We all have hair, but sometimes hair grows in undesirable places. For centuries, people have sought methods to effectively remove unwanted facial and body hair. In this virtual consultation explains various methods for removal of unwanted hair and methods of hair care to keep the hairs we want to keep.

Types of hair

Lanugo hair is fine and soft and grows all over a baby’s body; it is often shed before the baby is born. Vellus hair is short and often contains little or no pigment. This type of hair is known as “fuzz.” Terminal hair is the long hair that grows on the head, legs, and arms. In many people who have a tendency to baldness, terminal hair will gradually become thinner and shorter it looks like vellus hair.

How can I remove unwanted hair?

Popular hair removal techniques include waxing, electrolysis, plucking, and shaving. Other than electrolysis, none of them are permanent. Electrolysis is painful, tedious, and expensive, and because it is invasive it can produce unpleasant side effects. The other methods are also expensive considering you will have to do them with varying frequency for several decades.

Laser hair removal

The most common cosmetic procedure among men is Laser Hair Removal. Men seek to remove unwanted body hair whereas women seek this treatment for areas such as the bikini line, underarms, face, and legs. An advantage of laser hair removal is the avoidance of ingrown hairs-a common problem that results from shaving or waxing. Following the completion of laser hair removal the skin is baby soft and free of ingrown hairs.

Modern noninvasive methods for hair removal require that the treated hair be in an active phase of growth also known as anagen. During the anagen phase the hair follicle contains pigment. The pigment within the hair follicle will absorb the energy from the laser and that intense heat will destroy the hair follicle. Hair is not susceptible to the laser during other growth phases due to the absence of pigment. And because the skin contains 20% to 85% of hair in the growth stage at any given time, it often requires an average of five treatments to the same area to effectively eliminate the presence of hair.