It’s Cat hair, ya pervs…

(Photo by: kevindooley)

UNWANTED BODY HAIR

By Kendra Voth

RIP! OUTCH, DAMMIT, THAT HURT!…So, summer is around the corner and it’s bathing suit season and you haven’t trimmed the trees in a while, dreading having to get out the pruner?

Are you suppose to remove the hair from down yonder? Is it sexual? Perverted? Strange? NO! It’s extremely common and both men and women do it. It’s really a personal choice and has been done since ancient times. People do it for all kinds of reasons: from aesthetics to feeling fresher and being more comfortable in a bathing suit. Some even get fancy with it on holidays, or all year round for that matter!

We have:

The Brazilian (no hair at all)

The Landing Strip (no hair but a strip down the middle)

The Thumbnail (just a square)

The Traditional (V shaped)

Oh and the heart-shaped for valentines day…lol!

What’s your form of chosen torture? Ripping, plucking, shaving, lasering, or pure denial? Before I turn myself into a pretzel and tackle the weeds, I wanted to re-look at my options and thought I would share my investigation with you.

Shaving – I suppose this is possibly the most effort but least painful. Shaving could turn into a daily ritual, and generally doesn’t hurt AT FIRST…But look out for razor burn and red bumps and the risk of ingrown hairs.

A few tips: if you have been fancy free this winter and have let your hair grow, its best to trim back the hedges with scissors to about an inch and a half before you pull out the blade.

Use a sharp blade. For god sakes, don’t use a disposable or dull razor! You don’t want to “cut” corners on a good razor…one bad turn and you may find your self missing a vital body part!

Don’t use soap, use shaving cream; something that has a cooling, menthol agent is nice.

Shave TOWARDS the hair growth not AWAY! This helps decrees the risk of in-growns.

When done – use Bikini Zone Cream, it really does work!

Luffah in-between shaving; this helps with removing dead skin that can cause in-growns.

WAX – MAMMA MIA! This one HURTS! And although you can do this at home, I think some things should be left to the professionals. STRETCH, PULL, TWIST, TURN, RIP! What you get for the pain and the somewhat violating experience is 4 to 6 weeks of nice smooth soft HAIRLESS skin!

A few tips: Before you head off to see your local professional, and get into some uncomfortable positions, pick up some numbing cream from the local drug store. And don’t forget to Loufa your skin in between wax sessions.

Depilatory Creams and Lotions – Messy, expensive and the results don’t last very long…They essentially burn the hair off your body! NOT MY FAVORITE METHOD.

Epilators – I think a man invented these torture devices! These are the little machines that yank the hair out, roots and all. The blade looks like those old fashion non-electric lawnmowers and they hurt! I think more so then waxing…It’s pretty hard to inflict that kind of pain on yourself, that’s why I opt for waxing by a professional.

Laser – I have not experienced laser, but I hear its pretty worth the $$, it’s long-lasting and somewhat permanent. It’s not pain free, but apparently less painful then waxing, depending on the type of hair you have.

OK, so there are some options with a few thoughts from me about my personal experiences. Feel to share your ideas, methods and fun tricks of the trade. Get ready to get personal with your body and express yourself in a way that you want and feel comfortable with.