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HAVE you noticed the virtual epidemic of hairy selfies popping up on newsfeeds all over the social media world?
Perhaps you yourself have actually posted one? Enough I say… stop it! I’m all for people making their own choices regarding hair removal but, really, I do not need to see another pair of hairy legs or armpits on Facebook or Twitter!
In any case this debate on hair removal is not a recent phenomenon…
Emer O’Toole, a graduate student from Dublin, made headlines for her research, which was not to shave for 18 months.
She decided to challenge the notion that women must be hair-free to be happy. She came to the conclusion that too much pressure is put upon women to conform to what she calls “artificial gender norms”.
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Appearing on UTV with Eamonn Homes, Emer admitted that she started shaving at 14, simply because it was expected of her, appearing alongside her on the sofa was a salon owner who was disgusted by body hair and when these two got going it was not just skin and hair that went flying.
The salon owner said she waxed from an early age because it made her feel feminine, and she still does hair removal for herself and not for what others think. Ms. O’Toole felt it put to much pressure on young girls, who had enough to contend with as it was. Eighty per cent of viewers were horrified by the idea of a woman with hairy legs and armpits.
Presenter Craig Doyle asked Emer if it put suitors off in their quest. The confident witty lady replied she had no complaints.
Julia Roberts caused controversy when she stepped out on the red carpet ‘unshaven’ at the Grammys.
Another woman, Hollywood leading lady Julia Roberts, made front page headlines at the Grammy awards, not for winning, but for waving at the crowd to reveal underarm hair that had been growing for some time.
Now it wasn’t like she was between waxes or that she was going to Dunnes for a pint of milk, she knew she was going to the Grammy’s and has a team of stylists.
Hilary Swank walked the red carpet wearing a gorgeous gold dress and underarm beard that would have put Osama Bin Laden to shame.
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Europe is divided on the excess body hair debate: while some of our European counterparts believe it is natural and go with the flow, Irish ladies tend to opt for regular salon visits. There are many causes of unwanted hair.
• Hereditary – your genes determine a lot regarding your individual hair growth.
• Puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
• Malfunctions of the endocrine system such as thyroid, pituitary or adrenal gland, polcyistic ovaries can all cause excessive hair growth.
• Medication, birth control pills, cortisone, seizure drugs and high blood pressure medication may cause unwanted hair.
• Stress, for some individuals, emotional and physical stress can stimulate the adrenal glands and cause soft, fine body hair to become coarse and noticeable.
So what are the solutions:
Waxing
This is a semi-permanent, hair removal method which removes the hair from the root, new hair will not grow back for 2-8 weeks.
Wax is spread over the skin, then a cloth or paper strip is pressed over the wax and ripped off. That’s the sore bit, but the results are very good. I would recommend a patch test if you never have waxed before, just to make sure you are not allergic to wax.
Watch out for ingrown hairs – they are red bumps under the skin but will be reduced by regular exfoliating. Waxing is great for legs, underarms, bikini line,chests, backs, lip and brow areas.
Electrolysis
This is the electrical epilation to permanently remove hair. A needle or probe is inserted into each hair follicle and a slight heat sensation is felt, skin is usually red and tender afterwards. Electrolysis is great for facial areas , it does take time but very effective.
Threading
This is a big trend at the moment, but is, in fact, an ancient method of hair removal originating in the Eastern world. A thin cotton thread is doubled and twisted, it is then rolled over areas of unwanted hair, plucking the hair at the follicle level.
Unlike tweezing, where single hairs are pulled out at a time, threading can remove short lines of hair. Threading works wonders on those little fair hairs on brows and lips that are hard to get at. The advantage for eyebrows is that it is more precise in shaping and is more gentle on the skin and lasts for ages.
Laser Treatment
Hair removal lasers have been used since 1997. Laser is rapid but gentle, it feels like an elastic band is hitting off the skin and will take a course of treatments but is on the costly side.
Find out from the onset approximately how many treatments you will need. The results are amazing. If hair growth is a problem for you and if you divide the cost of treatments by years of hair reduction, it’ll be worth it.
Hair today, gone tomorrow is a very personal choice, so do what suits your lifestyle and pocket best.
Facebook: Mary O’Donnell Beauty, Twitter: @maryodonnellbc Website: http://www.maryodonnellbeauty.com
