Body Waxing (Brazilian, Bikini) and Permanent Hair Removal (Electrolysis, Laser) Locations Locator Map and Directory

Hair Removal Salons offer various methods of hair removal. Some methods are semi-permanent such as body waxing (including Bikini waxes and Brazilian waxes). A more permanent method of hair removal is laser hair removal. The most permanent method of hair removal is by electrolysis. Check with your local hair removal salon to determine which method is appropriate for you.

From Wikipedia

Body Waxing

Waxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. New hairs will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows, face, bikini area, legs, arms, back, abdomen and feet. There are many types of waxing suitable for removing unwanted hair. If waxing is done regularly for several years, permanent hair reduction may be achieved.

Waxing is accomplished by spreading a wax combination thinly over the skin. A cloth or paper strip is then pressed on the top and ripped off with a quick movement against the direction of hair growth. This removes the wax along with the hair and dead skin cells, leaving the skin smooth. Another method of waxing involves hot wax, a soft wax directly applied to the skin. The wax then hardens when it cools, thus allowing the easy removal by a therapist without the aid of cloths. This waxing method is very beneficial to people who have sensitive skin.

New hair growth in waxed areas is soft and fine, not sharp and coarse like shaved hair. After repeated waxing for areas like the eyebrows and lower legs, hair regrowth is less common and, in some cases, hair will never regrow.

Types of waxing

Various types of waxing are available. Some must be performed by a licensed cosmetologist or esthetician. The different types of waxing that can be performed are:

* Eyebrow waxing
* Bikini, Male genital, & Hollywood/Brazilian waxing
* Leg waxing
* Arm/underarm waxing
* Back waxing
* Foot waxing
* Chest waxing
* Full wax
* Entire body wax

Most parts of the body can be waxed, but other parts, not listed above are not given special consideration. Areas individuals should never wax include inside the ears and nose as well as eyelashes, eyelids, the palms of the hands, and the soles of the feet. These areas are of particular concern due to sensitive skin that can be severely damaged if waxed. Also, if these areas are waxed, it may trigger hair growth that was not once there before. Areas of the body that should only be waxed by a licensed professional include the genitals and the nipples.

Electrolysis

Electrology is the practice of electrical epilation to permanently remove human hair. The actual process of removing the hair is referred to as electrolysis. The practitioner slides a solid hair-thin metal probe into each hair follicle. Proper insertion does not puncture the skin. Electricity is delivered to the follicle through the probe, which causes localized damage to the areas that generate hairs, either through the formation of caustic lye (galvanic method), overheating (thermolysis method), or both (blend method).

In the United States, electrolysis is regulated in many states, requiring training and licensure. Electrolysis as a profession faced new competition in the 1990s after laser hair removal was developed and promoted as a quicker and easier way to remove hair. The Food and Drug Administration declared laser and similar devices can only claim to reduce hair growth, not permanently remove it.[5] Many who have had laser surgery have noted that it seems to only shock the hair follicles into a temporary state of "hibernation," without permanently destroying them.[who?][citation needed] Some laser or light treatments can permanently bleach the skin.

Laser Hair Removal

Epilation by laser was performed experimentally for about 20 years before it became commercially available in the mid 1970s. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) epilators, though technically not a laser, use xenon flash lamps that emit full spectrum light. Laser and light-based methods, sometimes called phototricholysis or photoepilation, are now most commonly referred to collectively as "laser hair removal". One of the first published articles describing laser hair removal was authored by the group at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1998.[1][2] The efficacy of laser hair removal is now generally accepted in the dermatology community, and laser hair removal is widely practiced. Many reviews of laser hair removal methods, safety, and efficacy have been published in the dermatology literature