Epilation and depilation of legs: types and features of procedures

There are several quick ways to get rid of leg hair. True, the skin does not remain smooth after them for long (from 2 days to 3-4 weeks). This is what distinguishes depilation from epilation. The latter is a hardware removal of unwanted vegetation, which is almost always based on irradiation of the hair follicle, after which it does not recover for a year to ten years. Depilation can be done at home or in a salon. The main thing is to be prepared for the fact that procedures will have to be carried out regularly.

What is depilation

Depilation is a predominantly mechanical effect on regrown hair. There is also chemical treatment. In this case, unwanted vegetation simply dissolves under the influence of the active composition of the drug (for example, depilatory cream). Other types of depilation involve complete or partial capture of the hair and its subsequent removal from the root. If this is shaving, then only the visible part of the hair shaft is cut off.

The follicle is slightly injured during depilation. Hair grows back quite quickly after each procedure:

• 1–2 days after shaving;
• a week after the cream;
• 3-4 weeks after thread, wax or sugar.

Smooth legs can be achieved in different ways: the only difference is how long the result will last

How to care for your feet after the procedure

In the salon, immediately after the session, the doctor applies a special cream with a softening and soothing effect to the skin. Proper subsequent foot care is the key to a successful hair removal course.

Any hair removal or depilation is stressful for the skin. Natural coconut oil soothes and relieves irritation. It will get rid of red spots and quickly heal the skin.

If coconut oil remains solid at room temperature, it is natural.

It is not recommended to use skin care products containing glycerin after the procedure. It clogs pores, which can cause ingrown hairs. Also, to prevent this undesirable consequence, it is advisable to start using a scrub a few days after the procedure. After hardware hair removal sessions, it is prohibited:

• sunbathe for a week;
• visit the pool, bathhouse or sauna;
• visit the gym for 7 days (after electrolysis).

At what age can you start hair removal?

In childhood and adolescence, excess hair does not cause problems because the hairs are light and thin (they are also called vellus hairs). Over time, they darken, become noticeable and hard, and also begin to prick and cause discomfort. Moreover, these changes occur quite early (at 12–14 years), during puberty, when the endocrine system is reconstructed. Hormones are responsible for hair growth. When the latter are not all right or a woman is just experiencing such a shift due to age-related characteristics, excess hair growth may be observed. Leaving everything as it is, guided by the fact that it is too early for a teenage girl to undergo hair removal, is wrong. If there is a problem, it needs to be solved.

Depilation will not cause any harm to your physical health, but smooth legs will definitely increase the level of internal comfort.

For the first time, a growing girl should acquire a razor or epilator, if funds allow. At the age of 14–15, you can try sugar and wax depilation. It is better to do the procedure in a salon so as not to inadvertently injure the skin and not force the child to endure unnecessary pain. It is better to use depilatory cream no earlier than 16 years of age, and all hardware techniques are practiced only after reaching 18.

For the first depilation, it is best to buy a razor or epilator, and then move on to other procedures

Depilation and hair removal - what's the difference?

Depilation is the removal of the top part of the hair that is visible to the eye. Depilation methods include shaving and chemical depilation using special creams.

Epilation is the removal of hair from the root (waxing, sugaring, hair removal with an electric epilator). There are also ways to permanently remove unwanted hair. These include photoepilation, laser hair removal and electrolysis. All of them involve not only removing hair from the root, but also destroying the hair follicle, which allows you to permanently stop hair growth. These procedures are only available in salons, so we won’t talk about them.

Depilation methods are the simplest and most accessible. All of you have probably used them in the hope of achieving perfectly smooth legs. Its main disadvantage is that after a couple of days the legs turn into prickly hedgehogs, and the procedure must be repeated again.

Epilation of legs at home is preferable in terms of the duration of maintaining smoothness. You can forget about hair removal for a couple of weeks, or even more. However, hair removal is a painful process, as it involves pulling out hairs from the roots.

Types of depilation

Leg hair can be removed:

• razor;
• tweezers;
• epilator;
• thread (threading);
• waxing (waxing);
• sugar paste (sugaring);
• depilatory cream.

Today, at home and in the salon, there are seven ways to remove leg hair.

