Is Pain Beauty?

Hair removal… one of the annoying and potentially painful things we ladies have to endure. Where as men only have their faces to groom – and only then, if they choose to do so – we have our armpits and bikini area to tend to, as well as ankle to thigh. Pain aside, this is a time-consuming and costly self-care routine. We either have to purchase razors, shaving gel and after-shave moisturisers, waxing kits or treatments, hair removal cream, lady shavers or epilators. Add to this the time it takes to shave, wax or epilate every inch, and it can be a real nightmare. And then the pain of some of those techniques… Yet another reason why women get the harsher end of the stick in life!

On the brighter side, hairless skin that feels silky smooth can leave us feeling sexy, sensual and feminine. Most women would agree that having soft legs is the height of femininity. This can make all of the pain, expense and time worth it all. But, what are the best methods, and the advantages and disadvantages to each? World of Venus researches!

Shaving

Until recently, shaving has been the most popular hair removal technique. Gel or foam is applied to wet skin and a razor is run against the hair growth to remove hair painlessly and close to the skin. Alternatively, electric lady shavers are available which are used on dry skin.

Both lady shavers and manual razors are available in girly colours and designs, which is always a plus!

Advantages:

Pain-free (provided you are careful with the razor!)
Provides a silky smooth result
These days, there are some excellent razors available, which provide safe and close shaves.

Disadvantages:

Smooth results last only a day or two, depending on rate of hair growth.
Shaving gel, razor, blades and after-care moisturisers can prove to be costly.
Caring for legs, armpits and bikini area every few days can be time-consuming.

Hair Removal Creams

Hair removal creams are fairly new to the market compared to the traditional method of shaving. They are available in small sachets (which can be carried in your handbag for emergency hair removal situations!) and can be used on more sensitive body parts, where you might not want a razorblade to venture.

Advantages:

Pain-free
Provides a silky smooth result
Inexpensive – one sachet can cost as little as 40pence
Takes very little effort: requires only that you spread cream over body part and later wash off.

Disadvantages:

May cause allergic reactions
May not adequately remove thicker hairs (from bikini area, particularly)
Unpleasant smelling

Waxing

Waxing has become the most popular method of hair removal due to its long-lasting results. Waxing can be done either at home using waxing kits or at major salons and beauty parlours. Wax is applied on the required body part and a waxing strip is applied on top. The strip is then pulled away, removing the wax and hairs at the same time.

Advantages:

Provides a silky smooth result which can last for several weeks
Wax treatments are completed quickly

Disadvantages:

Painful

Wax kits can be expensive – but the expense is incurred only once a month, on average
Skin and hair follicles will look unattractive and be blotchy and sensitive for a short while afterwards

Epilating

Epilating is still one of the newer methods of hair removal. There is a large range of epilators available on the market, most of them very ergonomic and available in girly colours! Epilators are electronic / battery operated and contain at least two-dozen pairs of tweezers. Epilating involves running the epilator over your legs, bikini area or armpit. The epilator works by plucking every hair from your skin, one by one.

Advantages:

Provides a silky smooth result which can last for several weeks
A one-time very reasonable outlay

Disadvantages:

Painful

Leaves skin and hair follicles blotchy and sensitive for a short time afterwards

Which hair removal method you choose depends only on your preferences with regards to expense, pain and time available. If you believe pain really is beauty then you may wish to go for the epilating or waxing techniques as these provide fantastic results which last several weeks. However, shaving or using hair removal creams are pain-free. Whatever your preference, silky smooth, hairless figures are the aim!