Hair Removal for Men
Hair problem is not just a strict female thing as men do have these problems. However, men’s hair removal wasn’t a popular practice until last century. Nowadays more men are willing to remove hair in their chest and back and are also opting to go for hair removal products to gain a smooth skin. The main problem with some men is that they have excess hair but always don’t like to enter a salon or spa to remove their body hair. Even though they do want to remove their body hair, many still think that hair removal is a girly stuff and don’t want to make it public by visiting a salon or spa.
If you are one of them, then read on..
When it comes to hair removal for men and women, it is entirely different for men as their hair are more strong and thick and is definitely harder to remove using the traditional hair removal methods used by women like tweezing, plucking etc. Generally, men are not that patient enough like women to sit before a mirror for hours in tweezing and plucking their hair. They always want to have things completed quickly and in this article, I’ll tell you the various methods of hair removal for men.
Hair Removal Options for Men that actually work
Here are the top 5 hair removal systems that are most effective for men’s hair.
1. Shavers
Shaving your body to remove hair is not always recommended unless you use it for a smaller portion of the body. The reason it is not preferred is that it can cause burns and cuts in your body and which in turn can produce marks on the body. But when it comes to hair removal, shaving is one of the most inexpensive methods for hair removal in men.
Nowadays, you can get blades that are long and thick with hinged handles to comfortably shave any portion of your body. The razors are specially designed and literally straight that allows you to easily shave your back and shoulders. It is almost similar to using a scrub to clean your back while taking a shower.
But unlike other methods of hair removal techniques like laser treatment or electrolysis, hair removal using shavers will only remove the hair above the skin and it might grow the next day. Hence, shaving is a totally a temporary process, but can be quick, comfortable and is also relatively painless when compared to other hair removal methods. Shaving is mainly recommended for removing the facial hair and if you are looking to remove all those unwanted air in your legs and hands, it is better to go for waxing or using depilatory creams.
Even though many shave their genitals to remove their pubic hair, generally it is not recommended as any cut in that portion of your body may lead to serious complications. It is also not necessary to remove hair from your genitals and if you need trimming is the best option to reduce the hair in that area. Shaving is also ideal to remove all unwanted hair from your shoulders, back and buttocks. Make sure to keep the area wet before having and lather up the area with some cream to ensure for a complete and smooth shave in that area.
2. Waxing for Men
When it comes to the waxing process, it is exactly the same for both men and women. But the pain may be a little bit more intense when it comes to male waxing as the hair is more coarse and thick in men when compared to women. But the rewards are pretty much same as both men and women who have waxed their body will see the same kind of results. After waxing, men don’t need to shave for a certain period and their body also starts to look more refined and shinier than before.
Sticky honey-based wax creams are a thing of the past and now we have waxing creams that are mainly soy-based ones. These creams, when applied on top of your body, would only adhere to your hairs and special piece of cloth is layered on top of the cream. In 10-15 mins the mixture starts to dry and the cloth is slowly removed. This process of pulling the cloth from the skin may cause a little bit pain, think of it like pulling a bandage off your skin after the wound is healed. But you come out of that pain, the result will be rewarding as you don’t need to shave for almost for about 4-6 weeks.
Waxing for men is best suited for waxing your unibrow, hair on your neck, legs, underarms and arms. Waxing is not generally preferred in the genital area as it could be more painful when compared to other areas. But waxing is always better suited to other parts of the body as shaving can lead to burns and cuts and could leave an ugly mark on that area. Waxing causes pain only for that moment when the cloth is removed whereas cuts and burns caused due to shaving can be there for some time, even leaving a mark behind.
Waxing ensures the hair is removed from the roots and hence it will take time for it to grow back. Men who have never had waxing before may better have it done professionally as improper waxing may lead to skin infections as well.
3. Hair Removal Creams
Men looking to remove all the unwanted hair from their body without visiting a salon or spa can opt for hair removal creams. There are a lot of hair removal creams available in your local stores and could cost you very less when compared to going for waxing treatments or laser removal sessions. These hair removal creams are harmless and can be applied to any part of the body. It just takes around 10-15 minutes to have your hair removed by applying these creams on the area you want to remove all those unwanted hair.
It is always recommended to read all the instructions carefully and follow the procedures as specified for a successful hair removal using these creams. Hair removal creams also called as depilatory creams remove the hair by dissolving it above the skin. Hence, all you need to do is wipe all the hair using a wet cloth and then follow it up with rinsing the area with warm water. It is a very simple and easy process when compared to waxing and laser treatments. And also the ideal solution for hair removal from your home without needing to visit a salon or spa.