How to shave your legs with a machine without consequences

To painlessly get rid of excess hair on your legs with a razor, you will need:

• Shaver;
• shaving foam;
• nutritious cream.

Hair in this area of ​​the body can be removed quite easily using a razor (disposable or with replaceable heads). The main thing is that the blade is sharp. Women's machines, as a rule, have rounded edges and a moisturizing strip. You can use the male one - it is sharper. At the same time, using women's razor blades has its advantages: it is more difficult to cut yourself with them, and shaving with them will be “gentle.”

To carry out the procedure, you only need to prepare the skin in advance: steam the legs, make peeling and shaving foam. It is not advisable to use toilet soap as it dries the skin. Shower gel or ready-made foam will do. The latter can be prepared at home:

1. Make 0.5 cups of chamomile decoction.
2. Take unscented baby soap and rub a small piece on a fine grater.
3. Heat the chips in a water bath for 5–7 minutes.
4. Mix the soap and broth in a small saucepan, add a pinch of sea salt (this will create more foam).
5. Place the pan with the mixture on low heat and heat to 30–40 °C.
6. Pour in 0.5 tsp. almond, olive or peach oil.
7. Add 1 tsp to the composition. vitamin E and glycerin.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, beat the mixture with a mixer and transfer to a convenient container with a lid.

Shaving foam should be applied in a thick layer (this will make the shave cleaner)

The recipe has been tested: the foam smells pleasant, spreads well over the skin and moisturizes it. Apply this product to a small area of ​​the body with your hand or a shaving brush (as you prefer). Distribute it evenly over the skin and shave the hair according to its growth. You should not drive the machine 2-3 times over the same place, as this can cause irritation. It’s better to walk once over the entire problem area, wash off the foam, and then see where the hair is still left. Apply a new portion of the product to these areas and shave them again. Rinse off any remaining foam, pat the skin dry with a towel (without rubbing) and use an emollient cream or cosmetic oil.

Video: rules for getting rid of unwanted vegetation

How to depilate with tweezers

To get rid of excess hair on your legs using tweezers, you will need:

• tweezers with pointed tips;
• antiseptic;
• nutritious cream.

It seems strange to remove hair from such a large area as the legs with this device when there are many other much faster methods. But at the same time, women talk about how they used this method for many years, having once discovered it for themselves. They watched movies, news, listened to music and slowly pulled out hair after hair. They say that over the years of this practice they have learned to spend no more than half an hour on depilation of both legs. For those who are used to tugging only their eyebrows with tweezers, this procedure will definitely take a couple of hours.

The method is slow, but, as it turns out, quite practical (of course, for those who have a significant amount of free time). Hair can be pulled out by the roots, so it will take a week to a week and a half to grow back. Along the way, you can remove ingrown vegetation: such a disaster often happens to those who are used to shaving their legs with a machine or epilator. The advantage of using tweezers is that new hair will grow thinner and weaker. Still, the mechanical impact causes the follicle to be injured, albeit slightly. The downside is that the procedure is painful. Depilation can be tolerated if you treat the epidermis with a cooling cream or gel about 30–40 minutes in advance and follow the technique. The essence of the latter is that you need to take tweezers with a pointed tip, grab the hair at the very root and pull it in the direction of its growth, holding the skin with the other hand.

After treating the desired area, lubricate it again with a cooling agent, and then with an emollient cream or oil. It is better to do depilation in small areas: this way the pain is felt less and it is easier to get used to the procedure.

Using tweezers, you can remove hair from the roots, so that it will grow back for a week or a week and a half, sometimes longer

How to use an epilator correctly

To get rid of excess hair on your legs using an epilator, you will need the device itself and a nourishing cream or oil.

The attachment in the device works on the same principle as tweezers. It grabs the hair and removes it from the root. The only difference is that these tweezers are very small and there are many of them. Since the procedure is quite painful, especially for the first time, it makes sense to look for a device that can work in water. Judging by the reviews, such depilation leaves much less unpleasant memories.

Treatment of the skin with an epilator, regardless of its type, creates a strong sensation of pain and can cause short-term irritation of the skin, since hairs are pulled out from the roots during the procedure.

