Cosmopolitan UK - 04.2020

26 ·^ COSMOPOLITAN

glow

How to deal with it

I’ve been removing my upper lip hair since I was 14 years old,

after raiding my mum’s beauty cupboard and finding her Veet.

The pros of removal cream are that it’s quick, painless and gets

rid of every last hair. The cons? It breaks down hair using alkaline

chemicals, which, despite being skin-safe, can cause irritation,

depending on how sensitive your skin is. So without wanting to

sound like your mum, please, please do a patch test first.

Waxing’s best done by a professional, as salons can select the

gentlest formulas for the face, but it’s efficient – one tug of the strip

and you can kiss goodbye to those Elvis-style sideburns for up

to three weeks. But, as the wax has direct contact with the skin, it

can lead to irritation if you’re sensitive. And some hairs just don’t

seem to want to come out, so instead of being pulled clean from

the follicle, they snap, which can lead to ingrowers. Ouch.

Threading and tweezing are actually quite similar when it comes

to the mechanics of hair removal – both grab onto hairs and pull

them out from the follicle in one swift motion. While we’ve all

heard the myth “if you pluck one hair, 10 will grow back in its

place”, that’s just not true. What is true is that, like waxing,

threading and tweezing can sometimes lead to broken hairs but,

as there’s minimal skin contact, they’re less likely to irritate.

Whether it’s a single-blade facial razor, a battery-operated shaver

or a professional dermaplaning treatment, I’m a fan of shaving

• it’s probably the easiest, most pain-free option of all. But it’s
  not without its issues. Regrowth happens quickly, and because hair
  is cut off at the surface, it regrows blunt, not tapered, so it can
  appear thicker. You’ve also got to be super-careful to avoid those
  annoying cuts, and keep blades clean to avoid follicle infections.

Laser hair removal is the only treatment I’ve found for minimised

growth that lasts. It takes four to six sessions to see a significant

difference, but it doesn’t work for every skin tone or hair colour.

“[It targets] the dark pigments in the hair, so the better the contrast

between the hair and the skin (eg dark hair on fair skin), the better

the outcome,” explains Dr Williams. Oh, and it’s not permanent:

“Maintenance sessions are expected,” Dr Williams adds.

Electrolysis is currently the only method that permanently gets rid

of hair, but it’s not a walk in the park. “A fine needle is inserted

into each hair follicle. It then emits an electric current to damage

the follicle,” explains Dr Williams. You’ll need two to three

treatments to stop growth, and it can be painful (you’re having a

needle repeatedly inserted into your face, after all). Only book in

with an experienced therapist who has great recommendations.

You have

any active

breakouts,

or your skin

is prone to

redness and

sensitivity.

You have

sensitive,

acne-prone

skin or

suffer from

rosacea.

You’re looking

to remove a

larger patch of

hair, or if the

hairs are shorter

than 2mm.

You have

sensitive,

acne-prone

skin or

suffer from

rosacea.

Certain types

of laser hair

removal are

unsuitable for

deeper skin

tones, so book a

consultation first.

You have a

larger area of

hair to remove

• this is only
  suitable for
  small clusters
  of hairs. ◆

Most effective

on smaller

areas of

fine hair.

Hairs longer

than 3mm,

brows, upper lip,

sideburns.

WHAT THE VERDICT WORKS FOR AVOID IF

HAIR

REMOVAL

CREAM

WAXING

THREADING

& TWEEZING

SHAVING

LASER

HAIR

REMOVAL

ELECTROLYSIS

Peach fuzz,

brows, upper

lip, chin hair.

Any hair type

at all – thick

or fine.

All skin tones

and hair

colours.

Dark hairs,

particularly those

that are thick

and coarse.

PHOTOGRAPHS TARYN RAE-LEE. DIGITAL ILLUSTRATIONS HITANDRUNMEDIA.COM. MODEL ABBIE G AT IMM MODEL. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JOLANDA COETZER

AT LHA REPRESENTS, USING TATA HARPER AND GLOSSIER. PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT MICHELLE MORGAN. JEWELLERY, MODEL’S OWN