Waxing
Why: More effective than shaving or using hair-removal creams, waxing is a semi-permanent way to get smoother skin. There are two ways of waxing: one with strip wax, which is spread over the skin and quickly ripped off with a cloth or paper strip; or with hard wax, which is applied more thickly and is left to harden and cool. The second option is better if you have sensitive skin. Many women choose to wax their bikini line and legs.
Pros: The great thing about waxing is that it will leave you hair free for anything from two to eight weeks. And because it removes hair right from the root, it means that you won't get that stubbly feeling that is left after shaving, and your re-growth will be much softer. And the more you wax, the less your hair grows back.
Cons: Even though waxing leaves you with a super-smooth finish, getting there can be painful - especially if you have sensitive skin. The pain factor puts many women off doing it themselves at home, which means it can also be more costly than at-home solutions. Ingrown hairs are also a major issue with waxing, but there are ways of avoiding the problem. Noria Pakzat, regional manager of Tilia & Finn, says the main reason for ingrown hairs is that hair breaks below or above the skin's surface and is not fully removed. "To ensure all hair is removed you should exfoliate the area before your appointment, removing all the dead skin and leaving the area clean," she says. "We always tell our clients to avoid tight-fitting clothing for a day or two after their appointment."
How often: Once every four weeks.
Cost: Expect to pay around Dh40 for a bikini wax and Dh105 for a leg wax.
Threading
Why: This traditional Indian hair-removal technique uses100-per-cent cotton threads in a twisting motion to lift hair out of its follicle. To do the procedure all over your body would be an arduous task and most women, especially in the UAE, use threading as a way of keeping their eyebrows in check. Brilliant for shaping and defining brows, threading is the perfect remedy if you're not very confident with a pair of tweezers. Threading is also good for removing hair from above the upper lip.
Pros: Threading is relatively inexpensive and is quick. You can park your car, have your brows done, pay and be back in the car, all within ten minutes. The other bonus to threading is that it's a technique that uses no products, so there's no chance of any harmful solutions being used on your skin. You'll also avoid any embarrassing slip-ups with the tweezers - plus you'll always have professionally groomed eyebrows.
Cons: As with tweezing, threading isn't painful, but you are likely to suffer some discomfort - a slight pinching feeling. Most women are able to leave the salon after a treatment and come out looking like they haven't had anything done. However, if you do have sensitive skin, threading can leave you feeling and looking sore. "As a whole, threading really should not cause a lot of swelling or soreness if done correctly," says Olga Ageeva, regional manager for N.Bar. "If you have sensitive skin or find that you are getting slight soreness, I would recommend using an ice pack to relieve the swelling and then an aloe-based cream to reduce redness."
How often: Depending on re-growth, you may need to thread every three weeks, but some women can last up to eight weeks.
Cost: Dh30.
Depilatory cream
Why: Depilatory creams contain an active ingredient that breaks down the keratin in hair to dissolve the hair shaft. Usually this process takes three to five minutes, leaving you hair-free. As this is a cream-based technique, it's not really practical for legs, but is better suited for the removal of facial (if product-specified) and underarm hair and on your bikini line.
Pros: As there's no plucking, pulling or stripping involved, using a depilatory cream is completely pain free. They are easy to use - creams come with a spatula to spread the cream over the desired area, and you simply turn the spatula over to scrap the cream off. It's a relatively short process as the cream dissolves hair in just a few minutes and, unlike shaving, you don't have to worry about cutting yourself.
Cons: Aside from the creams not smelling very nice (they contain chemicals), they can also irritate skin if left on for too long. It's important to do a patch test first and to follow instructions carefully. Creams also don't penetrate the surface of the skin, so re-growth is quicker than if you were to epilate or wax, but the hairs do grow back softer. Due to the chemicals in the creams, many brands recommend that you don't sunbathe for 24 hours after application or use any products like an antiperspirant, perfume, tanning lotion or moisturiser.
How often: Between three to five days, it's recommended that you leave at least 72 hours between uses.
Cost: A depilatory cream like Veet costs around Dh35.
Epilation
Why: Epilators have come a long way since they were first introduced, and these hand-held electrical devices now come in all manner of shapes, sizes and feminine colours. Many women use them to remove leg and underarm hair but manoeuvring it around your bikini line can be difficult.
Pros: Like waxing, epilators grab hair at its root using coil springs, which means you can use them on hairs that are just 0.5mm long and you can be relatively hair-free for up to four weeks. Hair will also grow back lighter. There are various epilators on the market and many come with changeable heads, quick rechargeable batteries and are cordless, making them perfect to use anywhere - great for when you're travelling. Cons: Because epilators pull hair from the root, it can make the experience painful. To help relieve this pain you should opt for an epilator that can be used in the bath or shower, like the Silk-épil 7 Dual Epilator by Braun, Dh619, or the Panasonic Foam Epilator, Dh299. "When epilating in water, the warmth of the water helps to relax skin, allowing the hair to be more easily removed," says Dr Petra Staubach, Braun Silk epil expert and assistant medical director of the Clinical Research Centre for Dermatology at Gutenberg University Mainz. "Skin is better primed for epilation and any discomfort is minimised." By epilating in the shower you'll also save yourself precious time. Using a non-waterproof option also means that it's an added step in your beauty routine, which can be a huge turn-off for any woman on the go!
How often: Most women find epilation every four weeks is sufficient. The more often you epilate, the less hair will grow back, and over time you'll find that you can go longer between epilations.