Rules for using the epilator:

• While you are getting used to the device, you need to turn it on at the lowest speed;
• you should pull the skin along the hair growth;
• the epilator head should be placed perpendicular to the body and moved against hair growth, alternately up and down, avoiding papillomas and moles;
• After depilation is completed, it is recommended to apply a softening cream to the skin.

Next time the pain of the procedure will decrease. After 3-5 sessions, such depilation becomes a habit and is perceived quite easily.

The hair will grow back thinner and weaker over time, as it always does after being removed from the roots.

Video: how to handle the device

How to depilate with thread

To get rid of excess hair on your legs using threading, you will need:

• strong thread (ideal if cotton or silk) - 0.3 m;
• rubber or latex gloves;
• antiseptic;
• nutritious cream;
• scrub.

The procedure was invented in South Korea to remove facial hair. Then it turned out that the technique is quite convenient for depilation of the body (its open areas, such as arms and legs). A thread twisted in a figure eight grabs several nearby growing hairs at once and allows you to pull them out by the roots.

Depilation with thread is convenient because it allows you to remove several hairs at once.

How to remove hair with thread:

1. Before the procedure, steam the skin and exfoliate (this will raise the hair and make it easier to remove).
2. To disinfect, treat the problem area with chlorhexidine solution or any other antiseptic. You can take antibacterial wipes.
3. Tear off a thread approximately 30 cm long, tie the ends and place the ring on the thumb and index finger of both hands.
4. Twist the thread 6-8 times to form a figure eight. One ring will be slightly larger, the other slightly smaller.
5. Attach the thread to the skin so that the large ring is above the vegetation, and the center twisted into a rope is under it.
6. Spread the fingers of your hand that are in the smaller ring. The rope will move upward and the vegetation will fall into the resulting loop. Twist the thread against the hair growth.
7. Continue moving your fingers in and out. As the thread moves, hair caught in the loop will come out at the root.
8. Remove one bunch. Remove the thread and move it to another area of ​​skin.
9. Repeat all movements from the beginning. When finished, apply an ice pack (this will reduce pain) and apply an emollient cream.

Video: trading tutorial

How to remove leg hair with wax

To get rid of leg hair using waxing, you will need:

• wax in cartridges or granules;
• cartridge or cassette wax melter;
• talc or baby powder;
• antiseptic;
• napkins;
• cosmetic oil;
• nutritious cream.

If you are going to wax for the first time, it is better to purchase a cartridge wax melter and cartridges with wax for it. It is a little more difficult to work with hot wax, and experienced women who have carried out the procedure more than once or twice recommend first filling your hand with warm wax.

It will be more convenient for beginners to work with warm wax and a cartridge wax melter.

How to work with warm (cassette) wax:

1. Insert the cartridge into the wax melter so that the roller remains on top.
2. Warm for 20-30 minutes and apply a small strip of wax to the skin according to the hair growth.
3. Place a strip of non-woven material on the wax (immediately after you have applied it), pick up its lower edge and remove it from the body with a sharp movement. Be sure to do this against the direction of hair growth.
4. If not all vegetation was removed the first time, use the same strip 1-2 more times.

Video: secrets of getting rid of unwanted hair using waxing

How to do depilation with hot wax:

1. Heat the wax (in a jar or granules) in the microwave (30–40 seconds) or in a jar wax melter (about 30 minutes).
2. When it's melted, dab it on your wrist (just a little to see if you get burned).
3. If there is no discomfort, apply the composition to the skin using a wooden spatula.
4. Wait until the wax cools down a bit.
5. Hook the strip by the edge and pull it sharply against the hair growth.
6. Treat the entire problem area.
7. Rub the skin with cosmetic oil to remove any remaining wax.
8. Apply anti-hair growth cream.

There is another common method of waxing - using commercial strips, or cold waxing. There is no need to prepare for this procedure. It is, of course, advisable to steam the skin the day before and exfoliate the problem area to avoid ingrown hairs later. But if the situation requires it, you can perform such depilation anywhere. The packaging with wax strips contains almost everything you need: the devices themselves (paper or fabric), 2-4 napkins with oil or a small container with a composition for removing wax and instructions for the procedure.

