I saw the ads for Smooth Away Hair Removal on the television and it peaked my interest.   What it is is a hair removal hand pad with a crystallized surface on it which exfoliates your skin.   The price is very cheap, so I decided to head to the local corner store and buy a set of pads to try it out.

From what I had seen of it in online commercials, it looked to me like a little mitt with sandpaper on it. Looked kind of painful actually.   I was a little apprehensive about using some kind of pad that was going to rip my hair out as if I where waxing.

I took it out of the box, there where two different sized pads which I assume are for treating different areas of your body.  I have slightly thicker than fine hair on my arms, so I decided that this would be the litmus test — I started rubbing one of the pads on my arm as recommended, in a circular pattern. Sure enough, it certainly hurt a bit. It basically rips the hair out of your arm and exfoliates at the same time. I had tons of dead skin along with hairs that collected on the pad. YUCK!   Though I can see how this would work well for people with fine hairs, if you have thicker hair, this product is a definite no-go.

Another thing that I didn’t like about these pads was that when I was done, even though I was meticulous about treating my entire arm, there where still patches of hair that remained on my arm.  This was after rubbing my arm for minutes!   In my opinion, it would have been a much better use of my time to simply use a razor or any other hair removal device.  Yes… I said razor! The hair on my arm seemed to grow back even faster and more stubbly than if I simply let the hair grow out and shaved it with a disposable razor. Not only that, but I had a nice little red rash on my arm after I was done using the product.   Even though the pressure I used was gentle to moderate, it looked as if my skin had some kind of reaction to the pads for about an hour and a half.   I dont recommend using this if you are going to be going out in public directly after.

On the positive side of this, I hear that this pad works wonders for people who suffer from keratosis pilaris — you know, those red, raised bumps a lot of people get on the backs of their arms.

Smooth Away Hair Removal System would be better marketed as a skin exfoliator in my opinion.  Ill stick to sugaring, waxing — even shaving!

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If you are planning on getting laser facial hair removal, you need to be aware that it is important to honor the suggested time intervals or time gaps between treatments.  If you are spending the money to use this form of hair removal, you may as well make sure to do things the right way in order to ensure that the hair removed from your face stays gone for as long as possible without having to pay for extra, unnecessary treatment.  When it comes to hair removal systems, there are no shortcuts.  Doing things the right way the first time around IS the shortest path to your desired goal: smooth, hairless skin!

While different laser hair removal clinics may offer slightly different suggestions in regards to the time you need to wait between treatments in order for optimal facial hair removal, the general consensus is that you should be waiting approximately 2 months in between each laser facial hair removal treatment.  The reason for this is so that the hair roots stay close to the surface of the skin.  This allows for a greater effect with each successive treatment.  After each treatment, the hair will become thinner and thinner.  Even though you may not see the use of continuing treatment once your hair appears to thin to the point where you feel happy, know that it is often important to continue with treatment afterwards to ensure that the hair removal remains permanent and as long lasting as possible.

If you find that for some reason you need to take some time off in between sessions, longer than what is suggested by the laser treatment clinic, know that you should hold onto most of the ‘gains’ you have recieved from your laser treatment in regards to how thin it has made your hair.  Laser hair removal can push the limits of some people’s budgets.  Though it isn’t the most optimal way to go about doing things, this sort of thing happens all the time.  Be aware that this may mean that you might have to go in for an extra treatment or two when you are done as interupting the process may make the treatment less effective.

Another thing to consider both during treatment, and if you end up having to interupt the treatment time interval between laser hair treatments for your face is that if you end up using some other form of hair removal system during this time period that waxing should be avoided as well as any other form of epilation such as sugaring, mechanical epilation or anything else that is used to remove the hair from the root.  The irritation caused by waxing and other forms of epilation can cause the hair root to retreat away from the surface of the skin.  For laser hair removal to be most effective, it needs to have access to the hair root.  The closer the hair root is allowed to remain towards your skin, the greater the effect the laser will be able to produce.  If you take a break from your laser treatments and decide to wax in between, you should wait at least two months before resuming your treatment regimen.

So there it is — you will be waiting somewhere around 2 months in between each laser treatment for your face.  During that time, you are to avoid epilation or waxing.  If you need to take longer than 2 months in between treatments, it is advised that you avoid epilation or if you do, wait 2 months before resuming treatment.  When you decide to spend the money on a permanent form of hair removal such as laser treatment, follow the recommended guidelines as close as possible, and you will enjoy smooth, hairless skin for a long time to come!

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How much does laser hair removal cost?  That is always one of the first things that jumps into people’s minds when they decide that they are looking for a permanent hair removal solution.  While you can certainly talk to a hair removal professional and get a price, you need to be aware that a lot of that cost is offset by the fact that using laser is a permanent hair removal solution.  There is a difference between the terms “cost” and “price”.  Seeing as how you are a practical person, I will be sure to include average prices in this article.  Know that the cost of laser hair removal is dependent on a variety of factors ranging from the area you would like work done on to the area of the country you happen to be living in.

Certain parts of the country will be more expensive to receive hair removal treatment than others.  Treatment in the south eastern United States ranging from Texas to Florida all the way up to the Virginia’s is going to be the most expensive area to receive treatment (average price around $470), next most expensive is the New England/northeastern states, followed by the west — from the Dakota’s westward , with the cheapest part of the US to get laser hair treatment being the midwest (avg. $160).  Of course there will be variances within different regions and from clinic to clinic.  Note that these prices are for a single treatment.  Few people may only require one  to 3 treatments, but most will require up to 4 to 6 treatments.  Many clinics will provide package deals for those who are going to require several treatments.  Talking to the doctor is really the only way you are going to find out the actual cost.

