The killer question: How to get rid of unwanted body hair?

Body hair tends to be a tricky and well, hairy situation with many claiming that it’s unnecessary to be bothered by it. But whether you choose to embrace it and go au naturel or seek any means to remove it is also an option that should only be left up to you – rather than beauty standards imposed by glossy editorials.

For those of you who do find body hair or any hair that’s just not your heads a nuisance, then you would have probably succumbed yourselves to painful waxing sessions, epilation or laser removals. If you’ve yet to make the plunge but have been thinking about it then read on as Dr Malini Munisamy, Medical Director from Singapore’s Aescure Medical and Aesthetic Clinic answers some of your common queries to removing unwanted body hair.

It is possible to inhibit the growth of hair?

There is a cream called Vaniqa (Eflornithine Hydrochloride), the first FDA approved prescription cream clinically proven to reduce the growth of unwanted facial hair. It slows down the rate of hair growth and takes about 4-8 weeks to see results when used twice a day. It is meant to be used in conjunction other hair removal procedures. For now, studies have only been carried out on facial hair including chin and not other areas so usage should be limited to these areas only.

Can you undergo laser hair removal if you have dark skin?

Laser hair removal is the safest permanent hair removal option for dark skinned individuals. The longer the wavelength of the laser used, the safer it is. The most effective lasers for hair removal are the diode and long pulsed NdYag laser. IPL is not safe for dark skin as the wavelengths are not long enough and can easily cause burns.

How to remove ingrown hairs?

Main cause for ingrown hairs is shaving and other temporary hair removal methods such as waxing. They are hairs that grow sideways on to the skin or back into the hair follicle. This tends to occur more in those with coarse or curly hair and is linked to incorrect shaving techniques. Ways to get rid of ingrown hairs include not shaving, or shaving in the direction of hair growth, exfoliating regularly with scrubs or prescription topical retinoids such as differin or even Retin A creams to prevent clogging of hair follicles, and considering permanent hair removal methods such as laser or IPL hair removal.

Dr Malini Munisamy founded AesCure Medical & Aesthetic Clinic, where she focuses on treating various textural and pigmentation problems faced by individuals of any skin tone together with the more common aesthetic procedures. 

Tarandip Kaur

READ MORE FROM DR MALINI:

The killer question: How to reduce pigmentation marks and blemishes?
The killer question: Which skincare acid should you use?