Recipes of hair removal (Epilation) Hair removal and depilation

Fighting unwanted vegetation on the body and face is difficult, but not hopeless! Can you imagine how you would look after your appearance if you lived about two thousand years ago? A difficult task, is not it? There is still no industrial production of cosmetic products, cosmetic salons with ultra-efficient equipment - too, and every component of modern multicomponent creams was then living its own separate life.

How did our ancestors get out of the situation?

In the homeland of the Olympic Games, in Greece, and in ancient Rome, there was a cult of health. To maintain a good physical form, the ancient Romans and Greeks sought in all available ways. Men and women spent a lot of time in the so-called termas - analogues of modern sports clubs. They always had a gym, a locker room, swimming pools, a hot and cold sauna. And, of course, the hall where the massage was done, now called classical.
Known milk baths of Cleopatra in those days did not surprise anyone, since washing with donkey milk, and used it was considered expensive, but a natural pleasure. Glass mirrors were not yet able to be made, and their function was performed by polished copper and iron plates. Wrinkles and small skin defects could not be seen in them, of course. Thermal wraps were performed using hot sand and reed lubkov. Aesculapius, otherwise - healers, prescribed hot sea and sulfur baths.
As a blush and shadows, women of the past used lead white, antimony, lead gloss, malachite, antimony sulphide. All this was laid out on all sorts of glass jars and bottles. The spirits were liquid, oil-based, and were used for mashing.

However, no matter how imperfect the cosmetology of those times, the ancient world already knew the epilation. And it was not only a women's privilege. Men, including the ancient Roman emperors, body tweezers were plucked with tweezers. For example, the Emperor Augustus, for softening his hair on his feet, burnt caviar with a red-hot shell of walnut. Men sometimes rubbed their face with soaked bread so that the beard would not grow.

Well, what about the pressing problem for many, how to remove hair, today?

From a medical point of view, the process of hair removal means two actions: epilation and depilation. The word epilation came from the Latin language (from e (x) from, outward + pilus hair) and means the removal of unwanted hair in various ways for a long time. There is also the term depilation, which means short-term hair removal, mostly by mechanical means.

DEPILATION includes:
1. Hair removal by shaving them.
2. Plucking.
3. Chemical depilatories (creams-depilatories).
4. Bioepilators (various waxes and resins).

EPILATION is divided into:
1. Electrolysis (electroepilation).
2. Laser hair removal.
3. Photoepilation.
Despite the fact that these two terms (depilation and depilation) mean different in nature and effectiveness, this division is more theoretical, and the term "depilation" is almost not used today, it was almost replaced by the term "hair removal".

SHAVING

Shaving is the simplest and cheapest way, requiring no special conditions. For best effect, it is recommended to use special shaving means that soften the hair, make it more pliable for the shaver and at the same time protect the skin from damage.
It is useful to know that shaving hair in no way affects the speed of their growth, color and quality. This removes only the visible part of the hair, the root remains untouched and functions normally.

The disadvantages of the procedure are ingrown hair, the appearance of inflammation around the mouth of the hair, cuts, hyperpigmentation at the site of the previous inflammation. To all of these phenomena occur less often, it is desirable to use special after shave products, produced by many companies.

PLUCKING

This procedure also does not require any financial investment, you only need tweezers. It is produced only in small areas of the face or trunk skin. The first procedure may seem very painful. As the main type of epilation (axillary area, bikini zone) is used mainly in the countries of the East and Asia. The positive thing is that the hair grows more slowly, as they are removed along with the root, and after several years of regular procedures they stop growing because of the depletion of the root growth zone.

WAX DEPILATION (depilation)

One of the most common ways to fight superfluous hair. This method is quite effective, relatively inexpensive, gives good cosmetic results. You can apply it as in limited areas (upper and lower lip, chin), and on large areas (arms, legs, etc.). For the preparation of waxes, natural and artificial substances are used, depending on the properties of the final composition depends on the method of depilation: hot - warm - cold ...

Hot method - is made on the basis of pine resin or oil products. Wax heats up to a liquid state for 30 minutes and is applied a thin layer on the skin. After the wax has cooled down on the skin, a solid mass is formed, which is removed with hands. During the procedure, the skin warms, the pores are opened, and the hair is easily removed. Use this type of depilation for surfaces with thick and stiff hair. Cons of this method - there is a risk of burns.
Warm wax is also made from pine resin, but with the addition of bee products to create a softer consistency. It also heats up, but to a semi-liquid state, so it does not form such a solid film and has less adhesion to the skin. It is removed using paper strips. Warm wax can be used on any part of the face and body.

Cold method - used mainly to remove thin, tender hairs or to eliminate only beginners to grow hair after a previous depilation. These are ready-made cotton strips of industrial production, with wax pre-applied on them. The wax has a consistency of thick honey.

