Best Hair Removal Methods

Don’t look now, but higher hemlines and shorter sleeves are fast approaching! So what are the best hair removal methods to ensure it’s all smooth sailing with new season fashion?

According to the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA), one of the most common non-surgical procedures requested by patients is laser and IPL hair removal. Yes, de-fuzzing is big business.

Here’s a rundown of these hair removal options, so that you can choose what is right for you, and the area you want to eliminate hair from long-term.

Dr. Garry Cussell, Cosmetic Medicine Special, GP and founder of Facial Rejuvenation Clinic says laser hair removal is very popular for areas such as underarms, legs and bikini for female clients and the back and chest for male clients. “But it’s not for everyone as it does not work on all hair colours,” he explains.

“Lasers need melanin in the hair follicle to destroy it and there is not enough melanin in red, grey and white hair, so it will not work on these hair colours unfortunately.” It does however work on all skin colours depending on the laser, he adds.

Laser’s work by emitting energy or light from the machine directly onto the hair follical bulb to be absorbed by its melanin pigment. “The hair bulb is then damaged with this thermal energy and eventually falls out,” explains Dr. Cussell.

Another option in-salon is IPL. James Graham, from Wear Nothing – a developer and supplier of medical/beauty equipment – explains that this Intense Pulse Light works to target the melanin in the hair follicle, to destroy it and render it dormant. But, along with any light-based treatment, IPL is only effective on hair in the anagen stage (growth stage).
“Therefore more than one treatment is necessary to achieve best results,” he explains. “Standard process for treatments consist of 4-6 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart. This is due to only a third of our hair being in the growth stage at any one time,” he says. “Darker skin colour and lighter hair will result in more treatments as the machine can’t be used at full capacity and there is less melanin in the hair follicle respectively.”

The most popular areas for IPL tend to be underarms and bikini line, but full legs and men’s backs/necks are also very popular, says James. “Very little pain is involved, it feels like the flick of a rubber band on your skin with some residual warming of the area.”

“Results are permanent however most people do find they have a couple of stubborn hairs which come back from time to time so a yearly ‘top-up’ consisting of one treatment is recommended.”