Many beauty conundrums can be solved with asking yourself, “What would the Romans do?” A lot beauty knowledge we have today has some affiliation with the ancient civilization (amongst others), and not least of all, yet surprisingly, hair removal.
As the higher class Romans preferred to bathe in rosewater due to its toning properties, a lack of body hair was considered a sign of wealth. Even hair down there was considered uncivilized, which could perhaps explain the tranquil hairless goddess of Botticell’s Birth of Venus.
Speaking of Venus, by 1915, Gillette created the first razor specifically for women, dubbed the Milady Decolletée, and was about the time an ad for depilatory powder promised to remove “humiliating growth of hair on the face, neck, and arms”…
Ten years later the first ad of a woman with bare armpits hit the newsstands, and so the need to be completely hair free continues where we follow suit in the wake of Victoria’s Secret models.
With the imminent arrival of baring everything in bikinis, tiny shorts and mini skirts, there’s a solution for every which way you want rid unwanted hair.
When it comes to smooth legs, most women will reach for the razor. Shaving is the easiest and most affordable way to achieve silky smooth pins.
Rescu. Recommends: Our pick of the razors are Gillette Venus Embrace ($14.99) for a close, comfortable shave with a protective moisture ribbon and The Schick Hydro Silk ($14.95) with it’s five curve sensing blades.
However, shaving is not for all of us. Perhaps you have irritable skin, or you’re constantly left with nicks and cuts, which are not ideal around the bikini line. Shaving can also lead to hyper-pigmentation, and the all too familiar stubble.
Jared Bailey, Benefit’s global brow expert, knows a thing or two about waxing as hair removal. “Waxing is the cleanest way to get a nice, defined shape; you can create any shape you like with wax.”
“It doesn’t do anything to the elasticity of the skin – it’s a nice way to gently exfoliate and to really keep it nice and fresh,” he adds.
For DIY facial waxing Rescu. Recommends Nad’s Facial Wand ($13.95) which incorporates Nad’s Natural Gel and is ideal for shaping eyebrows. Developed specifically for the brow, but also suitable for the upper lip, cheek & chin; the wand glides across the contours of the face, melting with natural body heat.
For the rest of you’re body, Rescu. Recommends Veet Natural Inspirations Sugar Wax ( $15.49) with natural argan oil and 100 per cent naturally sourced ingredients, and offers a fragrant scent and smooth result. And hey, if Natasha Oakley’s a fan, we are too.
Despite not being quite as painful and is looks, if waxing leaves you wanting, or wincing, there’s always bleaching – especially arms or facial areas where shaving is a general no-go zone.
Rescu. recommends the Sally Hansen Extra Strength Creme Hair Bleach (Face/Body) ($18.45) quickly and effectively lightens even the darkest, most stubborn hair so that it blends into your own skin tone.
Another option when you’re sensitive skin is not an ideal candidate for waxing and shaving, is threading. Originating in India over 6000 years ago and spreading promptly throughout Asia and the Middle East, the ancient art of hair removal is one to consider.
Suzi Baker from the Edwards and Co Salon says, “Threading is an ideal solution for anyone seeking a natural and highly effective approach to hair removal. The procedure utilises a piece of cotton thread which is twisted back and forth, grasping the hairs and removing them from the root.”
“If you love a thick full brow, eyebrow threading is definitely for you,” she recommends. “A trained therapist can remove singular hairs with such precision without disrupting the actual thickness of the brow. In most cases, the best and most natural result is achieved by cleverly removing the light wispy hairs surrounding the brow.”
Facial threading boasts a number of anti-ageing skin benefits which noticeably brighten the complexion.
Suzi says, “The technique stimulates the production of natural collagen by encouraging blood circulation to the surface of the skin.”
“This in turn plumps out the face and removes dark shadows, which cast years over the complexion, leaving a bright and glowing finish.The skin benefits of eyebrow threading over time are abundant, most notably because threading causes little trauma to the delicate areas around the eyes, as well as the reduction of congestion and pimples.”
If the thought of threading is still not your cup of English Breakfast, a hair removal cream can do just the trick.
Rescu. recommends the Nair Sensitive Hair Removal Cream ($6.25) with its unique formula that is gentle on the skin and ensures pain free hair removal to last longer than shaving.
For all your tricky hair removal situations on-the-go Rescu. recommends the cordless Emjoi BodyBare Ultimate ($99.95) epilator that achieves the ultimate in smooth and silky skin with a dual head that allows for faster epilation. BodyBare Ultimate features 30 pairs of 24-carat gold tweezers for non-irritating hair removal.
When you reach the very end of your tether, laser hair removal and IPL are the new go-tos for ease of mind when you hit the beach.
Dr. Garry Cussell, Cosmetic Medicine Special, GP and founder of Facial Rejuvenation Clinic says laser hair removal is very popular for areas such as underarms, legs and bikini for female clients. “But it’s not for everyone as it does not work on all hair colours,” he explains.
“Lasers need melanin in the hair follicle to destroy it and there is not enough melanin in red, grey and white hair, so it will not work on these hair colours unfortunately.” It does however work on all skin colours depending on the laser, he adds.
Another option in-salon is IPL. James Graham, from Wear Nothing explains that this Intense Pulse Light works to target the melanin in the hair follicle, to destroy it and render it dormant. But, along with any light-based treatment, IPL is only effective on hair in the anagen stage (growth stage).
“Therefore more than one treatment is necessary to achieve best results,” he explains. “Standard process for treatments consist of 4-6 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart. This is due to only a third of our hair being in the growth stage at any one time,” he says. “Darker skin colour and lighter hair will result in more treatments as the machine can’t be used at full capacity and there is less melanin in the hair follicle respectively.”
The most popular areas for IPL tend to be underarms and bikini line, says James. “Very little pain is involved, it feels like the flick of a rubber band on your skin with some residual warming of the area.”
Image credit: zimbio.com and WikiCommons