Removing hair

[grnidone]

Hair removal products should not be applied to certain body parts. I learned this the hard way. and am currently recuperating

Has anyone had experience with permanent hair removal? I just want to nuke it all. Is Laser the best?

[glengara]

I've heard wax is popular in Brazil...

[Mardi_Gras]

I used to do PR for a laser hair removal center. It is a pretty good product - but be cautioned - on dark-skinned women it can have unpleasant side effects.

It is not particularly painful - feels like a rubber band popping you. It is also often not immediately permanent - more than one treatment will likely be needed.

[mivox]

I heard laser treatment worked best on light skinned people with dark hair...
How does it compare to electrolysis as far as effectiveness?

Anyone ever used one of those 'home treatment' units with what looks like electrified tweezers? Are they permanent after a few uses? I'd buy one if it was actually a long term effect, as opposed to regular old non-electrified tweezers.

[RobinC]

My mum bought one of these home-electrolysis kits when I was a kid - don't think it got used more than once or twice. I then bought one for my wife, and it's about as useful as a comb for a "follicly challanged" person... From what I gather the ones that work as either tweezers, or a short metal thread you put into the follicle, aren't effective on thicker hairs - so great for the old fuzz, not so great for the places you probably want to use it... On the other hand, if they work for you, then like laser treatment, they work by gradually killing the follicle itself, so after a few treatments the hair will grow back thinner, and possibly even never again.

Personally I'd look into the various laser treatments, there are a couple of types, and I seem to remember there's a new one involving a cream/gel and ultraviolet lights - all probably need multiple treatments, but the prices aren't too bad, and they do have visible results. Your best bet would be going into somewhere and asking them.

My wife wants it on the obvious places, and my sensitive skin makes shaving a pain (literally, so 6 days a week I look shaggy), so it's one of these things that we're saving up to look into. ;-)

[Mardi_Gras]

I think electrolysis is effective but it can be expensive and very time consuming, especially when there are large areas of hair involved.

I think it may also be more painful, although I have no firsthand experience..

[Mardi_Gras]

Speaking of sensitive areas, one of my friends tried her home waxing kit on her underarms. Definitely NOT recommended. Those thick hair follicles come out very painfully.

[pageoneresults]

Radiation treatments might be effective. ;)

My understanding is that the laser treatments are the most effective at this point in time.

I find that as I age gracefully, hair begins to grow in places that it did not previously. I was amazed to see all the neat little gadgets that are out there to remove unwanted hair, I even have a few in the medicine cabinet. Ears and nose become important at some point in life!

Chest, back, arms and legs are another story. I'm beginning to look like one of those cuddly teddy bears and am not sure what to do. At times I just want to take the clippers and trim it all off. Eek, did that once and spent a month in itchy status while things began to grow back to their allocated lengths.

It sure would be nice to have a pill that effectively removes unwanted hair. I'm sure we'll know as soon as it is available via email.