With any form of depilation, you need to use so-called skin care products: before the procedure - degreasing preparations, for better adhesion of the wax; After it - soothing and anti-inflammatory compounds.

CREAM-DEPILATOR

The mechanism of action is the destruction of the hair shaft as a result of the chemical reaction between the hair protein and the active component of the cream. As a result of this procedure, hair can also grow, causing inflammation, and the depilatory cream itself can become a source of allergy.

ELECTROLYSIS (ELECTROPILATION)

The essence of this method is as follows: at the mouth of the hair follicle (bag), a very thin electrode (comparable in thickness to the hair) is introduced so that it runs parallel to the hair and a constant electric current is supplied. As a result of the action of the current, a chemical reaction of water splitting and the formation of alkali is caused, which destroys the hair. Hair with a broken root is extracted with tweezers. The processing of each hair takes about one minute.
The procedure is painful, in a single session, a small amount of hair is processed. Therefore, to achieve a noticeable effect requires a large number of sessions.

For all the apparent simplicity of the operation, the electrolysis operation has its negative sides. If the current is transmitted too much force or for too long a time, the surrounding tissues may be destroyed, which leads to the formation of scars. More often such phenomena arise in the area of ​​the upper lip. If the needle does not hit the area of ​​the hair follicle (follicle) or if the current is not enough, the hair is removed with difficulty and quickly grows again.

There is another method of epilation, called the blend method, based on the combination of electrolysis and thermolysis, thermal destruction (coagulation) of the hair under the influence of high-frequency alternating current. The time of such a procedure is reduced by increasing the efficiency.

However, in addition to the above-listed side effects of electro-epilation, this procedure is accompanied by severe soreness, which reaches such a strength that local anesthesia is required. However, according to some reports, patients who underwent procedures in the upper and lower extremities, accompanied by local anesthesia, noted increased hair growth in these areas.

Contraindications for electrolysis:
Some forms of hepatitis,
Intolerance of alloys of metals that make up the needles (gold, nickel),
Dental pins,
Traumatological endoprostheses,
Intrauterine devices,
Implantation of gold threads

LASER EPILATION

Along with photoepilation today, these are the two most modern and effective methods of hair removal. Initial attempts to remove hair using a ruby ​​laser were made back in the 60s of last century. The first laser epilation system was developed in 1981 in the US, at the University of Michigan. But the industrial production of systems for laser hair removal began only in the 90s, which means that even now systems for long-term epilation are still in the development stage, and there are no results of long-term, long-term observations of their effectiveness and safety.

Photo and laser hair removal refers to the light methods of epilation. They are based on the principle of selective photothermolysis. The light radiation is selectively absorbed by the part of the hair containing the natural pigment (melanin), the light energy is converted to thermal, and the bulb of the hair due to the created thermal effect is destroyed without significant damage to the surrounding tissues. When passing through biological tissues, light creates many other effects, but the thermal one is predominant.

Photoepilators are wide-pulse light sources, generators of high-energy pulsed light.
Laser epilators are mainly ruby ​​lasers that generate red radiation.
The advantage of light (laser and photo-) epilation before other types of hair removal and depilation is that it does not break the integrity of the skin, and also processes a large group of hair in one flash. In addition, there is almost no pain effect.

Before the beginning of light hair removal, it is necessary to consult with gynecologists-endocrinologists, since excess hair growth can be caused by a violation in the hormonal sphere. Endocrinology treatment alone can slow or stop excessive hair growth and improve the effectiveness of photoepilation.
The best effects when performing procedures on a ruby ​​laser are achieved in patients with very light skin and thin (gun) hair. On hard hair, a long cosmetic effect is not observed. For such patients, there is photoepilation. Its necessary conditions are the presence of thick hair and almost any combination of skin color. An average of 6 to 8 procedures is required per course.

The positive effects observed even after the first procedures of photoepilation are thinning of hair, substitution of hard hair with cannon, decrease in the density of their location. After changing the quality of hair, it is possible to switch from photoepilation to laser hair removal.

Like any medical method of exposure, light hair removal has its contraindications:
pregnancy,
Acute and chronic skin diseases,
Varicose veins (in the area of ​​the procedure),
Herpes in the acute stage,
Presence of keloid scars,
oncological diseases,
Increased sensitivity to sunlight.

SIDE EFFECTS OF PHOTO AND LASER EPILATION:
Discolouration (pigmentation) of the skin, in the form of dark spots or spots that are lighter than the surrounding skin;
Redness and swelling of the skin at the site of exposure, usually rapidly passing;
peeling;
Burns, up to the formation of blisters, and then, in their place, scars.
However, all these side effects are extremely rare, and the effectiveness of these procedures exceeds all expectations. Light really becomes your friend and helps to achieve a perfectly smooth and clean skin. Scientists have not yet come up with the best methods for combating unnecessary hair.