Hair removal is a practice that has been a part of human history since ancient times, and maybe even before! As time passes and trends come and go, technology has advanced and refined different hair-removal techniques, including threading, laser, and electrolysis. In addition to knowing about the different forms of hair removal, it is important for professionals to understand hair growth patterns and the role it plays in hair removal treatments. It is also beneficial to be able to identify different types of hair.

by Lina Kennedy A couple of decades ago, offering cream and sugar for anything other than coffee or tea would have sounded quite ridiculous! But in today’s realm of aesthetics and cosmetics promoting coffee and chocolate to soothe even the jitteriest skin, or offering sugar as a real hair removal solution to an age-old problem is very realistic. And as post treatment, applying a good…

Believe it or not, the average spa client is savvy on procedures. They know what characteristics to look for in a service provider and will try everything from shaving to laser hair removal to get the results they desire. The question is: are you helping them achieve their goals? Clients want the best eyebrow, bikini or back wax; you want to be the go-to spa for a flawless hair removal procedure. But what makes one aesthetician or wax technician stand out among the masses? They perform concise consultations at every service and they know their clientele. In my experience as a spa owner, operator and educator, I believe that every aesthetic professional who wants to excel in hair removal services should have adept knowledge in three prominent client concerns: growth patterns and changes, ingrown hair management, and age appropriate waxing.

Excess hair presents an embarrassing problem as many women around the world participate in some form of hair removal. While cosmetic concerns are a determining factor in hair removal, some clients may be dealing with a more serious issue. Unwanted hair may not just be cosmetic when presented with a client suffering from excessive hair growth but it can also be a sign of a medical condition. Having unwanted hair is an issue that attributes to an emotional burden, such as low self-esteem and depression, in the individual.

I, perhaps like you, am not a physician. The information we share here is not a clinical guideline or recommendation but a compilation of experiences from manufacturers and users since lasers were introduced in May of 1961. The old maxim is not if you will see complications but how will you handle complications when they arise. If you are using light to perform procedures successfully then there will be an occasion where the result or reaction to the treatment will be more than expected. The reasons are numerous and sometimes uncontrollable. Here we will review the important things to know and remind you of those things to be avoided. The list of possible complications is commonly known: blistering, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and/or scarring.

Ohm's Law

Ohm's Law is the expression of voltage, current and resistance in an electrical circuit. First, we must define these parameters:

Voltage is defined as electrical force or pressure. A battery has voltage when it is electrically charged, and ready to do electrical work. This is similar to water pressure in a water system. When the water tower is full, it has pressure (voltage) and is ready to do work when the faucet is open.

What Electricity is and Where it Comes From

Electricity is a fundamental force in nature. It is all around us. We are virtually bathing in it at all times in the form of radio and television signals, microwave energy, radar, etcetera. Furthermore, our bodies run on electrical impulses; messages sent from our brains, through the nerves to the muscles causing contractions, both voluntary and involuntary.
Electricity is an electron in motion, and electrons are the negatively charged particles, which orbit the nucleus of an atom. In order to understand electricity, it is best to visualize it in some way. Think of the moon orbiting around the earth. The earth is analogous to the nucleus of an atom, and the moon is analogous to the electron. The whole system of the earth and the moon is then analogous to the simplest atom in nature, the hydrogen atom.

The word “integumentary” (the skin), which means “covering” is derived from “in” or “en.” The word system is defined as a collection of cells that perform a particular function.

Wintertime should be the peak of the hair removal season. Cold weather keeps the skin covered, so growing out unsightly underarm, leg and bikini-line hair for the best hair removal results is not so challenging. But as most women come out of hibernation from hair removal and begin to embrace the warm sun and longer days, they suddenly seem to realize that the furry body they grew into during the winter is not the growing trend. Hair removal has become so mainstream that women are now requesting forehead and neck clean-ups so their wispy little hairs do not interfere with a perfect sleek ponytail.

Both men and women seek hair removal services, whether for the face, under the arms, on the legs, or elsewhere on the body. While some patients may initially simply request stand-alone hair removal procedures, as skin health professionals we must address more than just removing unwanted hair, as many hair removal procedures have the potential to harm surrounding skin. Pre-treating skin and performing hair removal procedures that mitigate negative side effects like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) and ingrown hairs instead of just eliminating unwanted hair will maintain and optimize the health of the skin in the process.