Body hair begone! The perfect way to prep for the summer months

Time to bring out the razors and prep for the summer but you might want to consider other options that make it even easier.

Whether you do annual bikini-line maintenance or chase every stray hair with tweezers, body and facial hair can be a nuisance, try as you might to ignore it. This summer you can take the sweat out of hair removal with our pick of some of the safest, most effective treatments.

LASER

A laser delivers concentrated light into the pigmented part of the follicle, damaging it so hair can’t grow back. “If you think of hair as a flower, laser energy travels down the stem to the bulb, where it zaps the cells that grow hair,” explains plastic surgeon Dr Barry DiBernardo. But since only 10-30 per cent of hair is in the active growing phase at any given time, you’ll need multiple treatments to nab each follicle.

Where to use it:

Upper lip, chin, sideburns, underarms, bikini, legs, arms.

PROS: Most people will see permanent results after four to seven sessions.

CONS: which has It can locations be pricey. all around At Clearskincare Australia, you Clinics, can pay $69 for a full face, $69 for underarms and bikini line and $209 for full leg, per session. Lasering only treats dark hair, so is not useful for white, grey, blonde or red strands. “If you’ve got very light skin and dark hair, there’s no problem,” DiBernardo says. “If your skin is darker, skin pigment is competing with the hair pigment and a laser can accidentally cause little white blotches.” That said, lasers with longer wavelengths work safely on dark skin tones, although they may not be as effective as on those with fairer skin. For best results, avoid the sun, and don’t wax or tweeze for four weeks beforehand.

ELECTROLYSIS

An ultrathin needle delivers an electrical current into the hair follicle to destroy the growth centre of the hair which is then removed with tweezers. It’s less popular than laser treatments, because it’s more painful and the process is slower, as only one hair follicle can be treated at a time, which makes it unsuitable for large areas of the body.

Where to use it:

Eyebrows, chin, sideburns, nipples.

PROS: The results from electrolysis last forever, and it works on any skin tone and hair colour. It’s great for small spots you wouldn’t want to wax, like nipples and the random hairs that hormones inspire to sprout on your face or around your chin. CONS: The cost can add up: it’s around $25 for 15 minutes (during which time about 30-40 follicles can be zapped). You’ll need a series of treatments – from six to 10 for a light moustache to 30 or more for bikini area, one to two weeks apart.

THREADING

A twisted piece of thread is pulled along areas of unwanted hair, lifting the follicle from the root. Where to use it:

Anywhere on the face. PROS: It’s quick and inexpensive – $10 to $35 per session depending on area treated. Results last up to four weeks. It’s precise, involves no waxes or chemicals, and is safe for people using isotretinoin for acne or topical retinoids. “Threading requires minimal contact with the skin, unlike waxing,” says threading specialist Shobha Tummala. CONS: It causes temporary redness and may trigger breakouts if you’re acne prone.

WAXING AND SUGARING

Both work in a similar way with an application of a layer of cool or heated wax or a cool sugaring gel (made from sugar, lemon and hot water), which is then stripped away, removing hair.

Where to use it: Bikini, legs, armpits. PROS: It’s not too pricey (around $75 for a leg wax, $30 for underarm sugaring) and results last two to four weeks. Over time, the hair bulb gets damaged from being pulled out at the root, so hair grows back finer and less densely, says dermatologist Dr Laurel Geraghty. Sugaring is gentler than waxing and there is no burn risk, since it’s not heated. CONS: This is a treatment with serious ouch factor (albeit, over in a flash), especially if you have sensitive skin. Give it a miss if you’re on isotretinoin acne treatment or using a topical retinoid, because these sensitise the skin, leaving you vulnerable to scarring. Make sure you apply a thin layer of cortisone cream post-wax to prevent ingrown hairs and bumps.

DERMAPLANING

Also known as Epi-blading, this treatment is as close as you’ll ever get to shaving your face. A practitioner gently “shaves” off dead skin cells, and hair, using a surgical scalpel. Don’t worry that hair will grow back thicker. “Hair can sometimes feel more blunt or coarse after shaving, because it’s sliced off at a sharp angle,” Geraghty explains. Where to use it:

On the face.

PROS: It’s painless, safe and exfoliates skin. CONS: It’s expensive, especially considering results only last from a day to a week. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 to more than $200.

HOME DEVICES

There are a number of brands, such as Phillips, Remington, Smoothskin and Braun, that manufacture DIY laser hair removal devices powered by Intense Pulsed Light which destroys the hair at the root – similar to those used by a dermatologist. “They’re not as powerful as in-office lasers, but they do work,” Geraghty says. Where to use it:

Face and body.

PROS: Once you invest in a device, which may retail anywhere from $200 to nearly $1000, you can use it anytime. Treatments are generally painless, and you see results in around four weeks. CONS: Like lasers, these work best if there’s detectable contrast between hair colour and skin colour, so they’re best for people with light skin and dark hair. Even with their safety features, there’s a risk of discolouration and burns, so study the instructions first.