Also be aware that different parts of the body will incur different cost as well.  Large area’s such as the back will cost the most, with prices going all the way up to $900.  Small, easy to reach places like the under arms are the cheapest with prices ranging from $200-$300 depending upon the size of the person.

One thing that you need to keep in mind here though, is that though laser hair removal costs in terms of money may seem rather high to some, the actual cost is low.  “Price” refers specifically to the sticker price of the procedure.  The amount of cash that you will hand over.  When you factor in things such as the time that you would normally spend shaving, or the cost of materials, as well as the pain that is caused by certain hair removal systems such as waxing, the actual cost of laser hair removal goes way down.  Using laser to remove hair is painless and in the grand scope of things, it is a huge time saver.  How many minutes per day, or every other day do you spend fumbling around with a razor in the shower?  Or purchasing hair removal supplies?  Time is money, so is convenience and so is living a pain free life.

If you have decided to do something a little more permanent about unwanted hair, laser hair removal is the most cost efficient and painless way to go about obtaining smooth, healthy, hair-free skin around!

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The reality of hair removal is that just about any method used will not give completely permanent results.  There is a large gap, however, between certain methods as some will likely remove unwanted hair for years while techniques will only work until the hair grows back at its normal rate.  We are going to briefly discuss some of the (usually cheaper and more DIY) hair removal systems that provide a shorter term effect in this post.

If you are looking for temporary hair reduction, it is often accomplished with the use of IPL, laser and eflornithine hydrochloride cream.  Be aware that IPL and laser may often give more permanent results.  People will use these removal systems usually for medical reasons such as ingrown hair and various other conditions which cause abnormal hair growth on places of the body that are visual to the public.

Your more common methods for removing hair temporarily consist of the following techniques:

Epilation: physically removing the hair from the shaft.

• Waxing:  by far the most common and effective means of epilation.  Be aware that a rash will often follow, and that the follicles can actually become infected causing what appears to be acne.  Antiinflammatory creams are often used afterward to treat this.  Also, make sure to use good, clean wax to prevent infection.
• Mechanical epilators
• Sugaring:  a paste is made, cooled and then applied to the offending area.  It is then ripped off the body much like waxing.  This method is very appealing to many DIY types.
• Threading:  a method commonly used in India and other parts of Asia where a thread is used to mechanically pluck hair from the body.
• Abrasives:  if you are prone to ingrown hairs, this method should be avoided.

Depilation:  removal of part of the hair shaft.

• Chemical depilatories:  the use of creams, chemicals or shaving powders to dissolve the hair.  While this method can often be painless, it may also cause chemical burns to those with sensitive skin.  Be cautious using these on highly visable areas of your body without first testing them elsewhere first.  Be aware that it is often difficult to use these to remove coarse or thick hair without also burning the skin so use caution.
• Trimming and shaving:  self explanatory.
• Friction:  be aware that this method can cause ingrown hairs to those who are susceptible.

Finally, bleaching is an alternative used by many with thin hair.  With this method, the hair isn’t removed, but simply made to be lighter and thus less noticable.  Those with sensative skin should be aware that this can actually burn the skin if left on too long, so be careful!

There are many different ways to cheaply and temporarily remove hair, what system you use will depend largely upon what resources are available as well as the type of skin and hair you have.  Make sure to experiment first on a small patch of hair located in a not so easy to see and insensitive part of your body first before attempting a new technique on a highly visible part of your body like your face.

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If you are looking for a permanent hair removal system, you need to be aware of a couple of  points.  First, you need to understand that the word ‘permanent’ in terms of hair removal doesn’t mean forever.  Second, you need to distinguish between what types of hair removal are ‘permanent’, and which are only ‘temporary’.

Permanent hair removal simply implies that the hair which is removed should stop growing for a long period of time, usually for at least a few years.  It is also important to note that different types of removal may often give different people different results.  Luckily, there are several different methods, so if one doesn’t do the trick, you can always try something else.  Studies show that most common permanent hair removal systems will stop hair growth in about 95% of the people who use them for a variable amount of time.

Permanent hair removal methods that are most commonly used these days are: electrolysis (includes galvanic electrolysis, thermolysis as well as the blend method which is a combination of the two), laser hair removal is becoming increasingly popular, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and its variants: Variable Pulsed Light (VPL); Controlled Pulsed Light (CPL); Intense Flashed Light (IFL) are also used.

Short term, or temporary hair removal usually implies a form of hair removal in which the hair is removed and growth is usually unaffected.  Depilation, shaving, trimming, and friction are common methods which remove the hair at the shaft.  Epilation is mechanical removal of hair at the root- it is the superior form of temporary hair removal.  Forms of epilation are plucking, tweezing, threading, abrasives, sugaring and waxing.  Lastly, Bleaching is a short term solution in which the hair isn’t removed, but made to be less noticeable.

Permanent hair removal treatments often require one to come back for a couple to several treatments depending on a variety of circumstances ranging from the area being treated to the hair type of the person who is getting rid of unwanted hair.  Permanent facial hair removal on a light haired European woman will require a different amount of commitment than permanent body hair removal on an Italian male who is exceptionally hairy.

When you are looking to remove unwanted hair permanently, keep in mind that ‘permanent’ is more or less subjective when it comes to dealing with hair.  Using the permanent methods described above will most likely involve more than a single visit and there is a small chance that you may have to try a couple of different techniques before finding one that works for you.  When you do find something that works however, the cost and effort involved is well worth the time and energy you would have had to have spent dealing with unwanted hair on a daily basis.

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