Leg Hair Removal
Removing body hair is commonly done for the sake of comfort, necessity, and personal preference—but unwanted hair can be hard to deal with when it constantly grows back, not to mention painful, expensive, and inconvenient. For years, people have been developing different methods to manage body hair—depending on whether it’s a few errant hairs or more, there’s something that will work for you. In this article, we’ll review the most effective ways to remove leg hair permanently and impermanently, including the latest and greatest devices.
Impermanent Leg Hair Removal
There are several steps of hair removal that vary in procedure, result, time, and cost. Removing hair at its surface level results in next-day stubble that can appear thicker upon regrowth—the texture of stubble is discomforting, and shaving can lead to ingrown hairs or stray cuts. For those with skin sensitivity, shaving can be painful or messy, although it works for a multitude of areas on the body. As shaven hair regrows, the hair is not tapered, but thick, and appears much darker due to not having been exposed to sunlight, which bleaches the hair and makes it appear lighter. Constantly buying razors and shaving cream can be expensive, and for those with coarse hair, it just doesn’t cut it.
The second option is to remove the hair from the root via methods such as waxing, plucking, or threading. Since the hair is literally torn from the root, this method can be quite painful—on top of that, the heat from waxing can lead to burns if done unprofessionally or by someone unskilled. Threading and plucking is typically used for facial hair, and can cost time and money if done to large areas of the body, such as your legs. Many people choose to wax because treatment lasts up to 2 to 6 weeks, keeping your legs silky smooth for longer periods of time in comparison to shaving. If done professionally at a salon, the costs can add up. While waxing is a preferred method for many, it just isn’t an option for those with sensitive skin or an aversion to pain. There are, however, alternate options to waxing.
A third option involves depilatory creams that use a combination of chemicals to remove hair. The most common active ingredients in these creams, gels or sprays is calcium thioglycolate and potassium thioglycolate. These chemicals break down the hair so that it can be scraped off where it emerges—meaning, this method is not permanent either, as the hair cells remain active underneath the surface.
While this method is relatively painless and easy to do at home, the chemicals can have adverse effects to those with sensitive skin, and the creams cannot be applied to certain areas of the body. It can also leave chemical burns if not removed thoroughly and completely.
Depilatory creams might work for you, but if not—never fear, for there’s a forth option to complete, permanent hair removal.
Permanent Leg Hair Removal
If shaving, waxing, or chemical-based solutions sound unattractive, then laser treatment might be for you. For most, professional laser treatments aren’t an option due to their high costs, but Home Pulsed Light (HPL) technology sidesteps those costs while still giving you the same great results.
The science behind HPL treatment is simple: short pulses of light energy burn the hair down to their follicles. This destroys the hair follicles themselves, resulting in permanent hair removal. If you’ve heard of laser treatment before, it might sound extreme to you—but HPL is different. Most laser treatments use long pulses of high power energy that stings or burns the surface of the skin, but HPL uses short pulses of filtered energy with a higher peak power. This means that you’ll get the same professional result without the pain.
With HPL hair removal, one treatment won’t be enough. Many factors influence hair growth, so it’s necessary to repeat the treatment every 2 to 4 weeks depending on your skin type, and how you respond to the hair removal treatments. Hormones, drugs, or sickness may stimulate hair growth as well. One great benefit to Silkn’s HPL technology is that it can be done in the safety and comfort of your own home. After purchasing the device, there aren’t any further expenses involved, and repeat treatment are simple.
Keep in mind that devices such as HPL require you to prepare your skin for treatment—this means you need to shave the hair on the surface of your skin to reach the follicles underneath. If you do not, it won’t destroy the root of the follicle, just most of the hair growing outside. What you have to avoid, however, is waxing. In order to work properly, there must be hair growing in the shaft. The light energy travels from the surface down to the root, so without that stubble, HPL technology may not work as intended. Although HPL technology is a great option for many, it may be ineffective for those with darker skin or those with lighter hair. For the device to work, there must be pigment in the hair follicle.
Another option includes electrolysis, which is a removal of individual hairs—like laser treatments, it destroys the growth center of the hair with heat. Unlike HPL technology, this treatment is typically done by professionals in a salon setting due to the precarious nature of it: a fine probe is inserted into the hair follicle, and the hair is removed afterwards with tweezers. Electrolysis is a permanent route to removing hair, but such treatments run the risk of scarring if done improperly, and it is known to be painful.
Conclusion
Different methods of hair removal work for different people—but for most, removing hair permanently isn’t often an option due to the associated costs and the availability of such treatments. Fortunately, Silkn’s Flash & Go HPL technology is easily accessible for purchase online and has a one-time cost. This device can be used in the comfort of your own home at your leisure, and is extremely user friendly, making permanent hair removal easier than ever.
Check out the Silk’n HPL technology today—and stop spending time and money fussing with sharp razors, creams and gels and opt for an easier solution!
