Modelling & Body Hair

This week I learnt a very hard lesson which has prompted this blog post – Shoot me a message and I will tell you all about it! As long as I can remember, I have always been a furry little fella and try as I might (and I certainly have tried!), it’s something I have to live with. I thought that it would be good to give you my recommendations on the best hair removal methods out there.

Questions you need to ask yourself when thinking about removing body hair:

Am I looking for a permanent or temporary solution?
How much money do I want to spend?
How much pain can I deal with?
Which part of my body?

Shaving

The most common of hair removal methods – it’s instant, cost effective and easy to do at home. Its disadvantages of course are fast regrowth and stubble. There is also the risk of cutting yourself if you are not careful.

Prepping your body hair by initially having a hot shower / bath is in my opinion the best way to get both your skin and your hair ready – your pores are then open; the hair is not as brittle either so it has a much better response to the razor. Get yourself a decent shaving foam or gel that your skin responds well to: the best way to do this is trial and error. Take your time! Don’t rush with the razor or you will most certainly cut yourself and trust me, it’s an absolute pain in the arse to hide the cuts. Don’t shave over the same area multiple times or you will end up irritating the skin and if you have a shoot the same day, that’s the last thing you want to do. Get a good Post-shave gel that will retain moisture levels in the skin and at the same time, cool your skin down!

Depilatory Cream

Depilatories are a good alternative for those who do not want to wax or shave. These basically dissolve the keratin within the hair shafts just below the surface of the skin. They come in coarse, regular and sensitive formulations which you apply to skin and leave to work for a set time (depending on instructions). Make sure you do not leave them on too long or you will end up irritating your skin! Always test the product on a small area of skin to ensure your skin is not sensitive to the ingredients.

Areas of usage: Non delicate areas as the ingredients may irritate / inflame the skin. Chest, back, legs, thighs and arms are generally ok. Some men use depilatories on their arses too. Don’t use depilatories on or near your ‘little fella’ or face! Trust me; you will regret it, haha.

The advantages of depilatory creams are they are they are completely painless, very quick to apply and you don’t need help from anyone to use them. The downsides are they tend to smell pretty unpleasant and the hair will grow back faster than if you had waxed. You may also need several applications of the depilatory to remove the hair completely. If you have sensitive skin but coarse hair, this isn’t for you.

Waxing

Before you start, no, I have never had a crack and sack wax, haha. Waxing is the longest-lasting temporary hair removal technique available. Although its possible to do it yourself at home, I would strongly advise getting it done professionally – The last thing you want is to get half way through waxing and decide you cant finish it and end up looking like Cocoa The Clown!

There are traditional and hard wax methods available but for the sake of this tutorial, I’m going to discuss traditional wax. A thin layer of wax is applied to the skin with a spatula. Next a fabric or paper strip is pressed onto the waxed area, rubbed in and quickly pulled away against the direction of hair growth, removing the hair from its follicle. This is repeated over the whole area and the treatment finishes with an aftercare lotion to soothe the skin.

Try to wear loose-fitting clothes for a couple of days to avoid irritating the skin. Do NOT have a hot shower or expose your recently waxed skin to sunlight or sunbeds within twenty-four hours of a session. Your skin is likely to be sensitive and is easily burned. Avoid getting soaps and gels on your skin during your first couple of hair-free showers – these are the prime reasons for spots.

Hair re-growth will become apparent within 5 days of waxing, and this will normally result in itchiness. Don’t worry; this normally goes away after a couple of days as the hairs grow a little longer. Noticeable hair growth will occur only after 4-6 weeks of waxing, at which point you should be thinking of making another appointment.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser is by far the most effective of the above methods. It uses pulsed beams of highly concentrated light energy which is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicles. The procedure can be pretty uncomfortable but not usually painful. The length of the laser session depends entirely on the size of the area being treated. Any redness or swelling is pretty normal and disappears after a short period of time.

The main benefit is that there is a good chance of permanent hair reduction. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s 100% permanent – Many factors can affect this such as your skin type, the colour of your hair, external factors such as tanning, the laser parameters and finally your hormones which can trigger re-growth. The downsides to laser hair removal are the cost, repeat treatments are required (no tanning in between sessions, boys and girls!) and the risk of scarring/skin pigment changes also needs to be considered.

Overall Verdict

Personally, I have tried all of the above methods and have mixed opinions. Maybe I’m cynical because I have millions more hair follicles than most guys? Lasering was a great option for my ‘designer beard’ – I haven’t shaped the curve in almost two years and would thoroughly recommend it! The rest of my body on the other hand is an entirely different ball game – the hair is very different so the response from laser hair removal is just that. I now stick to clippering my chest and facial hair as the boys seem to like it more *smirks* and shave for special occasions and photo shoots when required.

The moral of this story…. ‘Love your body hair’.