Compared to waxing and laser treatment, this kind of hair removal is totally painless and takes lesser time and is very much effective. One of the main advantages of using hair removal creams is that it largely exfoliates your skin and removes all those dead cells accumulated over your skin for some period. This means that not only your skin is free from hair, but also looks way more shining than before.
Most of these hair creams come with special chemicals that penetrate into the hair follicles and halt or tamper the hair growth cycle. Some creams also kill the hair shafts and thus ensuring that hair never grows back again in that area. Before applying these creams, it is always better to test it on a small area of your skin to see if you feel any burning or irritation feeling and try to avoid using it if you see any kind of those stinging or tingling sensation.
4. Laser Hair Removal
When compared to waxing, laser hair removal is relatively new but an advanced hair removal procedure that removes all the unwanted from your body quickly. And laser hair removal is not painful like waxing and can be done for both men and women. Laser hair removal doesn’t cause any significant side effects for most people whereas waxing can cause some skin infections.
The laser light, when employed over the hair, penetrates into the hair shaft and kills the root of the hair. Even though it doesn’t kill the hair follicles and technically it is possible for hair to grow in that place, it is often found that hair growth takes a lot of time in that portion where laser treatment is done. The reason hair takes a lot of time to grow is because the laser light absorbs all the melanin in the hair follicle which may restrict the hair growth for a long time.
Laser treatment may generally last about 20-30 minutes, but for permanent hair removal in a portion of your body, it may take up to 6-8 sessions. Laser hair removal is ideal for removing all the unwanted hair from your chest, back, shoulders and stomach portions of your body. It can also be used to remove the pubic hair from your genitals as well.
Once you have a successful laser hair removal, the results are mostly permanent and all you need to do is to go for annual touch-up treatments to check if hair is permanently removed. Men having excess hair on their back and chest and don’t want it entirely removed can opt for laser treatment to have it thinned out, so you have some hair left in those areas.
Also, laser hair removal has been considered costly a couple of years back, but now these costs have come down and it can take anywhere up to $150-$200 per session. But the costs are generally based on the area where the treatment is done. And DIY laser treatments at home are generally not recommended as you only need to seek the help of a trained personnel for all your laser hair removal procedures. But there are products available in the market that allows you to take care of your laser treatments at home, but it is better to read the instructions carefully before going over the procedure.
5. Electrolysis
Electrolysis is another popular method of hair removal for men. When compared to laser treatments and waxing, electrolysis hair removal is a lot more advantageous. These kinds of hair removal can be employed even in the smallest sections of your body where waxing or laser treatment is impossible. Unlike other treatments, electrolysis hair removal is completely permanent as hair growth is halted in that area forever and also comes with only a few side effects.
Electrolysis is the process of using a very thin metal to remove the hair and replacing that area with that thing probe in the hair follicle. Then electricity is sent over the probe to destroy the root portion of the hair and this ensuring hair is permanently removed from that portion. Unlike laser treatments, you need only a single electrolysis session to remove your hair permanently from a certain portion of your body.
But electrolysis hair removal can be time-consuming as it works on every individual hair by inserting the probe and sending electricity onto it to damage the root of the hair. Even though it is time-consuming, it is one of the most effective methods of hair removal for both men and women and takes only a single session to remove all that unwanted hair from your body permanently.
When it comes to FDA approved hair removal methods, electrolysis hair removal is the only method that has been deemed safe and approved by the FDA. People who don’t want to take laser treatments and need to have their hair removed in a single session opt for electrolysis hair removal.
Men looking to remove a lot of hair from their body may definitely need to come for weekly treatments as this kind of treatment is pretty much time-consuming as it is done on each and every individual hair at a time. Many young men opt for electrolysis hair treatment to remove that excess hair from their unibrow. Older men also seek electrolysis hair removal methods to remove that ugly hair popping around their nose, collars, and ears.
Electrolysis Vs Laser Hair Removal
The question that immediately comes to my mind is electrolysis or laser hair removal, which one is more effective and which one is safe? There is no cut and dry answer, but I would say electrolysis is more permanent and safer. On the other hand, laser removal is simpler and less time-consuming process. So the laser vs electrolysis choice needs a longer answer. I compared both and here are the pros and cons of both methods.
Laser Hair Removal | Electrolysis |
Pros: Laser removes hair from most body parts except face. You can immediately resume your no.rmal life after each laser treatment. Faster procedure. |
Pros: A versatile procedure which you can use to remove hair from most body parts. More permanent compared to laser. Relatively no side effects. No maintenance/after care needed. |
Cons: Some people may have minor side effects After care is needed. |
Cons: Electrolysis cannot cover larger areas in one session. Time-consuming since multiple sessions needed. |
Conclusion
If you are looking for a permanent hair removal in a certain portion of your body, it is always better to seek the help of a professional to decide on the best hair removal method for a safe and successful hair removal.