One strip can cover a fairly large area of ​​skin, since it can be used several times

How to use the strips:

1. Treat your skin with a disinfectant.
2. Rub the strip well between your palms (this will take 20-30 seconds). You can heat up a curling iron or hair straightener and iron the wax device with the hot plates.
3. Carefully divide the strip into two and glue each side to the skin according to the hair growth. Carefully smooth out the paper with your palm.
4. After a few seconds, grab the bottom edge of the strip (there is a gap there without wax) and remove it against the hair growth. Do not forget to slightly stretch the skin below with your other hand: this way the pain will be felt a little less.
5. Use each half several times if necessary until all the sticky wax has come off.
6. If there are only a few hairs left, remove them with tweezers: this will be faster and more effective.
7. Treat your skin with the wipes from the package or soak your own in cosmetic oil and wipe off any remaining wax.
8. Apply cream against hair growth and for nutrition.

If you do the procedure at home, use talcum powder or baby powder the first few times. In extreme cases, wheat flour will do. With powder it is much easier to remove wax from the skin without causing sticking (it is only needed for the first 2-3 times).

Unpleasant consequences of such depilation, such as ingrown hairs, do occur, but they are rare. Irritation and infection are excluded. Skin remains smooth for up to 4 weeks. This procedure is quite comfortable; you can get used to the painful sensations over time. Its only disadvantage is that it is quite expensive.

Video: how to use wax strips

Depilation of legs using sugaring

Sugaring (depilation with sugar paste) is performed either with a ready-made professional composition, or with a “samovar”: a sweet paste prepared at home from sugar and lemon juice (citric acid). The caramel needs to be heated in the microwave for 30-40 seconds at 600 W and checked that it is at a comfortable temperature and applied to the skin.

For the first procedure, it is more practical to buy a medium-density composition. The fact is that there is thick caramel (used mainly for the face and bikini area) and soft or even liquid (they like to use it in salons, but working with it at home can be difficult).

It is better to do the first procedure in a salon to master the technique

How to do sugaring using medium and thick paste:

1. You need to take the composition in your hand, roll it into a small ball, then roll it into a strip against the hair growth. There is no need to smooth the mass: it is quite viscous and plastic and itself covers all the vegetation.
2. After application, you need to pick up the upper edge of the strip and remove it along the hair growth with one jerk.
3. To make it less painful, you need to hold the skin on top with your other hand.

They work with soft paste using the bandage technique. The way to perform the procedure is as follows:

1. Apply the mass using a wooden spatula against hair growth.
2. Place a paper or fabric strip (bandage) on top.
3. Lightly press the device and pluck it according to the hair growth.

The success of the procedure depends 80–90% on the correct density of the paste. For this reason, it is better to go to the salon for the first session, and then try to repeat it all at home (with a ready-made composition or with a homemade one). Professional paste contains the same ingredients that you put in yourself: sugar and citric acid. Sometimes the composition can be supplemented with water, essential oils, and natural plant extracts. That is, for most, such a mass is absolutely hypoallergenic.

Classic recipe for self-cooking pasta:

1. Mix 2 tbsp in an old saucepan. l. clean water, 6 tbsp. l. granulated sugar and 0.5 tbsp. l. citric acid.
2. Place the mixture over low heat and cook until the sugar granules are completely dissolved. It is important that the sugar mass does not boil. Cooking time is about 10 minutes.
3. Check the readiness of the paste: drop a little mixture into cold water. If the drops do not spread and retain their shape, then the composition is ready.

A high-quality “samovar” will have a transparent golden hue. It will lie flat on the skin and can be easily removed, leaving no sticks or bruises.

The composition of homemade pasta is almost the same as ready-made; most manufacturers use only natural ingredients

When you use good quality toothpaste, sugaring usually does not cause any side effects. There are no ingrown hairs after it, because they do not break off during the procedure. The pain is easier to bear than with waxing, because the mass is removed according to hair growth, and not against it. Home sugaring is one of the most budget-friendly methods of depilation, because it involves virtually no costs.

Video: hair removal with sugar paste at home

How to use depilatory cream correctly

Depilation with cream is a non-traumatic and completely painless procedure. The cream is applied to the problem area in a thick layer for 3-5 minutes. This procedure is performed using a special plastic spatula, which is in the package.

