Feeling plucky? Options abound for hair removal

The Idaho Statesman

Surf's up! It's swimsuit season, and many of us are wondering, "Am I going to be able to fit in my bikini, or swimsuit, or whatever skimpy beach thang that shows miles and miles of skin?"

Immediately on the heels of that seasonal, angst-ridden biggie is another that will fill you with resigned resignation or anxious trepidation: Shave or wax?

But wait, you've got more than two choices for bikini-line hair removal. The most recent hair-begone star is the laser, but there's also electrolysis. Don't forget depilatories (think Nair) and — ouch — plucking.

Getting rid of body hair is a notion nearly as old as man. And woman. Cavemen used rocks and shells to shave their beards. As early as 4000 B.C., women used a paste made of arsenic and quicklime as a depilatory. Fast forward to the 20th century. American women began to shave their underarms only after short-sleeve fashion came in vogue around 1915, and marketers began blitzing the cause in women's magazines.

Legs came later. Some credit Betty Grable's famous and leggy World War II pinup poster, along with higher hemlines, for the practice of leg shaving. And waxing. And Nair-ing.

Waxing and razors

Today, you can thank those daring bikini-sporting beauties in Brazil for the current trend of bikini-line, hair-away obsession. Because their bikinis were so teeny-weeny, they started the practice of the no-hair-down-there Brazilian.

According to Jonice Padilha, one of seven Brazilian sisters who came to America and started the J.Sisters International salons, "When we first introduced our signature Brazilian bikini wax in 1994, we had no idea how it would be received. In Brazil, with bikinis so small, waxing is part of our culture."

Most women know all about the trials and tribulations of shaving for summer. The pluses: It's easy, you can get a disposable razor practically anywhere and it's cheap.

The minuses: razor burn. Heat rash. Ingrown hairs. Nicks and cuts. And you have to do it almost every day.

Waxing is a stickier situation. Most of us wouldn't dare try it at home and, at $25 (bikini line) to $50 (The Brazilian — it's all gone) every three to four weeks, it's not all that cheap. And, hey, did anyone see "The 40-Year Old Virgin"? Even though it's over fast, it hurts like heck.

The hair zappers

You won't find very many technicians who perform electrolysis these days.

Here's how it works: A fine metal needle, called a probe, is inserted into the hair follicle, and an electric current passes through it to destroy the root of the hair.

Wax wisdom


• For a first-time waxee, professional waxer Lisa Smith suggests you take Ibuprofen about one hour before the session.

• Be well-hydrated.

• Don't tan for 24 hours after a waxing session.

It had its heyday in the 1980s but isn't widely used today. It's slow — it takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to treat a dime-sized area, hair by hair. It's painful — each time it zaps the hair follicle root, it feels like "a baby bee sting." It's costly — at $15 to $65 per weekly treatment, a year's worth of treatments could translate to about $3,000.

Plus, the procedure as a permanent hair remover is somewhat questionable. It's hard to snag every hair.

The laser option

These days, if you want to get rid of hair forever — no more razors, no more Nair, no more plucking or waxing — you do the laser.

With wand in hand, a professional waves the band of light across the area, and the laser seeks out the hair follicles at the root and zaps them. It has to do with pigmentation, by "seeing" and honing in on the color of the hair — and the darker the hair and lighter the skin, the better.

Another plus: It's pretty darned fast. The bikini line takes about 10 minutes.

As good as that may sound, be warned: There are many kinds of lasers (plain laser, candela laser, intense pulsed light, electro optical synergy or elos, to name a few) and varying degrees of qualified technicians.

According to a paper published in the March 2005 "Sex Roles: A Journal of Research," a hairless body is a sign of femininity.

Or maybe it's just easier.