lead to the invention of hair removal using Electrolysis in 1869 by the ophthalmologist, Dr. Charles Michel from St. Louis.
Electrolysis involves the destruction of the hair root by an electric current, either passing through a needle or the water molecules surrounding the root. Electrolysis is usually permanent, but it is expensive, time consuming and painful. As Electrolysis is not a method of personal hair removal, results depend on the skill level of the practitioner.
Laser:
Laser for hair removal was invented in the early 1960’s. This technology uses a light beam to transform energy into heat, aimed at the hair follicle, through the skin. Laser treatments can be user on all body sites: face, arms, legs and pubic area. While safe, Laser treatment is often painful and due to light absorption properties of color – unsafe to apply to dark or suntanned skin, therefore not designed for personal hair removal. In addition it is usually ineffective on blonde or red hair. Since lasers can destroy large numbers of follicles at a time, it is not as time consuming as electrolysis. Repeated treatments are usually necessary to remove all hair, and further treatments may be necessary from time to time to maintain results.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL):
Much like Laser, this more recent technology invented in the 1990’s, uses light to transform energy into heat, aimed at the hair follicle, through the skin. Advantages and characteristics of Laser apply to IPL.
Home Pulsed Light™ (HPL™):
This further development of light based technologies combine optical energy used to disable hair growth with a unique acoustic effect that enhances the normal process of epilation by photothermolysis.
With clinically tested and proven results, this unique technology finally enables safe, effective and painless light based personal hair removal at home.
Like other light-based technologies The HPL™ based Silk’n™ device should not be used to treat darker skin types and is ineffective on lighter hair colors. It is suitable to quickly cover large skin areas like legs, arms, bikini line, underarms, etc. For safety it is not recommended for use on the face.
This recent introduction of HPL™ is expected to pave the way for sophisticated long-term hair removal technologies, away from clinics, spa’s and aesthetic salons and back home, for safe and effective personal hair removal.
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