No wonder hair is a billion-dollar business. If our hair is straight, we want it curly. If it’s curly, we want it straight. If it’s thin, brittle, hard to manage, or falling out, there are hundreds of products and procedures we can turn to for help. If it’s growing where we don’t want it, options range from ancient techniques like tweezing or shaving to the use of twenty-first century lasers. Which methods work best depend on where the unwanted hair is, how much of it there is, and what we can afford.

Hiding and Removing
Bleaching doesn’t remove hair, but by making hair less conspicuous, it’s an inexpensive first step. Bleaching works best on hair that’s dark but not dense—especially on the upper lip, face, arms, or neck.

Shaving is the most widely used method for men’s faces and women’s legs and underarms. It’s inexpensive and convenient, the necessary equipment is widely available, and freshly shaved skin looks and feels smooth. But hair grows back quickly. The resulting stubble can irritate, skin problems can occur (including red bumps, dry or flaky skin, or ingrown hairs), and it has to be repeated frequently. Even though experts assure us that shaving does not change the texture, color, or rate of hair growth, these remain widespread beliefs because shaved hair seems darker, coarser, and faster-growing when it first emerges.

Waxing pulls hair out by its roots, leaving skin smooth and hair-free for days or weeks. “Hot” wax can be heated in a microwave, double boiler, or wax-heating appliance. After melting, it’s applied to the skin in a thin layer in the direction of hair growth. Hair becomes embedded in the cooling wax, and when the wax solidifies, it’s quickly pulled off—taking the hair with it. Waxing works well on large and small areas, including eyebrows, upper lips, and legs. The down side to waxing? Ouch! Pulling all those hairs out at once can be painful. Wax that is too hot can burn or irritate the skin, cleanup is a messy chore, and pulling hair out by its roots can result in ingrown hairs.

Sugaring is similar to waxing in that it pulls hair out by its roots, but this process doesn’t involve heat and it cleans up more easily. A thick sugar mixture is spread over the hairy area and covered with a piece of fabric or paper, which is quickly removed, pulling hair with it. Ouch, again!

Tweezing is another way to pull out hair, but it’s so time consuming that most people tweeze only their eyebrows or other small areas. Like waxing and sugaring, tweezing can eventually damage hair follicles enough to prevent regrowth.

Threading is a hair-removal method that’s traditional in India and Pakistan and is now gaining popularity in the United States. A threader (the person applying this procedure) places a twisted loop of thread over the offending hair and pulls it out without stinging or burning. Threading is most commonly used for eyebrow shaping.

Depilatories use chemicals like calcium hydroxide, sodium thioglycolate, or calcium thioglycolate to melt and dissolve hair. They have to be used with caution: Make sure to conduct an allergy-detecting patch test and keep an eye on the clock, because depilatories can cause skin irritation. This technique is not recommended for eyebrows, hair near the eyes or mucous membranes, or for use on broken or inflamed skin. Depilatories usually smell awful, too, but they are inexpensive, readily available, and easy to use. They successfully remove hair growing above the skin’s surface, but unlike waxing or tweezing, depilatories won’t affect the hair’s roots.

Risky Business?
Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal method; however, it’s expensive, time consuming, and best suited to small areas like the face. Larger areas, like the legs, may require months of weekly appointments. Skilled technicians achieve the best results. Depending on the equipment used, hair follicles are destroyed by electric currents applied with a needle or tweezer.

According to beauty expert Paula Begoun, whose best-selling books include Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, the major risks of electrolysis include electrical shock (which can occur if the needle is not properly insulated), infection from a non-sterile needle, scarring from improper technique, and a lack of uniform licensing standards for electrologists. As for home units, Begoun says don’t bother. Low-voltage radio waves sent through the hair shaft are ineffective, she says.

Laser hair removal is increasingly popular among both men and women because it can be effective. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations prevent manufacturers from claiming that laser methods are either painless or permanent. Lasers don’t work for everyone, and even successful treatments result in only partial hair removal, usually 40 to 80 percent.
Some downsides of laser hair removal include possible discoloration (lightening or darkening of skin), inflammation, swelling, and infected hair follicles. While some laser systems show promise for treating darker skin tones, the procedure is less effective on dark or tanned skin than on light skin. Laser treatments are also expensive, although prices are declining because of competition among doctors. In fact, laser hair removal and other outpatient beauty procedures are increasingly offered by physicians other than dermatologists or plastic surgeons. Today you can go to obstetricians, emergency room physicians, and even ophthalmologists for this procedure.

Only one prescription cream has been approved by the FDA for the reduction of unwanted hair growth, Vaniqa. Its active ingredient is eflornithine hydrochloride, which interferes with a hair follicle enzyme needed for hair growth. The results are temporary; within eight weeks of stopping the medication, hair returns to its previous condition. According to two randomized, double-blind studies, Vaniqa works for about one-third of those who try it. However, it can cause temporary stinging, burning, redness, tingling, folliculitis (hair bumps), or acne.