Male Body Hair Removal  is today a desire that many men have, for a whole host of reasons to remove excess hair from their bodies. This desire often begins in adolescence and continues into our senior years. Whether it is hair on the face, armpits, legs, Genital area, or other body parts, many  men are intent upon having the hair on their scalp be the only visible hair on their bodies.

There are many options available to remove unwanted hair, but few options to get rid of hair permanently. To help you make an informed decision about which Hair Removal method may be better for you, some of the various options currently available options are discussed here.  Each person should chose a method or combination of methods that works best for them depending on cost, time available, skin type, and the desired hair-free area.

Hair Growth – A very Basic Understanding
Understanding how hair grows helps us understand how to keep hair from growing. Each hair is contained in a Pilosebaceous unit which consists of a hair shaft, hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and erector pili muscle. Hair growth and shedding is a continuous cycle through 3 phases. The Anagen phase is the growth phase, the Catagen phase is a transitional state, and the Telogen phase is the resting phase. Hairs spend a variable amount of time in each phase determined by genetics, hormones, and area of the body. Hair in the Anagen phase is more susceptible to injury than hair in the Telogen phase. All of these factors must be considered when choosing a method of hair removal.

Hair Removal with Shaving
Shaving is the most temporary method of hair removal because it merely cuts the hair off at the surface of the skin.  Contrary to popular belief, Shaving does not make the hair shaft thicker, darker, or grow faster or slower. However, the short hair shaft may be more noticeable as it grows out because it has a blunt tip instead of the normal tapered tip. (The reason many men get the all too familiar “itch” as the hair starts to re-grow).  Shaving should be done after applying some type of moisturizer / hydration to the skin to help the razor glide over the skin, not cut or scrape it. The most common being, Shaving Oil, Shaving Gel/Foam, Shaving Soap.

Electric Shaving removes hair in a similar fashion, and depending upon the shaver used can be done wet or dry.  However, it is essential to apply a post shave product to reduce possible razor burn. You cannot get a close shave with an electric razor in the way you can with a blade.

Plucking
Plucking hair with tweezers is an effective way to remove hair but can be very time consuming. The hair shaft must be long enough to grasp with tweezers, and is only practical for small areas, such as eyebrows.

Waxing
Waxing is an extremely effective method of removing hair from any area of the body, except the beard and scalp areas.  This method is favoured by many, and is the main method used at TJBodyRocks.  The skin is thoroughly cleansed, and then a very thin layer of oil is applied which creates a barrier between the skin and the wax – therefore making it a more comfortable experience. Several waxes are available, Crème, Warm (Strip) & Hot (Hard). All of these waxes are heated and applied to the prepared skin.  The hairs are shrink wrapped in the wax and then removed very quickly either with a fabric strip or by simply pulling the wax away from the skin. The wax is applied very thinly with a wooden disposable spatula in the direction of the hair growth, and then removed in the opposite direction, taking all hairs with it. The hair is removed completely from the follicle, together with the hair bulb. Because the hair has been removed completely in this way, it takes longer to grow back, and when it does grow back, you do not get the sharp itch associated with hair growth from shaving, as it grows back naturally with a rounded tip as opposed to a sharp pointed tip.

Sugaring
Sugaring is once again becoming a popular form of hair removal that works much the same way as traditional waxing.  The application is different, in that it is applied against the natural hair growth, and removed in the natural direction (opposite to that of waxing).  Sugaring can be performed using the application and fabric strip method, or hand application & removal by hand.  The sugar mixture is entirely natural, so much so that it can be eaten! Skin preparation, as always is extremely important.  The sugar is water soluble, and therefore cleanup after treatment is very easy.  The benefits and results are as with waxing, but with an added advantage that it can remove much shorter hairs than with traditional waxing.

Depilatories
Depilatories are chemical based formulations that are applied to the skin where hair is to be removed.  The hair is dissolved by the chemicals, but due to their harshness the skin can be easily burned and damaged – usually because people leave it in contact with the skin for too long – even an extra 30 seconds can burn the skin.  None of these depilatory creams should be used on very sensitive areas, such as the genitals/anus.   After the recommended application time, the formulation is either wiped or washed off, and as always, a non perfumed moisturiser should be applied to the area.

Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the hair Follicle and passing an electrical current to the follicle root. This procedure actually burns the hair root theoretically preventing it from producing more hair. Each hair follicle must be treated individually and may take several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is a permanent form of hair removal but it has several drawbacks. First, there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis so finding an experienced, effective technician is difficult requiring talking to clients who have experienced permanent results. Second, this method requires repeated treatments for up to 12 to 18 months. Hair follicles that are in the Telogen phase are more difficult to destroy than hair follicles in the Anagen phase. Shaving approximately 3 days before an electrolysis treatment ensures that the hairs that are visible are in the Anagen  phase.

Laser
As Laser technology has become more understood, so have the uses for it. Many skin conditions are treated with laser, and Hair Removal is now a common application of laser technology, but it is not permanent and not for everyone. Lasers work by emitting light at various wavelengths, energy output, and pulse widths. The wavelength used determines the skin structure it will affect such as veins, melanin, or water. Most lasers used for hair removal target melanin and are therefore designed to burn structures that contain melanin. The more melanin, the more damage. It makes sense that laser hair removal works best for light-skinned people with dark hair. As with electrolysis, hair follicles in the Anagen phase are more easily destroyed than those in the Telogen phase. Therefore, laser treatments for hair removal must be repeated. It is suggested that laser treatment, while not causing permanent destruction of all hair follicles, does retard the regrowth of new hair.