Hair Removal

An endless cycle of shaving or tweezing used to be the only solution to get rid of unsightly hair growth.  Now, there are several solutions to the problem of unsightly, unwanted hair growth.

An abundance, or lack of hair, is largely genetic.  Native Americans are known to have little body hair, while others have a furry abundance.  Traditional methods of hair removal included shaving or tweezing, if not every day, on a regular basis, to prevent embarrassing nubby regrowth of hair.  Now, there are options for permanent removal, and temporary hair removal solutions of longer duration than shaving or tweezing.

Home Remedies For Hair Removal:

Cremes:

In addition to shavers and tweezers specialized for certain areas, there are creme hair removers, hot wax hair removal, and growth inhibitors.  One of the most interesting hair removal techniques is the use of removal mitts.  These mitts usually come prepared with a solution of hair removal creme or aloe on a rough surface to soothe the skin after the hair is literally rubbed away.  One noteworthy hair removal system was one used during World War II, when razor blades were at a premium.  Women actually bought the finest grade of sandpaper (finer grades can be found at automotive shops, because they are used for painting cars) glued it to the back of a hairbrush, or wrapped it around a piece of wood (a sanding block, perhaps?) In addition, gently, very gently rubbed it on their legs, faces, arms, or wherever they wanted to remove unsightly hair growth.  It seems this method of hair removal, though a temporary cure has emerged as a current trend in home remedies for removing hair.

Sugaring:

Similar to waxing, which can be done at home, or in a salon, sugaring involved a super sticky paste, which is applied to the skin, then a piece of paper or cloth is applied to the area, rubbed firmly into place, and removed very quickly, taking the unwanted hair with it.

Threading:

Virtually unheard of outside large cities in the West, but quite popular in Arabian countries, a threading practitioner holds one end of a cotton thread in his or her teeth, and the other in the left hand.  The middle is looped through the index and middle fingers of the right hand.  The practitioner then uses the loop to trap and extract a series of unwanted hairs.  This hair removal method is inexpensive, fast, neat, and is said to be less painful than traditional tweezing.  Results last from two to four weeks.