You need to be careful with the cream: make sure that it does not get on the hair on your head or eyebrows.

For beginners, the method is almost ideal, if not for the rather aggressive chemical composition. Therefore, before use, you need to carefully read the contraindications (information is on the packaging) and conduct an allergy test on a small area of ​​skin. If there is no negative reaction, then you don’t have to worry about irritation, itching, redness and ingrown hairs. The only thing that the cream does not get rid of, even if you don’t regret it, is stubble, that is, too short hair. For this reason, after using the product, you have to shave off the residue with a machine. New hair will grow slower and softer each time - this has been tested by many girls. You get used to the specific pungent smell over time. When cream becomes the only method of depilation used, you stop paying attention to how it smells. For the sake of a painless hair removal procedure, many have learned to tolerate the disadvantages of this product.

The package with depilatory cream always contains a spatula for applying it

Any method of depilation can be mastered at home. This will not be difficult, especially if it is shaving with a machine or epilator or treating the skin with cream. The salon performs more complex techniques that require some training and skills (threading, sugaring and waxing). But they can also be easily repeated at home if desired. It is enough to go to the salon 1-2 times, consult with a specialist and purchase materials.

Painless hair removal, instructions

After preparing your legs for depilation and choosing the appropriate anesthesia option, you can begin the procedure. It is better to do it while sitting in the bathtub itself (without water), so as not to pollute the floor with stray hairs.

How to do leg hair removal, step by step steps:

1. The epilator is taken in the working hand, and the skin is slightly stretched with the other hand.
2. The procedure begins by moving the head of the device against the hair growth, lightly touching the skin (there is no need to press on it). It is recommended to gradually move from bottom to top.
3. Movements should be light, fast, jerky. Often, to remove all the hair, you need to run tweezers over the same area several times.

These are the basic tips on how to properly shave your legs with an epilator for beginners. After just a couple of depilations, everything will happen automatically. The hair gradually becomes thin and weak, and pain is significantly reduced. Most women who regularly practice mechanical hair removal do not use any painkillers.

How to wax your legs without pain

Any depilation will cause less discomfort if you prepare for it properly. This means that you need to take a bath in advance (maybe the day before, maybe the same day), steam your feet well and scrub your skin. When you are finished with water procedures, disinfect the skin, then apply an anesthetic. As a rule, all these products contain lidocaine or its analogue prilocaine. Such cosmetics are produced in the form of sprays, gels or creams.

What you can use:

• Frost Spray;
• Lidocaine 10%;
• Menovazin;
• Emla;
• Light dep.

After the anesthetic has been applied, you can make another compress with ice cubes wrapped in cloth. Just hold it for a few minutes, then start depilating.

Emla cream based on lidocaine is the most popular pain reliever among cosmetologists and patients

How to prepare for hair removal with an epilator

Before epilating your legs with an epilator, you must properly prepare the device and skin for the process.

Preparing the machine

Before each procedure, the head with tweezers must be treated with an antiseptic (regular alcohol can be used). If depilation is being done for the first time, it is advisable to “play” with the device, move it over an area of ​​the body where there is no hair, in order to get a feel for the device and learn how to hold it correctly. Some people find it painful to shave their legs with a clipper, but the process is often less responsive with pain-relieving methods.

Skin preparation

Everyone's sensitivity level is different. Much depends on the structure of the hair: the stiffer and thicker it is, the more painful depilation promises to be. But you can significantly reduce the discomfort from epilating your legs with an epilator by knowing simple rules.

• Scrub your skin well shortly before the procedure. The scrub perfectly removes dead particles of epithelium, making it easier for hairs to come out.
• Immediately before hair removal, your legs should be steamed to open the pores as much as possible. It will be useful to massage with a rough washcloth, this will reduce the pain.
• Before shaving your legs with a clipper, dry the skin with a towel and lightly powder it with talcum powder.

Anesthesia

The volume of the epilated area on the legs is quite large. Not every woman is ready to endure the pain of hair being pulled out from the roots for 15–25 minutes. If the pain threshold is high, you can take a tablet of any suitable analgesic 20 minutes before the process.

