Body hair is completely normal, but depending on the season, occasion, or personal preferences, you might choose to opt for hair removal options. Getting rid of body hair permanently may be difficult, but you can achieve long-term hair-free, smooth skin via dermatologically-approved treatments.
If you're eager to know what these methods are, let's dive deep into four different options that you can choose from!
Can You Permanently Remove Body Hair?
In a world of shaving, waxing, and epilating, most of us wonder how to remove hair permanently - isn't it? Although you cannot instantly get rid of your body hair permanently, there are a few long-term hair removal options that can help you. The results are long-lasting, but you will need touch-up sessions to maintain these results and reduce the hair growth eventually.
The body areas on which you can undergo long-term hair removal procedures include:
Legs
Arms
Pubic areas
Underarms
Face
Bikini line
Long-term Hair Removal Solutions
Shaving, waxing, tweezing, threading, etc. will help you get rid of unwanted body hair instantly but only for a short time. After a few days, you will find your hair growing back, and sometimes thicker than before. This happens because these techniques remove hair at the surface, making it grow back very quickly. Read more about hair removal methods.
If you're wondering how to remove hair permanently from private parts or how to remove pubic hair permanently at home, then there are other techniques that you can consider like the ones mentioned below.
The following techniques are apt if you've been thinking a lot lately about how to remove hair permanently:
Electrolysis
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Laser Hair Removal
Prescription creams
Let’s take a look at each of them in detail below:
Electrolysis
Googling for how to get rid of facial hair permanently? Here lies your answer – electrolysis, a hair removal procedure that uses shortwave radio frequencies that are distributed through fine needles. These needles are placed directly on your hair follicles to affect the follicle in a way that doesn't revive the hair growth. It works for most skin types and can be done on most parts of the body. The procedure is carried out by a certified electrologist or a dermatologist so you can’t do it from the comfort of your home.
IPL
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a skin treatment that offers long-term body hair removal right at home. It is suitable for arms, legs, bikini area, face (except eyebrows and the under-eye areas), etc. The IPL device is like a handheld flashgun that emits multiple wavelengths of light that target the hair follicle. The melanin in your skin absorbs the heat energy, thus affecting the hair root and disabling the key areas within the hair follicle. This makes your hair fall out.
IPL isn't suitable for lighter shades of hair like bleached or naturally blonde, white, grey, or red hair. It works best on darker hair and lighter skin tones. However, some technologically-advanced IPL devices feature sensors to detect skin tones. After about four-to-12 weeks of treatment, you can achieve optimum results. If you stop seeing hair growth, you don't need to complete the full 12 weekly treatments. You can then continue with the touch-up sessions.
IPL treatment is safe and pain-free, but it also has some common side effects like redness, swelling, hormonal brown spots, etc. However, these side effects are mild and will fade away in no time. You should avoid the treatment if you're pregnant, having any skin disease, under some medication, or tanned. It is recommended to do a patch test before going ahead with this method for sensitive areas.
The best part about this hair removal treatment is that you can do IPL at home using a flashgun-like IPL device. Unlike prescription creams, this treatment offers you long-lasting results and is also cost effective - if you compare IPL to laser hair removal or electrolysis treatment.
Why IPL is your best choice for permanent hair removal?
IPL tackles the hair growth issue at root, thereby breaking the cycle of hair regrowth. Thus, giving you silky-smooth, hair-free skin for a longer duration. With a dermatologically accredited IPL device that comes with a sensor technology, it is a safe procedure to perform from the comfort of your home thereby saving you from frequent salons or beauty clinic visits.
As compared to other treatments, it is a quicker, painless, convenient, and cost-effective method to choose for permanent hair reduction.
Laser Hair Removal
Another long-term hair removal treatment, laser, too, targets the hair follicle. It is similar to IPL, but the difference is that it emits single wavelength heat energy or monochromatic coherent light source instead of multiple wavelengths. This treatment needs to be done by a certified laser specialist or dermatologist. It can be anywhere on the body, except for the under-eyes area. It is effective on darker and thicker hair and requires multiple sessions to remove all the hair from a specific area. Just like IPL, this treatment, too, isn't effective on blonde, grey, white, or red hair.
Usually, each session is four to six weeks apart, and you may notice about 10-25% hair reduction after the first session itself. Once your hair grows back, you may feel it's lighter and less thick than before. After completing the required sessions, your hair growth may stop for months or even years, and you may have to go for only touch-up sessions.
Although safe, it has some common side effects like slight pain during the session, redness and irritation of the skin, temporary pigment changes, and increased sensitivity to the sun after the session.
Prescription Creams
If you're looking for a cheaper hair removal solution, then prescription creams may be the best bet for you. You can talk to your dermatologist to prescribe you a prescription cream. These creams contain -eflornithine, a medication that inhibits hair growth when used regularly. You may be asked to apply this cream twice a day for about a month, which results in about eight weeks of hair-free skin.
You may have to repeat the process after eight weeks if you see hair growth. This may surely be a cheaper option, but it is not a long-term solution.
Takeaway
Remember, body hair is normal and getting rid of it is a personal choice. So, take your time to consider which method suits your needs the best. Before going ahead with any of the treatments, make sure to talk to your dermatologist to understand your skin condition and if it's okay for you to opt for any of these methods. In case of doing the treatments at home, make sure you go for dermatologically approved devices or creams.