Is permanent hair removal In Singapore possible?
Introduction
Two things in life can irritate us no end. We could safely say one is white hair that requires constant touch-ups; the other would be unwanted hair on any part of the face and body. There are many ways to remove unwanted hair on the body; some are more primitive than others, and some ways are more expensive than others. So which way of hair removal is the best? Most worthy of the buck you are spending?
Shaving
Shaving removes hair that uses a razor or any other kind of blade. The primary way that shaving works are that hair is cut from the skin level. It is the most convenient way that both men and women use it. Shaving can be done by a wide variety of manual and electric razors. One of the downsides of shaving through razors is that hair is removed for a short time, and then hair grows back thicker. Ingrown hair, where hair grows under the skin, makes it very coarse and unsightly. The choice of blade is also important, and the wrong choice of the blade plus mishandling of razors can cause more harm than good. Although shaving is the cheapest and the easiest, we do not recommend it. Once you began shaving, the coarse and bumpy skin might not recover even if you change another hair removal method.
Fun Fact: The first and the oldest brand of disposable shaving blades is known as Gillette. The full name is King Camp Gillette, but he is not royalty, but an American businessman who passed on in 1932.
Tweezing
Tweezing removes hair from the body by mechanically plucking hair from the follicle. With technological advances, motorised tweezers called epilators are now invented that are geared and marketed more towards women. Tweezing is used to remove hair for a more extended period that can be done with a lot of ease. It removes stray hair from the eyebrows or the face and ingrown hair. Tweezing can cause scarring if it is not correctly used. It is a tool that requires skills for coarser hair follicles. Tweezing is not suitable for body use as it will be like picking grass with a toothpick.
Fun Fact: Tweezerman is the most famous brand of tweezers; we always wonder why not Tweezerwoman or Tweezergirl? Jokes aside, Tweezerman produces good quality tweezers for up to $80 each.
Threading
Threading is traditional hair removal made famous by Indian ladies in Singapore, done with just one single strand of thread twine between the fingers. It is a must-do cosmetic treatment before any major events or on the eve of a girl’s wedding. Threading is suitable for small areas like eyebrows, upper lip and baby hair on the forehead; some do it on the whole face as an exfoliating treatment to increase the glow factor.
In recent years, threading has risen to fame worldwide and is mainly done in beauty salons as it requires skill and technique. Threading is longer lasting than shaving or plucking, but people with delicate and sensitive skins should give it a miss.
Fun Fact: Do you know that the Chinese ladies also do face threading? It is a tradition to do threading with a layer of white powder on the face all over the face to remove baby hair like an exfoliating treatment. It leaves the complexion fair and fine, light bouncing and makeup will adhere well.
Waxing
Waxing is the most preferred way to remove hair for a few weeks in the 90s, then the most effective and longest-lasting way to remove unwanted hair. There are hot and cold waxes. Waxing gives skin a cleaner look, glow and supple feeling, which can last for weeks, same theory as threading. It also reduces recurrent hair growth, and hair can be regrown finer. It is used to remove hair from the body, such as the face, arms, chest, legs and abdomen. However, the stripping of the wax to remove the hair can be very harsh for sensitive skins. On the contrary to belief, Waxing is quite an expensive service if you consider the long term.
Fun Fact: You should not have hot baths within the first 24 hours after waxing as the skin is still porous. Wax for hair removal is made of beeswax and rosin, whereas candles mainly made of paraffin wax.
Depilatories Cream Veet
Depilatory creams such as Veet, are usually a preparation of thioglycolic acid that breaks the hair’s structure for easy removal. It is applied to the desired area, and after a few short minutes, the hair with be broken down to a soft mess to be wiped off and rinsed. The problem with these products is that it contains a lot of chemicals and can harm the skin and cause chemical burns if not used properly.
Fun Fact: Show a tube of depilatory cream to 100 men, and 99 would not know what that is. They get turned off by the smell of the product and horrified at what it does to hair. Thus, women keep depilatory cream as a secret.
Laser and Light Hair Removal Technology
Laser or light hair removal are technologies based on damaging or destroying the hair follicle by exposing it to pulses of laser light.
With a weakened hair follicle, hair regrowth will diminish over time. This 21st-century hair removal method is wildly popular as the light only destroy the hair growth factor but does not affect the skin around it. The light has skin regenerating effects making the area soft, bright and smooth. The number of sessions required depends on the intensity or the power of the laser light. Medical grade lasers are done only by aesthetic doctors in Singapore, and IPL or the latest version known as OPT light services are offered by beauty salons. So what is the difference? PRICE is the difference, given that the medical lasers are higher powered, but each session for an area say, a pair of arms, will set you back at least $600 to $1000, and it requires more than one session. OPT light by salons cost probably a quarter of the price per session; you get to the same goal either way, and touch-ups are needed periodically to ensure no regrowth.
Fun Fact: Lasers, IPL, or OPT light will give you the SAME results, albeit the number of sessions needed. It is also known as the most comfortable way to remove unwanted hair.
In conclusion
Permanent hair removal is best achieved with laser or light therapy, as this method is suitable for all skin types, even sensitive skin. Light therapy eliminates the hair follicles but does not affect the surrounding skin. Different ethnicity, parts of the body, hair texture and density determines the number of sessions required.
We also like to highlight that aftercare for hair removal is essential, such as no hot baths within the 24 hours after light therapy. A good moisturiser for a week that follows will be a kindness to your skin.