What types of hair removal are used in cosmetology?

Since ancient times, women have sought to get rid of unwanted hair by all available means. Even before our era, smooth skin was considered a symbol of youth and femininity. The absence of hair on areas of the body located below the neck indicated that women belonged to the upper classes of society. The first methods of hair removal were extremely simple. Fashionistas of antiquity used pumice, which was replaced by razors made of flint and bronze. Hairs were first pulled out using threads, then tweezers, the ancestors of modern tweezers, began to be used for this purpose.

Concept and types of hair removal

Depending on what type of treatment is chosen, hair removal is called epilation or depilation.

All hair removal methods are based on the principle of deep impact on the skin, as a result of which the follicle is destroyed and the hair disappears forever. Using the depilation method, only the superficial part of the hair is removed, while the hair follicle remains intact. And after a fairly short period of time (from several hours to 2-3 days) it begins to grow back.

There are several types of hair removal currently in use. Depending on the method of influence on the hair and skin, hair removal is distinguished:

• bio;
• photo;
• electro
• laser;
• elos.

All of them give, if the procedures are carried out correctly, the effect of smooth and clean skin for several years. It is worthwhile to carry out corrective sessions in a timely manner, once every 1-2 years after completing the full course (regardless of the chosen method), removing single hairs that have appeared. Then you can trust the reviews of those who, after undergoing a course of procedures, received the expected effect - a modern type of hair removal permanently removed hair.

It should be taken into account that some types of hair removal are absolutely contraindicated for patients who have “foreign metal” in the body (pacemakers, dental pins, etc.).

Bioepilation

Waxing is the removal of unwanted hair using wax. A liquid mixture based on wax is applied to the treated area. After the mixture hardens, it is removed along with the rods and roots of the hairs. The result is noticeable after the first procedure. The skin becomes smooth for 2-4 weeks, after which it is recommended to repeat the procedure. No special devices are required. The cosmetologist selects the temperature of the wax mixture depending on the skin type and hair density in the treated area. Waxing cannot be considered the most effective hair removal method, however, after several procedures, the growing hairs become light, thin and almost invisible.

Sugaring is also called sugar hair removal because the main component of the paste applied to the treatment area is sugar. Thanks to natural ingredients, the risk of allergic reactions is minimized. Burns are excluded, since the heating of the mixture is maintained at body temperature. In addition to unwanted hairs, dead epidermal cells are removed. As a result, the skin is rejuvenated.

When deciding which hair removal option to choose from these two, you should pay attention to the nuances. Namely, that the pain during sugaring is less, side effects are unlikely, but the procedure will cost more than waxing.

Electrolysis

Reviews from women who have gone through this procedure are similar. It is painful, expensive and the procedure takes a long time. But the method is worth spending money and enduring the feeling of discomfort that arises during the session and persists for some time after it. This method provides a comprehensive answer to the question of which hair removal is more effective.

The technique is based on the effect of electric current discharges on the hair follicles. Constant or variable is used, depending on the area of ​​the body being treated and the type of hair. The device for carrying out the procedure has various attachments that can be adjusted to a specific current strength and frequency.

In 8-12 sessions, this type of hair removal permanently removes unwanted hair. In the absence of contraindications and following all the cosmetologist’s recommendations, the answer to the question of which hair removal is the most effective becomes obvious – one of many is electrolysis.

Laser hair removal

A laser is a device that gives focus and direction to the flow of light energy. The laser beam, penetrating to a depth of 5 mm, destroys the hair follicles. After this, the hairs fall out within a few days and no longer grow. Depending on the skin phototype, hair color and thickness, different types of laser devices are used:

• ruby;
• alexandrite;
• diode;
• neodymium

Any of the existing lasers for women is a type of hair removal that permanently eliminates the problem of excess hair if the skin phototype is light and the hairs are dark. Laser procedures are painless and safe. To achieve the effect of clear skin, 4-6 sessions are required less than when removing hair from the same skin using the electrolysis method.

The main disadvantage of the laser hair removal method is that the effectiveness of the result is achieved with a pronounced contrast between the skin and hair. Diode and neodymium devices of the latest generation make it possible to remove light hair from dark or tanned skin, but they are practically powerless against gray hair.

