Fluffy Muffy

---

We’ve all gotten fed up of shaving and dealing with those tiny rogue hairs that pop out embarrassingly from the bathing suits, to wave politely at the object of your affection not to mention ingrown hairs – OUCH! Not cool at all!

My guy must have heard me complaining about it and the poor soul went and did some research, and the best he came up with was a Brazilian wax. NOW… in hindsight I have come to believe that he had ulterior motives, but rest assured he was dealt with with the quickness because I am telling you that was:

the WORST ever thing that I have EVER experienced in my LIFE, bar NONE.

Rinse and Repeat.

… and I’ve been through labour.

The pain was excruciating. I mean my mind literally packed its bags and went on a vacation; A ‘wtf’ moment times infinity.

But when the grinning lady was finished, I looked and felt smooth as baby. In fact the last time I looked that smooth after any hair removal was never. And then I took it to the beach and it was bess. No surprises.

So the end result was great, but the journey was a war of the worlds. It was after some thought that I realised that if I had done some research on my own I may have avoided such pain and agony so I decided to do the research anyway and here is what I came up with.

HAIR REMOVAL METHODS

There are about 7 kinds of hair removal methods available to the general public, (i.e not including laser hair removal, which is targeted largely to a certain skin/ hair colour combo so this is another topic for another day). 

They are:

- shaving
- friction
- depilatory creams
- waxing/sugaring
- threading
- plucking and
- electrolysis.

Some are very temporary and some are permanent(ish). Some are (relatively) pain free and one or two can hurt like a mofo. The results? Relative. It depends on what you are looking for.

1. the shaving method
Pain rating: 0 out of 10 

This is the method of using razors to cut the hair off as close as possible to the skin so that the result is smooth to the touch. 

If you don’t do it right you can get cut from the razor not being sharp enough, and of course it depends on how long it takes for your hair to grow back – some people can go as much as 7 days with out repeating the procedure but then you get those who literally have to shave everyday.

There is also the razor bump problem aptly named for those little pus filled bumps that appear literally minutes after you shave and is most certainly cause from the razor not being clean enough or new enough, but mostly this occurs when shaving occurs against the hair growth and not with it, especially when your hair is curly.

Either way it’s definitely an irritant as these babies can get very infected and cause ingrown hairs which in itself can be very painful.

2. the friction method
 Pain rating: 0 out of 10

The friction method employs a rough surface to remove fine hairs on the arms and legs. It is usually fine strips or a fine grit coated onto a mitt and then it is applied to the skin in circular motions which gently buffs away the hair.

It works best on fine hairs on legs and arms but should not be used on the face or bikini area. Course hair applicants need not apply; If too much pressure is used then skin irritations may occur. Effects last roughly about the same time as shaving.

3. the depilatory method
Pain rating : 0 out of 10 

Usually a cream or a powder mixed into a paste, and then applied to the areas of hair, and then removed by wiping away.

The hair is dissolved at the skins surface and the cream can cause irritation to eyes and skin, as well cause cuts if it is not used properly. Effects last roughly about the same as shaving and friction.

The drawback? Depending on the brand the smell is an unmistakeable “depilatory hair removal” smell. The product itself can also irritate some skins. 

4. the waxing method
 Pain rating: 9.5 out of 10

This method included warm wax (again this is relative to an individuals pain threshold) applied to the area or hair to be removed, and then a strip of cotton is applied. The cotton is then removed with swift movements of the hand, removing the hair in the opposite direction of the growth of the hair.

It is generally used in the bikini areas and recently this method has become popular for the removal of all hair found in the… umm… further pubic regions in both men and women, as it has become increasingly popular for these regions to be clear of hair. Clean, clean, clean. Whistle clean. This method if used over several years can reduce hair growth and in some cases hair growth can cease altogether.

(Incidentally the sugaring method is the same as waxing but with one slight difference – a sugary liquid is used instead of the wax.)

The disadvantages of this can be hair broken off beneath the skin, and it is difficult to master as the hair must be waxed in the opposite direction of hair growth and the hair down there can grow in several directions at once.

5. the threading method
 Pain rating: 6 out of 10

Threading a less common method for removing hair at the root, used primarily on facial hair. In this method, rows of stray hairs are yanked out with twists of cotton thread. It can also be used to move the hairline from off the forehead of women whose hair grows too close to the eyebrows.

The practitioner holds one end of the 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 a series of unwanted hairs and pull them from the skin. There are also devices made that can hold the thread during the procedure.

6. the tweezing method
Pain rating: 4 out of 10.

We all know this one. I mean who hasn’t been held down by a mother or errant best friend and had our brows tweezed till we cry blood?

One must have a tweezer, which is basically two metal pieces shaped into a point that grasps individual hairs and pulls them out. Its great for individual hairs on the face, shaping eyebrows and those long black hairs that pop up under the chin… Not that I know anything about those, but umm… so I’ve read.

7. the electrolysis method

I deliberately left out electrolysis because I wanted to do more research on it seeing it is a “permanent” method of hair removal and before writing a piece on it I wanted the research to be as thorough as possible so that none of you will fall prey to the horror that had me praying for delivery.

forward ever…

Photo Credits: Carlos Porto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

.

POSSIBLY RELATED GC POSTS

Manscaping
Waxing Nightmares | Double Dipping 
Nail Salon Nightmares | Infection control 
Hygiene Tip | Clean Balls
Hair | Stragglers
Hair | Beweaveable
Hair | A lifestyle