Hair Removal
Stuff@night Magazine - January 29, 2002

Hair is a funny thing. If you don’t have enough you want more (think “combover”), and if you have too much you devote a large amount of time to getting rid of it! It seems everybody wants more hair in some places and less hair everywhere else.

Adding hair is an interesting topic all on its own, and I’ll write about that some other time in a second hair piece (“hair piece” get it?). Lets talk about removing hair. There are lots of places where you may have hair but want less. These would include the upper lip, chin, arms, legs, back, chest, and “bikini area”. There are also lots of different ways to get rid of this hair: shaving, hair removing lotions (remember Nair®?) and other depilatories, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis, lasers. And, there are other ways to hide hair including bleaching agents and, of course, less revealing clothing!

Shaving is pretty straightforward – a sharp blade cuts the hair as close to the skin as possible. If the hair is cut short but not short enough your skin may feel rough or “stubbly”. Thus came the invention of multiblade razors, which are supposed to lift the hair before cutting it allowing the short remaining hair to fall back into the skin below the surface. With all shaving methods the hair follicle (or root) remains, so you get to repeat the process quite frequently!

Depilatories contain strong chemicals which, in about 10 minutes, break down the hair including part of the hair below the skin’s surface. These strong chemicals also remove some of the dried skin so you are left with an overall smoother feel than with shaving. It is likely that women have been using some variety of depilatories for close to 6000 years! (It seems smooth skin is not a new fashion!) Again, however, the hair follicle remains so eventually it all comes back…

Waxing (ouch!) and tweezing (ouch ouch!). Well, if the hair root remains then the hair grows back faster right? How are we going to get that pesky hair root out of there? Waxes and tweezers simply grab tightly onto the hair and then you (or someone tougher than you) pulls them right out. They do work, and last much longer than shaving or creams, but, ouch!

“That’s it!” you say, “There’s got to be a way to get rid of this hair once and for all!” There is of course. It’s all about the hair root. So, how can we kill the hair root? How about electrocution? Electrolysis uses an electric current passed down the hair shaft to destroy the hair root. The hair is then “plucked” out. To work best, the hair being electrocuted should be in a growth phase, and not all hairs are in a growth phase at the same time. Typically each treatment will result in only 15-50% permanent hair loss. Thus, you may need several visits. Now, simply count all the hairs you want removed. Each hair has to be individually treated and removed! (Better bring a book…)

Lasers are the newest weapons against body hair. Lasers are highly specialized beams of light. The energy in hair removal lasers is preferentially absorbed by darkly pigmented structures. Lighter areas absorb less energy. So, people with light skin and dark hair will have the best result! In fact, very light or red hair may not be affected at all. If you have tanned or dark skin the treatment is more complicated. Some newer lasers will work on all skin types, but it requires more skill on the part of the operator and the chance for complications is higher. Complications include temporary redness and swelling, and if the skin absorbs too much energy a temporary (and rarely permanent) color change or scarring can occur. (In skilled hands scarring should occur in fewer than one in a thousand.) People with darker skin may be asked to use a bleaching cream for several weeks prior to laser hair removal to minimize the chance of complications.

With laser hair removal you still need several treatments, but with the most favorable coloring you should have a 90% chance of having noticeable permanent hair reduction. And, any remaining hair is typically lighter and finer than the hair you lost!

The procedure can be mildly uncomfortable but the laser machines often use a cooling spray to help. Costs vary depending upon the number of treatments you need, and more importantly, how big an area you need treated but can range anywhere from $500 – 2500. But remember, when you’re done – you’re done! What a time to be alive; people have been seeking smooth skin for 6000 years and you can have it without spending time in the forest finding the right tree sap!

Jeffrey Spiegel, M.D. is a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Boston Medical Center, teaches at Boston University School of Medicine, and serves as medical director of the Laser Skin Center at 119 Newbury Street. Questions for Dr. Spiegel can be sent via e-mail to Jeffrey.Spiegel@bmc.org