Getting Rid Of Excess Hair

What can be done about harmless, unwanted hairs? Annie Jones, who had hair on her face at the age of nine months, solved the problem by entering the circus of P.T. Barnum. She was not only paid but her new job brought her fame. By the time she was five, she was known as the famous "Bearded Lady."

Today, there aren't many circuses around for bearded or mustached women to join. But the problem of excess hair can be dealt with in a number of ways. What are your options?

The easiest and safest way to remove unwanted hair is by plucking. This can be accomplished with the help of a good pair of tweezers. Plucking hair requires no special preparation except that the area should be washed first and dabbed with a little alcohol. This is the preferred method of temporarily removing scattered hairs on the face and chest.

To pluck with ease, pull out the hair in the direction it is growing. If you have hair growing from a mole, it's best to check with a physician before doing anything. While plucking has no side effects, it can be painful at times. Removing hair from a mole in this manner could cause bleeding and infection.

Obviously, plucking can be impractical for extensive hair on the legs and underarms. If that's the case, why not try shaving? Like plucking, it's safe and can also be used for facial hair. But before you get hold of a razor blade or electric shaver, wash the area with soap and water or shaving cream to make hair soft and pliable. Use a clean, sharp blade and shave against the direction of hair growth. For the legs and thighs, use long, upward strokes to properly remove hair.

The one disadvantage shaving has is that it has to be repeated almost daily to avoid a bristly feeling. If you're not careful, shaving can cut and irritate your skin. To avoid trouble, learn from an expert. Let your husband teach you how to shave provided, of course, his face has not been ruined by a razor blade.

Bleaching is another method you can try. It does not actually remove hair but makes it less noticeable. This method is suitable for large areas such as the forearms and thighs which have a small amount of excess hair. Bleaching can also lighten hair on the face.

Most bleaches are harmless but they can irritate sensitive skin. Before applying one, test it on a small area. If irritation occurs within 30 minutes, reduce the concentration of bleach and don't leave it on the skin for a long time.

"This technique lightens the hair so it blends in better with one's skin tone. It is effective only when there is a small amount of unwanted hair and the skin tone matches the lighter hair. On women with darker skin or when a great deal of unwanted hair is present, the end result of bleaching would still be a relatively noticeable blond or reddish blond mustache or sideburns," according to Deborah Chase in The No-Nonsense Beauty Book.

One of the oldest and least popular methods of hair removal is waxing. As its name implies, hot or cold wax is applied to the skin, left for a few minutes, and pulled off in the direction of hair growth. This removes whatever hairs are embedded in the wax.

Is it effective? Find out in the third part of this series. For beautiful skin use Lumnaderm, a whitening cream that eliminates freckles, unsightly age spots, sun spots, blemishes and hyperpigmentation. When used as directed, Lumnaderm will balance uneven skin tones and illuminate your skin. For more information, visit http://www.lumnaderm.com/.