Photoepilation

This method is based on the effect of a light pulse on the coloring pigment contained in the hair. Melanin absorbs light and turns it into heat, which is transferred to the follicle and surrounding capillaries. The hair's nutrition stops, causing it to fall out. Cosmetologists call the method of exposure to light the most effective hair removal, permanently eliminating hair and having a relatively small number of contraindications.

A course of photoepilation includes 6-10 procedures with an interval of about a month. The short duration of sessions, the absence of serious pain and side effects - all this allows visitors to beauty salons to give an unambiguous answer to the question of which hair removal is the most effective and safe. This also helps to make a choice in favor of the method of exposing unwanted vegetation on the skin to a light beam.

However, those women who have very light or gray hair will be disappointed. The effect on hair that does not contain melanin is practically zero.

Elos hair removal

The most effective hair removal today can be called ELOS hair removal. This method combines all the advantages of laser and photoepilation. Using simultaneous exposure to light and electricity, cosmetologists achieve permanent hair removal of any type, including gray hair.

The method is applicable to any skin phototype. You should know that to remove blond and gray hair, it will take 3-4 more sessions than to remove the same amount of hair with a high melanin content. The ability to adjust the impact force and modern cooling systems guarantee healthy hair removal forever with a minimal recovery period after procedures.

Creams and other products

Many women, not wanting to waste time visiting beauty salons, remove unwanted hairs themselves using special creams. This technique removes only the cutaneous part of the hair. The hair follicle is not affected.

Depilation or hair removal – which is better? It all depends on how quickly and for how long the woman wants to get the effect of smooth skin. Depilation with the help of special creams gives the skin the proper look in one go. The technique is simple and painless. The chemicals contained in the creams dissolve hairs without irritating the skin. Depilatory creams can be bought at almost any pharmacy and many perfume stores. It is possible to select a cream that is suitable for different parts of the body according to its composition. This reduces the likelihood of side effects.

Trimmers make caring for hard-to-reach areas of the skin comfortable and safe, but, unlike a razor, they do not cut hairs at the root. A rod up to 0.8 mm long remains above the surface of the skin. Therefore, the skin does not become completely smooth, although the hairs are not very noticeable when viewed from the side. Trimming completely eliminates the possibility of skin irritation; the problem of ingrown hairs does not exist at all.

Epilators used by women at home allow you to remove unwanted hairs from the roots for up to 2 weeks. Of all the types of hair removal for independently combating excess hair on the body, this method is one of the most acceptable. But this is despite the fact that good epilators are not cheap, and the procedure cannot be called painless. Especially if before this the woman was fond of shaving, which leads to the fact that the growing hairs become darker, thicker and coarser. After treatment with an epilator, there is a high probability of irritation and ingrown hair. Therefore, before using it yourself, you must carefully read the description of the use of the device itself, as well as the list of skin care products after the procedure.

Hair removal methods

Epilation involves removing hair by destroying the hair follicles. At the same time, types of hair removal differ in the way they affect the hair follicle.

Epilation using light pulses

The most popular types of hair removal today are based on the impact on the hair follicle using light pulses. These include:

• photoepilation;

A method using light pulses that are converted into thermal energy. In areas of the skin that have undergone photoepilation, hair falls out and stops growing for a long time, but to achieve this result it is necessary to undergo a course of several procedures. It is more suitable for removing dark hairs, since they contain a large amount of light-sensitive pigment melanin, while gray and light hairs are practically not amenable to this method of removal. Photoepilation is considered a relatively safe method of getting rid of “extra” hair, provided that it is carried out by a professional using high-quality equipment. Otherwise, burns may occur.

• laser;

It is very similar to photoepilation, but in this case the follicle is exposed to a powerful laser with a highly directed light wave. As a result of strong heating, the hair follicle is destroyed, after some time it falls out along with the hair and can no longer be restored. Depending on the skin type, a laser device with the required beam length is selected to prevent burns.

So, for light skin types, a ruby ​​laser is used, for darker skin types, alexandrite hair removal is needed, for very dark skin types, a neodymium laser device is used. The procedure is often accompanied by pain and burning, so before it begins, a local anesthetic is applied to the treated area. Laser hair removal is now successfully used in many well-known cosmetology clinics (for example, the Elix clinic in Novosibirsk).

