Many of us have the frustrating experience of losing hair where we want to keep it, and growing it in places we’d rather lose it. There are plenty of ways to remove unwanted hair: shaving, waxing, depilatories, electrolysis and laser treatments.
The most long-lasting (and priciest) way get rid of hair is with laser therapy. This is how it works: The pigment in hair soaks up the laser light, which acts like a firecracker fuse leading to the follicle that lies two millimeters under the skin. The laser heat travels down through the hair, zapping the follicle, so hair doesn’t grow again.
MORE: Want to Try Laser Hair Removal?
To remove hair completely takes anywhere from three to seven treatments. Each time it removes about 20 to 40 percent of hair. The laser even seeks out ingrown hairs too, which live beneath the skin’s surface.
Growing a mustache isn’t just a rite of passage for teen boys—women can also experience these hormonal side effects. Roughly 30 percent of women report unwanted hair on the face. The cause is most likely excess testosterone, sometimes from polycystic ovarian syndrome or menopause.
If you’re going to wax, ask for room-temp wax instead of hot wax. The cooler kind usually does less damage when the wax rips the hair and follicle from your skin. If you take Accutane or steroids, consult your doctor before waxing, as your skin may be more sensitive. Otherwise, you can rip more than your hair off with that wax!
Some people experience a surge of testosterone when they gain weight, and then find hair growing in unwelcome areas. If you lose the weight, you may experience a decrease in male hormone levels and the disappearance of any unwanted hair.
