skin types
Depending on your skin type there are a variety of effective methods for removing hair from the body. There are also a number of methods that might not be appropriate. Review the details below to understand the removal methods that you should consider and avoid.
Pale skin
Some methods are particularly suited to people with pale skin, for example, body hair removal lasers. With laser treatment the light emitted is absorbed by dark pigments. Therefore if the patient has pale skin and dark hair, most of the laser's light energy will be absorbed by the hairs, producing the most effective results.
Pale skin has the disadvantage in that it shows the results of some of the harsher treatments. The after effects of treatments such as friction and waxing will clearly be visible on the body after treatment. People with pale skin will usually see a reddening of the skin which may take a few hours to diminish.
Usually effective
-
Depilatories: are effective methods to remove hairs for short to medium term results
-
Electrolysis: if the patient also has dark hair then the follicle should be easier to find, and therefore the treatment should be faster and less expensive.
-
Epilatories: the reddening of the skin from treatments will take a little longer to diminish than on darker skin shades but the results will be just the same.
-
Laser: is particularly effective if the patient also has darker hair.
Darker skin
Some hair removal methods are not particularly suited for people with darker shades of skin. Treatments such as lasers work by focusing the laser light on dark material. Therefore, if the patient has dark skin and dark hair the laser energy will be absorbed by both equally. This will result in the skin being heated up which can cause significant pain and has the potential to leave scarring on the body.
Usually effective
-
Electrolysis: if the hair is also dark the follicles (the hair's root) can be found fairly easily.
-
Epilatories: not only effective removal techniques, but the darker skin also hides the skin irritation caused by some of the harsher methods such as waxing.
Not very effective
-
Laser: hair removal lasers can cause skin pigmentation changes due to laser light being absorbed by the skin and not the hair.
-
Shaving - Electric , Razor: can cause ingrown hairs, especially if the hair is curly.
Recently sun tanned skin
People with sun tanned skin should take care when using body hair remover treatments. If the skin has been exposed recently to the sun it may be sore or peeling. Therefore some treatments will prove to be very harsh and can cause skin irritation leading to infection. Also if the patient is generally fair haired with sun tanned skin, treatments such as lasers will be less effective. It is advisable to wait for the sun tan to fade before receiving treatment.
Furthermore some treatments will cause the skin to become very sensitive, so it is advisable that after these treatments that the patient refrains from exposing their skin to the sun. Some patients have experienced further irritation and infection due to the sun light and the use of some sun-screening lotions.
Skin allergies
All patients, whether they know that they have skin allergies or not, should do a skin sample test before proceeding with any body hair removal treatment. Some of the treatments, such as waxing and creams, contain chemicals that can cause from minor skin irritation to heavy scarring with some patients. Some patients will experience heightened sensitivity to laser treatments than they would have normally expected. Fortunately, all competent professional specialists will recommend that a skin sample test is performed first.
Other skin conditions
Warning - patients with lots of acne, psoriasis, moles, warts, scars, and pigmented lesions should first consult with a skin specialist.
|
