Why do you get rid of hair?
Getting rid of excess body hair is especially important in the warm season. Going to the beach, miniskirts, shorts, T-shirts and short-sleeved dresses require smooth and beautiful skin on the arms, legs, underarms and bikini area.
During the Soviet Union, in order to get a beautiful body, women most often had to use a razor . Currently, a huge number of other very effective recipes have appeared, the main advantage of which is that they can be made at home yourself.
Hair removal methods
There are two ways to remove hair.
Epilation is a method of removing body hair in such a way that the hair follicle is removed. During the depilation process, only the hair shaft is removed, while the root itself remains under the skin. The first method is more effective because it makes it possible to remove hairs for a long period - up to three weeks. The simplest means for depilation at home is a razor. Before carrying out the procedure, you need to take a bath or shower to thoroughly steam the skin. Then apply gel or shampoo and shave off the hair; this should be done against the direction of hair growth. After completing all the manipulations, apply the cream.
Among the methods that allow you to remove hairs from the roots is a simple thread. With its help you can easily get rid of excess hair on your face, arms and legs.
To perform this procedure, it is enough to take two threads - their length should be 10 centimeters. The threads need to be laid parallel and then twisted with each other.
Then you need to apply the twisted threads to the place from which you want to remove hair and sharply pull the ends on both sides at the same time. The threads will unwind, catch on the hairs and tear them out. After finishing the procedure, you need to treat the skin with cream.
Is it possible to do depilation with a razor?
The easiest way to remove unwanted hair at home is to use a razor. This method is very tempting for many, because:
- the process does not take much time;
- there is no pain.
However, experts recommend depilation with a razor only in exceptional cases, because when using the machine:
- irritation and inflammation often occur (especially when depilating the bikini area);
- Ingrown hairs may appear;
- there is a risk of cuts;
- the result does not last long, usually for 1-2 days;
- hair grows back coarser and thicker after shaving.
However, most girls from time to time have situations when they need to remove hair as quickly as possible. To reduce the risk of undesirable consequences, you need to follow certain rules:
- Before the procedure, take a warm shower or relax in the bath to thoroughly steam the skin.
- Using massage movements, treat the skin that will be exposed to the razor with a soft scrub.
- Wipe the body dry and apply shaving gel to those areas of the body from which unnecessary hair will be removed (can be replaced with shower gel or shampoo).
- Using a razor (it is important to use special razors designed for women), remove hair, making movements strictly in the direction of hair growth.
- Rinse the skin and apply hydrogen peroxide (you can use Chlorhexidine or another disinfectant), and then a moisturizer with a soothing effect.
- Do not dress for a while (you can wrap yourself in a towel or throw on a robe).
Homemade cream
Depilation using homemade cream is quite economical, since all the necessary ingredients are at hand. There are several recipes for depilatory cream at home:
- 3 tbsp. l. Pour boiling water into a jar, add 2 tbsp. l. honey and sugar. Stir well and squeeze lemon juice into it. Mix well again until a homogeneous mass is obtained, then cover and wait until the mixture cools. Before applying the cream to the skin, you need to take a bath and cleanse it with a scrub. Apply homemade cream to the skin for 20-30 minutes. You need to remove the remaining mixture using a cotton cloth, then moisten it with a special cream.
- Another recipe: place 0.5 cups of water in a water bath and wait until it boils, then add 4 tablespoons of honey and stir thoroughly until the mixture is homogeneous. Pour the resulting mass into a jar and let it cool. Then you need to add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and stir well again. We do everything else the same way as in the previous case.
The essence of sugar depilation
Sugaring can be considered an eastern type of waxing, i.e. sugar depilation. Instead of wax, the standard procedure uses a mixture of sugar paste, honey, lemon juice and water. This composition is sold ready-made. How is sugar depilation done at home?
It is applied to the skin strictly in the direction of hair growth and gently rubbed in, after which it is removed along with the hairs with a sharp tug.
After completion of the event, a cream (ointment) with a soothing and moisturizing effect is applied to the skin area (a product containing aloe extract is recommended). According to Eastern custom, heated stones are applied to the body, which normalizes blood circulation and accelerates skin rehabilitation.
You can read how to numb the bikini area before sugaring here.
Video of sugar depilation of the face at home:
How to prepare sugaring at home yourself. The following recipes are recommended:
- Place sugar (10 tablespoons), lemon juice (20 ml), honey (3 teaspoons) into a saucepan and add water (80 ml). After stirring, the mixture is brought to a boil over low heat and boiled for 3-4 minutes. Apply after cooling.
- The following ingredients are mixed in a ceramic container: sugar (6 tablespoons), citric acid (0.5 teaspoon) and water (2 tablespoons). The mixture is heated in the microwave for approximately 2-2.5 minutes until it acquires the color of aged cognac.
You may need to use an anesthetic cream for hair removal.
Traditional recipe using nettles
Few people know that you can make an infusion from nettle to remove excess hair.
You need to take 40 grams. nettle seeds, crush them, add 50 ml of nettle juice from the stem and 100 ml of sunflower oil. Infuse the resulting mixture for 8 weeks in a dark glass bottle in a cool place. One jar of the mixture is used for one procedure. The procedure is carried out as follows: one jar of tincture is filtered through gauze, after which it must be applied to dry, clean skin. Wait half an hour, then rinse with warm water. You can repeat this method 12 times every 2-3 days.
Do not use on the face or underarms. If this procedure is carried out correctly, you can get rid of hair for 5-6 months.
Wax strips
To make the depilation procedure easier, you can use special wax strips.