Pieces of ice, Menovazine solution or Lidocaine in spray form will help reduce skin sensitivity.

How to slow down hair growth at home

After removing all the hair, be sure to treat the skin with a folk or commercial remedy to slow down its growth.

Folk remedies

Alkalies and acids work well for this purpose. But it turned out that lemon juice or vinegar (in its pure form) is suitable for some, while dark laundry soap is suitable for others. Everything is individual, so you have to try at your own peril and risk.

Dark laundry soap can also be used as a hair growth retardant.

The method of using all folk remedies is the same:

1. After removing hair, soap the treated area with laundry soap or rub in vinegar/lemon juice.
2. Leave for 5 minutes.
3. Wash your feet, dry and lubricate the skin with nourishing cream.

They say that if you treat your hair this way, within a couple of months it will become softer and lighter.

Photo gallery: budget and expensive drugs to slow down hair growth

Depilflax lotion relieves irritation and prevents ingrown hairs

Planta Elcaptain Cream to Prevent Germintation Hair soothes skin and prevents ingrown hairs

Skin Doctors lotion has a moisturizing effect

After using Almea Xreducer cream, hair does not grow until 5-6 weeks

Byly Moisturizing Cream and Hair Growth Inhibitor with papain soothes skin

Simone Mahler Soin Epil+ lotion prevents ingrown hairs

Payot Post Epil Le Corps cream with plant extracts relieves irritation and soothes the skin

Lycon Spa Hair on Strike cream relieves irritation Mary Cohr Deopil Crème lightens hair, makes it softer and thinner Phenomen-all lotion relieves irritation, makes the skin soft and velvety

Floresan Deep Depil cream gel relieves irritation and restores skin moisture balance

Sugaring

Sugaring is very popular as a home remedy for leg hair removal. Firstly, sugaring paste can be easily made at home. All you need is sugar, water and lemon. Secondly, like wasking, it allows you to completely get rid of hair for 1.5-2 weeks.

Sugaring is the most ancient method of hair removal. Hundreds of years ago, Persian beauties removed their hair this way. From Persia, the recipe for sugar hair removal migrated to Europe and quickly gained popularity, hence its second name - “Persian hair removal.”

Homemade sugaring paste recipe

It is believed that the original recipe, invented in Persia, used honey. Today, as a rule, sugar is used as the main component.

To make pasta at home you will need:

• ¼ glass of water,
• ¼ cup lemon juice,
• 1 cup of sugar.

Preparation

Pour sugar into an enamel pan, add water, add lemon juice and mix well. Place the pan on the fire. As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and heat for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly. The paste will gradually change color. Be careful to remove the paste from the heat as soon as the color becomes close to amber.

If you are afraid of overcooking, it is better to remove the pasta from the heat as soon as it begins to acquire a honey hue. Otherwise, you risk getting lollipops rather than sugaring paste. With experience, you will learn to determine the required degree of doneness of the pasta by its shade.

How to avoid skin irritation

Any method of depilation (except for using cream) injures the top layer of skin, although only slightly. Microcracks are invisible and do not bother you at all. If the skin was disinfected before the procedure, they will simply heal without any side effects. If hygiene rules are violated, there is a risk of skin irritation due to the onset of the inflammatory process. The risk of infection is significantly higher if you wax without first removing ingrown hairs. Places where they have not yet sprouted, but have gone under the skin, are themselves foci of inflammation. With them, any depilation will be, firstly, very painful, and secondly, with consequences. Therefore, such hair needs to be removed a week or two before the procedure. If there are few of them and the inflammation is insignificant, you can do everything at home: trim the boil and pull out the hair with tweezers, then disinfect the wound. If pus has already appeared, you need to consult a doctor for help.

To prevent ingrown hairs, massage the scrub into areas where you regularly wax. A mixture of aspirin (2 tablets in 0.25 cups of water) and glycerin (4-5 drops) can help them germinate. The solution is applied 3 times a day for a week after the procedure.

On sensitive skin, depilation can cause a pustular rash, which can be treated within a few days with salicylic or boric acid. If your immune system is weakened, a herpes rash may appear on your legs, which can be treated with compresses with a decoction of calendula or chamomile flowers.

