Atlanta 2004

Unwanted facial or body hair can ruin even the best look . Because it is inexpensive and easy to do, shaving has become a faithful bath ritual for many women to rid themselves of hair on legs, armpits, eyebrows and bikini areas.

However, shaving has problems-nicks, ugly red bumps, cuts and burns from razors. Razor blades are sharp and potentially dangerous, and sensitive skin is prone to trauma caused by frequent shaving. Another problem is ingrown hair. according to U.S.-based Dr. Barbara Homeier and DR. Patrice Hyde, ingrown hair grows when shaving cuts below the level of the skin. Cut hair grows in surrounding tissue instead of outside the follicle, eventually curling around and growing into skin. This causes redness, irritation and swelling at the hair follicle.

The worst part is that shaving causes hair to grow back quicker, coarser and darker than before, and shaving becomes more frequent to maintain smooth skin. Here are alternatives to shaving:

Waxing pulls unwanted hair, hair roots and dead skin cells, making the skin soft and smooth. Lasts three to six weeks. However, waxing is effective only if hair is at least 6 millimeters long, and healing and scaling are painful. Some wax strips are cold and painless.

Depilatory creams and mousses dissolve unwanted hair in 5 to 10 minutes. They are painless and result in growing that is thinner and smoother. Some creams and mousses moisturize and protect skin, too.

Electrolysis kills hair roots using electric current. The process takes up to 16 hours for the leg area or bikini line and can be painful. Laser hair removal directs amplified light at follicle and is painless. best on fair-skinned women with dark hair because melanin in the hair absorbs more light. Electrolysis and laser hair removal are expensive hair removal methods.