We all have body hair which keeps us warm in winter but can look unsightly in Summer!

Over the years I have noticed a variation in hair removal across different cultures and countries.

When I started working in the Beauty Industry 36 years ago, I remember my father commenting at a family wedding with German relatives how you would never get rich offering waxing services in Europe as under-arm bikini and leg hair are culturally acceptable there.

Things have changed slightly over the years but the UK is still number one for hair removal. So from razors, depilatory creams to waxing and now of course laser hair removal a lot of money is spent on professional treatments to give a smooth hair-free look.

In the last few years it has become more common place for men to have waxing treatments too. At the Belmore Centre we often have requests for chest and back waxing and even intimate waxing. Some men choose to have laser to address the problem more permanently. Unfortunately this has to be done during the winter months as laser treatments cannot be performed within 4 weeks of exposing your skin to the sun.

Not only do fashions change in the type of wax used – hot wax is making a comeback- but it can be hard to keep up with the names of all the different procedures. This is not surprising really, as there are a variety of interesting and varied types to choose from, especially with the bikini wax.

Here are a few to keep you up-to-date with the trends:

Regular or American Wax

A regular wax is for people who want to remove all the hair that could potentially protrude from their swimming costume! This is great for women who just want a quick tidy-up, for those planning a beach holiday or those who want to get their legs and underarms waxed at the same time. Some men, especially those who like Speedo-type swimming costumes, also opt for regular waxing.

Brazilian Wax

The infamous Brazilian wax reportedly got its name from a group of sisters from Brazil who took the treatment over to the US. It has been made popular worldwide thanks to Samantha in Sex and the City, who opted for one having found one grey hair too many…! It is accomplished by removing hair from the front, back and all bits in between, leaving the client a smooth, peach-like area in its place. Usually a small strip of hair is left in the middle, cleverly dubbed a “landing strip”.

Hollywood wax

This is not for the faint hearted as it includes removing the hair from the whole pubic area. Having a bikini wax is not particularly pleasant. But it shouldn’t be all that unpleasant either. The more experience a waxer has, the faster the procedure will be, which means less pain and discomfort for you. If you have an unusually low pain threshold some people take paracetamol or ibuprofen 15 minutes before their visit, to make things a bit easier on themselves. If you are prone to either red bumps or ingrown hairs maybe now is the time to look into laser hair removal as this will minimise the problem.

As one gets older facial hair can become a problem. The most common way to tackle this is electrolysis, waxing or laser. The only problem with laser hair removal is that it only works on dark hair, so if the hair has lost its pigment and turned grey this method is not for you.

I think we all fear ending our days sitting in an old people’s home with a beard! So think about how you can get this problem under control now. Hormones as well as stress can effect hair growth on the face but try to avoid plucking as this makes it worse.

Don’t wait until your summer holiday to be embarrassed by unsightly hair – seek help now!