Skin irritation is a sign of an allergy or inflammation, it will not go away on its own, it requires medications

Irritation often occurs from synthetic clothing. Home hair removal has a big advantage: you don’t need to get dressed and go home immediately after the procedure. You can walk around with bare legs for half an hour. Then for 2-3 days you should choose loose clothing - trousers or skirts made from natural fabrics.

Possible consequences

Some types of hair removal leave noticeable damage to the epidermis. Irritation, black spots, and ingrown hairs may appear on the skin. The use of hardware methods usually does not lead to such consequences if the procedure is performed by an experienced technician in full compliance with the technology of its implementation. But when removing unwanted vegetation at home, anything is possible. How to deal with unpleasant consequences?

All methods of getting rid of hair on the legs are more or less painful, and some are unsafe if the procedure is not performed correctly.

Blackheads and ingrown hairs

Black dots after waxing are ingrown hairs. During the procedure, the follicle is damaged and the direction of growth of the hair shaft changes. He is forced to make a new channel in the epidermis. The skin on the legs is quite dense. Thinning hair is unable to grow outward, and it bends inward. This phenomenon is not only a cosmetic defect, it can cause inflammation of the skin.

Ingrown hairs appear as black dots

How to get rid of the problem:

• A few days after the procedure, you can pick up the hairs with a needle and pluck them out with tweezers (if there are only a few of them), while maintaining complete sterility of the instrument and the treated skin surface;
• It is better to temporarily refuse wax and switch to regular shaving (if there are a lot of ingrown hairs and they appear after each depilation);
• you should constantly use scrubs that make the skin thinner and more tender;
• It is recommended to moisturize, soften and relieve irritation from ingrown hairs using tea tree ether (3 drops for any base oil).

Switching to a razor is a necessary measure. Shaved hair grows back as a hard “stump” that easily pierces the skin. By following the described procedures for two weeks, you will get rid of the maximum amount of ingrown vegetation. It is worth considering replacing wax depilation, for example, with sugaring. As a rule, it does not give such unpleasant consequences. In any case, combine depilation procedures with the use of a cream to slow down hair growth and use skin softening products.

Irritation and acne

The constant traumatic effect of mechanical and chemical agents inevitably leads to skin irritation. On the legs it requires no less care than in the delicate intimate area or in the armpits.

Cream with panthenol eliminates irritation and heals the skin after hair removal

In addition, ingrown hairs can become inflamed and form ulcers. An infusion of chamomile, calendula or celandine will help get rid of itching, irritation and disinfect the skin. Creams with panthenol will have a healing effect.

Contraindications for depilation

Any depilation other than shaving is contraindicated:

• for diabetes mellitus, since people who suffer from it have slow healing injuries and may have septic complications;
• with pronounced varicose veins;
• for any neoplasms in the area of ​​depilation (papillomas, warts, moles);
• with individual intolerance to cream/wax/sugar paste;
• during exacerbation of infectious or viral diseases.

Only depilatory creams are contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women. Such products cannot be used because of their active chemical composition, which can easily cause allergies. There are no restrictions on the use of other methods. It should be remembered that almost all procedures are painful and in the last months of pregnancy it would be better to avoid wax and sugar, for example, in favor of shaving. A woman should discuss the implementation of a particular procedure with her leading doctor.

Depilation is not contraindicated for a pregnant woman, but she must avoid creams with chemical composition.

A little theory

Before we discuss hair removal methods, we should talk about why completely getting rid of body hair is such a problem.

Let's start with the structure of the hairline. It consists of hair, bulb and protein , which nourishes the bulb. When we cut hair, we remove only the visible part. This process does not affect the bulb in any way, since it is located in the dermis (the layer under the epidermis).

If the bulb is removed or damaged, then the process stops or slows down completely. In this case, the death of one bulb will be comparable to the death of one tulip in a huge field of flowers; accordingly, everything needs to be removed at once, but this is almost impossible to do.

To make it easier to understand, we will further draw an analogy with tulips, since they have a structure similar to hair. You need to remove all the hair on your legs so that it doesn't appear again, but the hairs you see are only a small part. Like the aboveground part of tulips and underground bulbs.

