Removing Unwanted Body Hair

by Felicia Hodges

Noticing a little shadow of hair under your nose? Does the hair on you legs get so long you can comb it? If so, you’ve probably headed to your local drugstore and searched the shelves for something to rid your body of the hair that grows exactly where you least want it to.

Rest assured, you are not alone. According to Margaret Kim, a clinical pharmacy specialist with Drugstore.com, nearly 20 million women deal with unwanted facial hair alone. Whether it is for a few hairs on the chin or keeping underarms smooth, a whole lot of women are looking for ways to take off excess body hair and keep it off.

​

A Bevy of Choices

“As far as hair removal goes, you can shave, pluck, wax or use some sort of chemical depilatory,” says Dr. Walt Urbanek, who is the Director of Dermatology at Staten Island University Hospital. But which one works best for your skin and hair type? Here’s a short breakdown of which method does what:

​

Shaving - Whether you use a human-powered disposable or a battery-powered wet/dry razor, shaving cuts the hair off at the skin’s surface. Since hair tends to grow relatively fast, shaving is seen as a temporary method of removing it. The stubble you feel only a day after shaving and the chance of cutting the skin are a few of the drawbacks of shaving. And, because some of us have hair that is often curly, the chance of ingrown hairs (razor bumps) is greater for folks of color.

“I would say the best way to prevent cuts and scaring, especially on women of color, is to use a moisturizing gel or cream while shaving,” Kim says. “Also, it is important to be careful and take your time.”

Plucking - Using tweezers to pull out unwanted hairs one at a time can be a bit time consuming and even painful. Plus, it's not permanent. Although the hair is gone, the follicle still lives and will grow another hair to replace the one you just ripped out. If you do wish to pluck out a few stray hairs around or between your eyebrows, experts recommend that you use a mild astringent on the skin beforehand to make the hair a little easier to remove.

Waxing - Like plucking, waxing removes the hair at the root but it concentrates on a larger area than your tweezers can. Heated wax is spread over the skin then pulled off, taking the hairs with it. (There are several new products out now that don't require heating and are pulled from the skin via a soft cloth.)

Depilatories - These chemicals dissolve the hair so it can be wiped or washed off. Although they dissolve the hair just below the skin's surface, they are applied directly to the skin, which may cause irritation.

“The problem with depilatories is they have to be strong enough to dissolve the hair below the skin. If they are too strong, they can cause irritation and dark spots,” Dr. Urbanek says. In addition to folks with sensitive skin, he cautions that people with asthma, allergies, anyone with extremely dry skin or prone to hives be particularly careful when using depilatories. “Try them on a small, hidden area of the body before you apply to your face or your entire leg.” he adds.

Bleach - Using hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient, bleaching creams lighten dark hair to make it less noticeable. It can, also make the hair white, which, can make it ultra visible and can also lighten the skin which is probably not be the look you were going for.

Electrolysis - Using electricity to deaden the follicle so the hair will eventually stop growing back, electrolysis can be slow and costly. Only one strand can be removed at a time, which makes treating a large area like your legs time consuming. Also, one treatment is not enough. The hair will grow back after a first treatment, although finer and lighter than it was before. 

Prescription Medications - A hair removal cream called Vaniqa was approved for prescription use by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration a few years back. Although it is only for use on the face, it works by slowing down hair growth and is recommended for use in conjunction with electrolysis, lasers or waxing.

As far as surfing the drug store shelves for hair removal products go, stick with works for you. If you need a more permanent solution, contact a dermatologist.

For Women of Color

Lasers have been used for quite a while to treat excess hair growth. But because they concentrate on the pigment in the hair to destroy it, the melanin naturally present in dark skin made it difficult to destroy the hair without harming the skin as well. 

Thanks to the research and technology, lasers can now be used successfully on women of color, too. 

Frustrated with hair removal treatments that were ineffective or harmful to the skin of people of color, Dr. Eliot Battle, a cosmetic dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Harvard University, began searching for ways to better deal with their unique hair growth difficulties.

His research led to the development of laser technology that targets the hair below the surface without harming the skin at all. And because the laser works on a one centimeter area at a time, the treatment is relatively quick. “It takes about 45 minutes to do legs and about 10 minutes to do underarms,” he says. Only about 20-30 percent of hair removed is permanent after the first treatment, but in three to five treatments, Dr. Battle says the hair is completely gone.

Four of his lasers have gotten FDA approval and are now available throughout the country. But not every dermatologist may have one yet, nor will he or she necessarily know how to use it on melanin-rich skin. Ask to be sure.

Felicia Hodges is the editor of Tri-County Woman Magazine. This article originally appeared in the May/June 2018 issue.