Cost: Depending on the brand you choose and functions of the epilator, expect to pay anything between Dh120 and Dh700.
Shaving
Why: Probably the most convenient (and least expensive) of all hair-removal techniques, shaving is something most women have tried once in their life. As teenagers it's something we experiment with, and we've all had those shaving accidents which end in a particularly bad cut. Shaving is ideal for the legs and the underarm area - usually women prefer to seek professional help for their bikini line and avoid using razors on their face.
Pros: Cost-effective and easy to do, using a razor to rid your body of its hair is something you can do while in the bath or shower. While your hair conditioner is working its magic, all you need is a few minutes to run your razor up your legs and under your arms. Shaving is also a natural exfoliator for your skin as it gets rid of dead skin cells.
Cons: Because razor blades only slice off the end of your hair, you'll not only be left with sharp edges, but you'll also find that you have to shave every few days - which can become a major bore! And unlike waxing or epilation, shaving actually makes your hair grow back thicker and coarser. On top of that, shaving also brings with it cuts, nicks and razor burn, which not only looks unsightly but can be painful as well. To avoid these problems, it's important to make sure you're using a good-quality razor, preferably one that is designed specifically for women. Men's razors are not cut out to move along the contours of your legs and underarm. Using the right product to shave with will also help to soften your leg hair, making it easier for your blade to glide through your hair. Moisturising after shaving is also imperative as it will help stop your skin from drying out.
How often: Every two to three days.
Cost: A quality razor costs Dh48 and shaving foam, Dh18.
New at-home solutions…
Philips Lumea
Brand new on the hair-removing scene is the Philips Lumea, which is a heldhand at-home device using the same Intense Pulsed Light technology used in salon treatments. To use, you work the Lumea's panel over small sections of your hair and trigger the pulse of light. The light then hits the hair follicle, which attacks the melanin in the follicle, leaving it to shed away naturally. For your first and second uses, it's recommended to shave your legs two days beforehand as this helps the light to penetrate the hair follicle more directly. After that, you should try to laser once every two weeks, which can then drop down to just once a month after your fifth or sixth use.
There are definite pros to using the Lumea, which include no more painful waxing treatments, or expensive laser sessions. Plus you won't have to suffer any soreness from shaving rashes, which can also leave an unsightly bikini line! The Lumea is cordless, so is easy to manoeuvre around the contours of your body, and its compact enough to throw in your travel bag for any hair-removing emergencies. There are five different settings for different hair and skin colours, but unfortunately it doesn't work on black skin or on grey or white hair. And even though the Lumea has a quick battery recharge of 60 minutes, the battery itself only lasts for 90 minutes. As the panel is small, it will take a while to cover one full leg and then you will have to recharge your battery to do the other leg.
Price: The new Philips Lumea is priced at Dh2,499 and is available from all leading electronic stores in the UAE.
No!No!
This small device is a pain-free (though relatively time-consuming) way to remove hair from legs and underarms. With a little practice you could use on your bikini line too. The No!No! is small - about the size of an electric razor - and works by melting the hair at the base of the shaft. Used regularly, it also reduces hair regrowth. To use, you simply run the device over your skin, which painlessly melts the hair. You then buff the area to remove hair residue. One of the big pluses is that there is no risk of ingrown hairs. One of the cons is that it is electric and needs to be used while plugged into a socket.
Price: The No!No! is available online at www.no-no.ae for Dh1,100.
The laser girl's way
We tested… laser hair removal
What: Permanent Hair Reduction with the Soprano XL Diode Laser treatment
Where: Aesthetica Clinic
Tel: Dubai Healthcare City, 04-4298533, JW Marriott Business Complex, 04-2698005, or Jumeirah Beach Road, 04-3428383
What to expect: Like many women, I've never been happy about having hairy legs and as I've grown older the hairs have multiplied and thickened. As an eczema sufferer too, constant shaving or waxing irritated my sensitive skin, often leaving my legs covered in an unsightly rash. So it seemed the best and only solution was to get rid of the hair completely. But with so much unwanted hair, there was no way I could endure any painful hair-removal techniques, which is why the Soprano XL Diode Laser was the best option for me. Not only does it guarantee permanent and pain-free hair reduction, it is also suitable for all skin types and on any part of the body.
The laser works by causing damage to the dark pigment in the root of the hair follicle, which then weakens the hair causing it to either break off completely or grow back finer and lighter. Only hair that is in the growth phase will be affected, so expect an average 20 per cent reduction in hair after each session.
When I arrived at Aesthetica, I had a lengthy consultation before being escorted to the treatment room. I lay on the treatment bed while the therapist covered my legs in a liquid gel before gliding the laser over the top several times.
My therapist recommended up to six treatments and although I noticed little difference after the first two, the third treatment had a dramatic effect, reducing the quantity of hair and thickness of the remaining hair.
Need to know: While it is generally painless, it might feel slightly more uncomfortable in more delicate areas such as the ankles, bikini line, or armpits. And remember a full leg treatment will take a couple of hours so take a magazine or a good book along with you.
Cost: Dh1,200 per session for the lower leg, Dh1,800 for upper leg and Dh2,800 for the full leg.
- Tested by Louise Ratner
How do you do it?
We asked you, our Aquarius Facebook fans, which hair-removal method you prefer. Here's what you said:
52% Wax
25% Shave
20% Epilate
1.5% Laser
1.5% Threading