If you remove the above-ground parts of a plant with bulbs, then they will die, but those bulbs that do not have an above-ground part will not be harmed in any way. Also, if you remove dry tops that are poorly attached to the bulb, then the above-ground part will simply come off and the bulb will not be damaged in any way. It's the same with hair.

Each bulb and, accordingly, hair can be in three states: dormant (the bulb does not produce hair); rapid growth (hairs that grow and are visible to you); aging and dying (hair that is visible to you, but does not hold well in the hair follicle and can fall out at any moment).

The problem is that it is possible to destroy the bulb along with the extracted hair only at the second stage. When depilating at the 3rd stage, you simply separate the old hair from the bulb, which will not be damaged in any way.

It turns out that no product will allow us to destroy absolutely all the bulbs that are in the skin in one go, so any hair removal that involves a long-term absence of hair is carried out in several stages, which allows you to completely cleanse the skin of vegetation.
Did you know? Removing hair from legs became fashionable during the war. Back then it was difficult to find stockings on sale, and walking with bare legs was considered wrong. Therefore, girls shaved their legs en masse, tinted them to match the color of their tights and drew an arrow on the back side.

Epilator models

The most famous models of epilators are Brown, Rowenta, Philips. Their features are described below:

1. The Braun line of epilators works with electric tweezers on the head. The result of smooth skin lasts for 3-4 weeks, without an increased risk of ingrown hairs. It is possible to select an operating mode, depending on the zone in which the procedure is being carried out.
2. Philips 8000 series epilators are designed for both wet and dry epilation. The ergonomic S-shape design of the device allows it to be easily moved throughout the body. The device is capable of capturing more than 70,000 hairs per minute, which allows for quick hair removal over a large area of ​​skin.
3. Epilators of the Rowenta series are produced with a different number of attachments. There are waterproof models that allow for wet hair removal, as well as battery-powered devices. They are convenient because you can take them on the road or travel in order to always stay in impeccable shape.

Preparation for the procedure

Regardless of the brand of device, the rules for using an epilator are approximately the same; preparation is required before epilation. After taking a shower, scrub the body or treat the skin with a hard washcloth.

A day before the procedure, you should stop using greasy creams, since their application complicates the hair removal process. If the procedure is carried out with a device that does not support the “wet hair removal” function, you should first steam the skin.

After this, the hair follicles become weaker, and the skin pores become enlarged, so hair removal will be easier. But in this case, the procedure should not be carried out in the bathroom.

The epilator is effective when the hair length is at least 2-4 mm, otherwise it simply will not be able to capture them. Modern devices are equipped with attachments that are selected depending on the area of ​​the skin.

Carrying out the procedure in different areas

Hair should be removed against its growth, and the epilator should be held at an angle. This allows you to capture hairs as much as possible the first time and reduce the level of stress on the skin.

The device is carried out from bottom to top, slightly stretching the skin. Movements should be smooth but confident.

Usually the procedure takes 30-40 minutes.

How to use an epilator for the first time in the bikini area

The bikini area is one of the most delicate and vulnerable areas of the body, so it is better for beginners to begin their acquaintance with the epilator in other places.

Since this procedure can cause significant discomfort, it is recommended to use an anesthetic cream or gel.

Epilation is best done in small areas of the area, taking breaks.

It is advisable to carry out hair removal in the bikini area under running water. This reduces the level of pain and sensitivity. It is important to use the special nozzle that is included in the kit.

How to use an epilator in the armpit area

The armpits are also sensitive areas, so it is important to be careful. As with epilation of the bikini area, it is recommended to use a special attachment and anesthetic creams.

If there is no cream, you can carry out the procedure in the shower or apply ice cubes to the armpit area for 1-2 minutes.

During epilation in the armpit area, movements should be intermittent, this reduces pain. Subsequently, the skin “gets used” to the procedure and the process goes faster and less painful.

Summary

By properly removing hair and providing your legs with good care before and after the procedure, you can forget about the need for hair removal for several weeks. You can find even more useful information in the video in this article.

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Text \ Photo Victoria BOLSHOVA Posted 12/10/2015

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