• quantum hair removal is a “relative” of laser and photoepilation;

When using it, hair follicles are also removed using light waves. However, quantum hair removal is more effective than laser hair removal, so it will take much less time to completely remove unwanted hair.

• AFT hair removal (AFT) combines all the advantages of laser and photo hair removal and is considered one of the best ways to get rid of unwanted hair on any part of the body;

The undoubted advantages of this type are high efficiency and painlessness. In addition, there are no side effects observed during this procedure. Complete hair removal requires much less time than other types of hair removal (on average 4-5 sessions). A large area of ​​skin can be treated in one session, with no exceptions based on skin type and hair color.

An important rule in carrying out AFT hair removal is to pre-shave the area that will be treated.

• DPC hair removal.

An innovative method of hardware hair removal, it is also based on the impact of light pulses on the hair follicle, however, only with this method of hair removal is it possible to take into account all the features of the client’s skin and hair as much as possible. DPC hair removal allows you to forget about unwanted hairs forever after just 6-8 procedures. Due to the use of special filters, the pain of the procedure is reduced and the risk of burns is practically reduced to zero.

The listed methods are highly effective, but they are expensive, so they cannot be classified as publicly available ways to make your skin smooth forever.

Comparison table of different types of hair removal

The table shows the main features of all types of hair removal and depilation.

What is the best way to do hair removal?

How to choose the best hair removal method?
Epilation is an individual matter.
Excess hair is always an extra problem. For some reason they like to grow wildly where they are not needed at all. Women have been waging a massive fight against unnecessary body hair since time immemorial. Today, men are increasingly joining them. Therefore, the questions of what is the best way to do hair removal and which method of hair removal is more effective occupy many of us.

Today, the choice of methods for eliminating excess hair is quite wide. Some people are quite happy with a good old shave, while others try every possible advancement. In order to understand what exactly is right for you, let's take a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of currently known hair removal methods.

Home methods

Home hair removal traditionally includes:

• Shaving;
• Depilation with special creams.

Advantages:

convenient, simple, cheap, fast, does not require special skills.

Flaws:

hair grows back in 2-3 days (no matter what depilatory manufacturers say). At the same time, shaving irritates the hair roots, and over time they grow thicker and coarser. High probability of ingrown hairs with subsequent inflammation. Depilatory creams are gentler, but not everyone is comfortable using them, especially in intimate areas.

Bioepilation

Bioepilation is a method of hair removal using natural means:

• Waxing (wasking);
• Sugar (sugaring).

Advantages:

inexpensive hair removal based on pulling out hairs from the roots. With some experience, it is possible to do it yourself at home. At the same time, the effect of peeling and saturation of the skin with useful additional substances that contain wax and sugar mixtures is obtained. So, in a sense, bioepilation can be called a SPA procedure.

Flaws:

It does not permanently remove hair, it is quite sensitive, so it is advisable to perform preliminary anesthesia. Sugar hair removal is less painful than waxing, as the hair is pulled out according to its growth.

Hardware hair removal methods in the salon

Hardware techniques are professional types of hair removal that are done in cosmetology clinics and beauty studios:

• Electrolysis;
• Photoepilation;
• Elos hair removal;
• Laser hair removal

They all operate on the same principle: the dark pigment of the hair, melanin, is affected by a special type of energy, which is converted into heat. Melanin heats up - and the hair root suffers and is destroyed forever. That is why these methods are also called permanent hair removal.

It is worth understanding that there is no way to remove all hair at once! We can only influence those that are in an active stage of growth. Therefore, for the complete disappearance of hair, several sessions will be required with a break of 1-2 months.

The differences between the hardware techniques are that each of them uses different types of energy and different pulse strengths. Because of this, the effectiveness of these methods will vary individually: that is, what works great for one person may not be very helpful for another.

Electrolysis

Advantages:

the electrode is applied directly to each individual hair. This targeted effect guarantees 100% removal - this hair never grows again.

Flaws:

A very painful, long and precious process. Tiny wounds remain at the impact sites, which heal within a few days. On particularly sensitive and thin skin, especially if the pulse strength is set incorrectly, scars may remain.

Photoepilation

Advantages:

exposure to light energy, painless, inexpensive, subsequent hair grows thin and soft.