Before use, you need to hold them between your palms so that they warm up well, then the warm strips are applied to the skin and pressed well. After that, each of the strips must be pulled strongly in the direction against the growth of the hairs. The wax hair removal procedure is quite effective when used at home, the effect of its use can be observed within a month. The main advantage of this method is that it helps to remove not only excess hair, but also dead skin cells, making it more youthful, soft and smooth. The disadvantages of this method include the fact that it is quite painful and cannot be used if there are spider veins on the legs.
Shaving
Removing unwanted hairs using a razor is one of the fastest methods of depilation. Most women prefer to save time and money by shaving not only their legs and armpits, but also their arms and deep bikini area. It is not always possible to achieve an ideal result at the end.
The disadvantages of this method of depilation include:
- accelerated hair growth;
- change in structure (hairs become thicker and stiffer);
- skin irritation;
- cuts;
- ingrown hairs.
You can't call shaving cheap. To maintain smooth skin without a hint of stubble, you will have to change the machines every week or even more often. Dull blades will injure the skin and promote ingrown hairs. You will also have to buy shaving foam to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. In terms of costs, this method can cover the costs of purchasing wax strips and depilatory creams.
Hair removal using sugar
The easiest and simplest method of hair removal. Its main advantage is that sugar is a natural preservative, therefore it eliminates any possibility of germs and bacteria getting into damaged areas of the skin. This procedure is more painless than waxing. This method is good for removing hair anywhere, in the bikini area, on the arms, legs, armpits and face. The only condition is that hairs can be removed if they are at least 2-3 mm long.
To prepare the mixture at home, you need to take 1 tablespoon of boiled water, add 5 tablespoons of squeezed juice from one lemon and add 10 tablespoons of sugar. The resulting mass must be placed in a water bath, wait until the sugar dissolves and cook until the mixture becomes thick, stirring occasionally. The mass is cooked after boiling for about 7 minutes over low heat. It is important not to overcook the mixture; if it hardens too much, you will have to prepare the mixture again.
Sugaring
Sugaring is a method of depilation using sugar. This method belongs to a number of folk remedies. A good effect can be obtained by adding lemon juice, honey with chamomile tincture, which has a disinfectant effect, and iodine-rich walnut shells, which have the property of burning the hair follicle, to sugar.
Pasta recipe
To prepare depilatory paste, all you need is sugar, lemon juice and water. These ingredients are usually found in every home. The mixture consists of 10 tablespoons of sugar, the juice of half a lemon and 1 tablespoon of water. After mixing the ingredients, you need to heat them over low heat, stirring occasionally until a homogeneous mass is formed. The paste is ready when it has turned golden brown. After 10 minutes of boiling, the resulting mixture must be cooled, and it will acquire a viscous consistency. Pasta rarely turns out perfect the first time. This skill comes with experience and requires some skill.
Depilation procedure
Sugar paste of the required consistency should be applied in a thin layer in the direction of hair growth. The easiest way to do this is with a special spatula. Then you need to apply and press a strip of cotton fabric, leaving one edge free. After sticking, the fabric must be removed with a sharp movement against the direction of hair growth.
Removing hairs with tweezers
Tweezers are a good tool for hair removal at home. This method is not suitable for removing hair on the facial skin of men and in the armpit area. To carry it out, you need to take ordinary tweezers and moisturizing cream. The skin must first be steamed so that it does not hurt too much, then with the help of tweezers, one hair at a time is removed, hair by hair. After the procedure, the skin is covered with cream. The result will last about a month.
Waxing
Waxing is a procedure for removing hair using wax. In this case, special wax is applied to the skin in problem areas, and with the help of a sharp movement it is torn off, removing unwanted hairs. The procedure is quite painful, but the result is worth the pain endured. After waxing, hair grows very slowly, stubble does not form, and new hairs become thin and invisible. The procedure must be performed at home very carefully; violation of the depilation technique can lead to ingrown hairs.
Using hardware depilators
These are special electrical devices designed for hair removal that can be bought in stores. They are sold with sets of different attachments, with which you can easily remove hair in all places.
Depilators can only be used on dry skin. On some models, special lighting is used to make the procedure more effective. After the procedure, slight redness may form on the skin, which quickly disappears. The result can last up to 6 months. It is easy to do depilation at home with a depilator, but their main disadvantage is that they are not cheap.
Precautionary measures
Each woman will have to decide for herself which method is better to choose. You can try different ones, evaluate the results and choose the one that suits you best. Moreover, almost all of them are safe, simple and convenient for use at home. However, when carrying out the depilation procedure, you need to take some precautions. You cannot depilate if you have:
- Skin damage.
- During pregnancy.
- Patients with diabetes mellitus.
- If there is a fungus or herpes on the skin.
- For infectious diseases.
Use with caution:
- For varicose veins.
- People with allergic reactions.
- People with hypersensitivity.
After the hair removal procedure, you also need to fulfill some requirements, for example, visiting the sauna, hammam or bathhouse for two days is not recommended.
If the hairs were removed using wax or a special device, it is not recommended to wet the skin over the next day.
If a razor was used for depilation, after the procedure it is necessary to moisturize the skin with cream: this is done in order to remove irritation. You can also apply a product to your skin that slows down hair growth.
Required Tools
To perform depilation you will need:
- Wax.
- Wooden spatula for applying wax.
- Thick cloth or paper napkins of different sizes will make it easier to treat hard-to-reach areas.
Basic steps when performing depilation:
- Wax is applied to a specific area of the body in the direction of hair growth.
- A paper or fabric strip is applied on top, the main condition is that it is durable.
- Press the strip firmly against the skin, then with a sharp movement, tear it off against the hair growth parallel to the skin.
