Body hair is equally hated by both men and women. They consume a lot of our time while grooming and are a big problem during an unplanned get-together. We all want to get rid of them permanently to solve this problem for life. With a clean body comes great confidence and you can take out more time for other productive tasks.
Best permanent hair removal
Many ways can help you remove your body hair permanently. Though they do claim to show permanent results, not everyone will get the same results from these methods. These ways can help you reduce the growth of body hair with time. You can expect the results to last for a few months to a few years depending on the method used and the role of hair growth hormones played in your body.
Electrolysis
It is the only method approved as a permanent way to remove body hair by the Food and Drug Administration. For completely getting rid of hair, you need to take multiple sessions with fixed time intervals.
Electrolysis destroys the hair follicles with the use of short-wave radio frequencies. A micropulse of current is applied to the hair follicle eliminating the potential for the hair to regrow. The primary session can take anywhere between 45 - 90 minutes, depending on the area of treatment. The touch-up sessions, however, can be as quick as 10 minutes.
It is a little painful method and costs around $30 to $120 per session. It works equally well for all skin types and can be used for both coarse and fine hair. All body parts can be treated with electrolysis. You might experience skin redness immediately after the session, which subsides within a few hours.
Laser
Like electrolysis, you need to take multiple sessions of laser treatment to get rid of body hair permanently. User experiences show that results from laser treatment are less permanent than electrolysis. In other words, electrolysis has the power to stop hair growth for a longer period.
Laser brings into use high-heat radiations to destroy the hair pigment. It usually requires 4 to 8 sessions for destroying the pigment. These professional sessions are spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart to ensure the appearance of hair pigment. You will start seeing the results from the first session itself in terms of reduction in hair growth.
It is less painful than electrolysis and costs around $50 to $250 per session. The laser is suitable for people with light skin tone and dark hair. It can be done on all body parts except the near-eye area. The common side-effects are similar to electrolysis involving skin irritation and redness lasting for a few hours.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
IPL uses pulses of high wavelength light to destroy the hair from its roots. A continuous dose of Intense Pulsed Light is introduced deep into the follicle and gets absorbed by the hair pigment papilla. This helps in destructing the hair before it erupts out of the root. Destroying the hair in its growth phase gives you long-lasting results.
You will require 4 to 8 sessions, depending on the thickness of the hair being treated. A prominent reduction in hair growth will be visible from the first session itself.
User experiences testify this method to be more painful than laser. It costs around the same as laser and can be used on all body parts except for near-eye areas. You might experience skin redness immediately after the treatment as in the case of other methods discussed above.
Prescription creams
Some creams also help in the inhibition of hair growth enzymes. You just need to apply the prescribed cream to the body part twice a day regularly for a month. According to research, such an application can stop the hair from regrowing for up to 8 weeks. You can repeat the process for a month to flaunt your hair-free body for the next 8 weeks.
This process is completely painless and costs around $50 for a month’s treatment. You must consult your dermatologist for a prescription suitable to your skin type and the body part you are desiring the treatment for. Eflornithine, for instance, can be used only for your facial hair.
Though this method doesn’t last as long as the other methods discussed here, it is the cheapest option to get stay away from body hair for quite a long time. A patch test is always recommended for at-home treatments. You might experience some side-effects like skin rash, burning sensation or acne breakout.
Natural methods
All the above-discussed methods pose a danger of experiencing side-effects in one form or the other. This is what makes it important for us to include some natural methods to remove your body hair permanently.
Using Raw Papaya
Raw papaya contains an enzyme called papain that has the power to reduce the regrowth of body hair naturally. You will be required to grind the raw papaya pieces to form a thick paste. Add some raw turmeric to the paste to speed up the process of stunting hair growth. Lastly, add sesame oil to the mixture for a smooth and silky skin after the treatment.
This mixture of papaya, turmeric, and sesame oil should be applied after you have removed your body hair with waxing or your preferred method. It doesn’t remove your hair but slows down its reappearance gradually.
Sugaring
Sugaring is the favorite natural way to reduce hair growth for many people. It disrupts the hair in its growing stage. With time, the occurrence of hair is reduced visibly. To make a mixture, heat the sugar and as soon as it melts, add some lemon juice and honey to make a paste out of it. Don’t forget to stir the mixture as fast as possible as sugar will harden very soon.
This method is also effective in slowing down the regrowth of body hair and not removing your hair. So, ensure to remove all your hair before scrubbing your body with the sugar mixture.