De-fuzz and De-fluff Hairy Skin

Warm-weather fashions make smooth, sleek skin essential from head to toe--and the first step to achieving that radiant look is to remove unwanted hair.

You can get rid of hair with any number of methods, including shaving, waxing, depilatory products, laser hair removal, and electrolysis. Among the most popular ways to de-fuzz and de-fluff are: waxing, sugaring, and shaving. All, as you'll see, have their pros and cons.

Waxing

Waxing is another popular form of removing unwanted body hair from any part of your body, including your face and legs. It removes all the hairs in one quick and easy swoop. It involves applying a heated wax to the skin and then quickly removing it in the opposite direction of hair growth.

The most common types of wax for hair removal are made from beeswax, paraffin, or soy. Other types include sugar waxes, made from sugar mixed with water.

Of the three, waxing is the longest-lasting temporary hair removal technique, with results that last two to eight weeks, but the process of applying warm wax to pull hair out from the roots can be extremely painful. It's one of the most popular solutions to remove hair on the upper lip and the side of the face, but it's not for the chin area.

Sugaring

Sugaring, a somewhat less known (and less painful) alternative, involves using slightly warmed sugar applied only to the hairs themselves and not the roots. It's a natural hair removal alternative for people with sensitive skin. Sugaring does not result in any stubble like waxing does.

The paste is a mix of sugar, lemon, and water. The sugar paste acts as an adhesive, encasing the hair in its sticky substance. Sugaring begins with a thick layer of sugar paste applied to the area where the hair is. The next step is to pull the strip off quickly in one fluid motion while twisting it at the same time to remove the hair.

Sugar paste can be applied to all body parts because it does not contain any harsh chemicals that may irritate the skin. In fact, it leaves the skin feeling moisturized and refreshed.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is a method of removing hair from the root. It is a proven safe and effective for over 30 years. The procedure takes approximately five minutes per area of skin. The procedure absorbs energy from the laser and focuses on dark pigment in the skin, causing it to heat up. The heat damages the follicle at the root of the hair, causing it to stop producing new hair.

Laser hair removal does not work well on people with light skin. This is mostly because light skin cells do not contain enough melanin to absorb enough energy from the laser. Therefore, laser hair removal is dependent on skin type, age, and how much time you want to spend on this procedure each day.

Shaving

Shaving is a hair removal method that shaves hair off with a safety razor or an electric shaver. It is particularly good for larger areas, such as the legs or underarms. A straight-edge or safety razor is used with a topical cream to remove the hair. It slows hair re-growth and may take several weeks to see results, but at less than a dollar per day, it's worth the wait.

When used in conjunction with standard hair removal procedures, it not only reduces the appearance of unwanted hair but also significantly reduces the number of times you must address the issue.

Tweezers

Hair removal Tweezers are a beauty product that removes hair from the skin. It's a tool made of stainless steel, nickel-plated brass, or plastic. It plucks hairs from the face, eyebrows, and other parts of the body. They work by gripping the hair in their teeth and pulling it out.

Why not just tweeze?

Well, they may be fine for eyebrows, but given the chance of ingrown hairs, there are a number of places where you should not tweeze. For starters, the hair may grow back denser and coarser. In other words, you could potentially make your problem even worse than it was before. Tweezing also irritates the skin, which can cause it to swell and become red and inflamed. Also, it is important to note that not all hair removal tweezers will be able to remove all types of hair. For example, some can only grip coarse hairs while others can only grip fine hairs. 

Threading

One of the most popular ways is threading. This method removes hair from the roots with a long cotton thread twisted and rolled over the skin to remove unwanted hair. Done by pulling the thread in one swift motion against the direction of hair growth. This technique is particularly good for facial hair like eyebrows.