Flaws:

a larger number of sessions is required compared to other methods. After a few years it needs to be repeated. Doesn't cope well with thin light hairs, especially on tight skin.

Elos hair removal

Advantages:

More effective exposure to dual energy: light and radio frequency. Copes with blond and red hair. At the same time, it has a lifting effect.

Flaws:

After a course of sessions, maintenance procedures are required on average once every six months. Considered less effective than diode laser.

Laser hair removal

Advantages:

Long-term hair removal. Hair begins to grow abundantly only after hormonal stress. Comfortable and fast. The procedure is slightly painful only in sensitive areas such as the intimate bikini area.

Flaws:

Old generation lasers - ruby, alexandrite, neodymium - do not cope with all types of hair and, to avoid burns, are contraindicated for dark skin. A diode laser does not have such disadvantages. Single hairs may grow over time.

Equipment for home use

Recently, devices for home hair removal have been actively offered. However, it is impossible to compare them with the equipment of cosmetology centers. Judging by the reviews, their effectiveness leaves much to be desired. In addition, they are not so cheap and require regular purchase of consumables.

Taking into account the fact that only an experienced master can correctly select the strength of the pulsed energy, such savings, in my opinion, are very doubtful. While you experiment, looking at photo and video tutorials, others, without any problems, will do hair removal in a salon for the same money using a discount coupon or promotion.

How much does hair removal cost?

In Moscow, with its abundance of salons of different categories and positionings, the price for the same procedure can vary significantly. There is only one rule here: the more effective the hair removal, the higher the cost of the session. However, if you add up all the costs that lifelong hair removal entails, it remains to be seen which will be cheaper for you.

Unfortunately, you can only find out exactly how long a particular type of hair removal lasts through experience - each of us has different hair growth. Don't be afraid to try something new and find your own way to make your body perfectly smooth!

What type of hair removal should I choose?

A more or less accurate answer to this question can be given only after comparing the known types of hair removal, their pros and cons. Much depends on the desired duration of the effect, the availability of sufficient free time, the availability of cosmetic services at the place of residence and, of course, on how much a woman can afford to spend in the name of beauty.

A woman will have to decide what and what is better for epilation or depilation on her own, having familiarized herself with the features of each method. Whatever method is chosen, the result will largely depend on the selection of procedure parameters in accordance with the characteristics of the body, the quality of the equipment and the experience of the specialist. We should not forget about existing contraindications. And for modern hardware methods there are not so few of them. Having excluded methods with obvious contraindications and finally choosing for yourself the appropriate modern type of hair removal with its features, you need to be patient in order to bring the job you started to a brilliant finale.

We use wax

Good results when removing vegetation can be achieved at home using wax. During depilation, pain is possible, but you can endure it.

Various techniques are used for waxing:

• wax strips (fabric, paper);
• hot wax;
• warm wax;
• cold wax.

The essence of the procedure is to apply a wax layer in the direction of hair growth. After the product hardens, the layer of product along with the vegetation is removed in the direction of hair growth. This method gives fairly long-lasting results – up to a month. Let's consider options about which wax is best for depilation.

Stripes

If you are thinking about which depilation strips are best, focus on what areas of the skin you are going to treat. Consider your skin type. Wax strips of various sizes are available for sale, designed to treat specific areas of the body. Wax strips can be used to remove hair on the arms and legs, bikini area, even on the face.

Universal strips are also available, but it is advisable to select a product intended for a specific skin type. Strips come in fabric and paper.

Both types of wax strips differ in the components of the product, the quality of adhesion to the skin, and, of course, the manufacturer.

It is difficult to answer the question of what is the best wax for depilation. This is an option for everyone. But, for example, hot wax is considered the best method for removing vegetation in intimate places. This is explained by the fact that the product sticks well, capturing even the coarsest hairs.

Performance

Important: to achieve the desired result when using strips, the hair length should be 0.5 mm, no less. Otherwise, when applying the product, you will not be able to grab the hair and remove it efficiently.

Be sure to follow the rules for conducting a cosmetic session using wax. Depilation is divided into three main stages.

Depilation needs to be done with timing. If depilation is performed independently, then try not to wear clothes on the treated area that day. The best thing to do is to stay at home and allow your skin to completely calm down and recover.