The appearance of armpit hair and how to cope is one of the worries of puberty. Accordingly, axillary hair removal at puberty has many different advantages and limitations to carefully consider. Some ways may not be suitable for a fast-growing, sensitive and damaged body such as plucking a child's armpits; instead, it is recommended to opt for safer ways to remove armpit hair.
1. Different types of armpit hair
Before choosing and performing hair removal, you should know about the different types of hair on the body in general, armpit hair in particular. In essence, all the hairs on the skin are made up of keratin, a hard protein – also found in nails and toenails. The hair is located that begins to grow below the surface of the skin at the base of the hair inside the hair follicle and pierces the epidermis, beyond the skin.
There are two types of hair on the body. Vellus fur is soft, smooth and short. Most women have hair on their chest, back and face, which may be darker and more noticeable in some women than others, especially those with dark skin. Vellus fur plays a role in helping the body maintain a stable temperature by creating an insulation.
The hind hair is coarse, blacker and longer than vellus hair, which begins to grow around puberty in the armpits and pubic region or other parts of the body such as the chest, legs and back. The latter have the role of providing cushioning and protection.
In some cases, overgrown hair, called hairy, may be the result of several pathology. In girls, polycystic ovary syndrome and other endhythmic disorders can cause black and coarse hair to grow on the face, especially the upper lip and chin, as well as on the chest, abdomen and back. Some medications, such as anabolic steroids, can also cause hairy hair.
In addition, when hair grows in sensitive positions, such as the skin under the arms, these are self-deprecating things, limiting the choice of outfits as well as social relationships. Therefore, the need for axillary hair removal forms from puberty.
2. Ways to remove armpit hair
Shaving
How to do it: Use a razor to remove the top of the hair that has grown through the skin. Some razors are completely disposable, some have disposable blades and some use electricity. The usual location is the armpit hair area, legs and bikini area; men often shave their faces.
Effective maintenance time: 1 to 3 days
Pros: Shaving is low cost and puberty can do it yourself. All that is needed is a little warm water, razor and can choose to add gel or shaving cream.
Cons: Razor wounds, bumps, cuts, scratches, and back-growing hair are side effects of shaving. The upside-down hair mechanism is that at the beginning of growth, the hair will grow in the surrounding tissues instead of having to grow out of the hair follicles. At the same time, the hair will become curly around and begin to grow into the skin, causing discomfort.
Tip: The shaving effect will be more thorough if shaving under the shower after the skin has been softened with warm water. Pull the knives slowly, pulling looser areas of skin before using a razor over them. Change the razor regularly to avoid infection. Using shaving cream can also help protect sensitive skin. If you're worried about shaving yourself, you can try using an electric razor.
Although most people shave in the opposite direction of growing hair, if they want to avoid hair growing backwards, it is recommended to shave in the direction of hair growth.
Plucking
How to do it: Use tweezers, stretch the skin and clutch the hair near the root to pull it out.
Effective maintenance time: 3 to 8 weeks
Pros: Plucking armpit hair is inexpensive because all it takes is tweezers. But this measure can be time-consuming because it is only possible to remove one hair at a time.
Disadvantages: Plucking can be most painful especially on sensitive skin, so axillary hair removal at puberty may not be suitable. If the hair breaks beneath the skin, a person may have hair growing backwards. At the site after plucking temporary red acne may be seen due to swollen and irritated hair follicles.
Tip: Make sure that tweezers or alcohol plucking tools are sterilized before and after use to reduce the risk of infection.
Apply hair removal cream
How to do it: Hair removal cream is a cream or liquid that removes hair on the surface of the skin. They work by reacting to the protein structure of the hairs, so that the hair will dissolve and can be washed or wiped away.
Effective maintenance time: Days to 2 weeks
Advantages: Hair removal cream for quick effect, available in pharmacies. In addition to axillary hair removal, the drug is also effective in the legs and bikini area; Special formula can be used on the face and chin.
Cons: Applying hair removal cream can sometimes irritate the skin, can cause rashes or inflammation, and many people do not like the smell of the cream. In some cases, hair removal cream may not be effective for those with coarse and dense hair.
Tip: Carefully read the instructions for use of the product and make sure to use the product only for the recommended period of time and position for the best results, avoiding the intentional effect on the skin.
Wax Hairy
How to do it: A sticky wax is applied evenly on the skin with unwanted hairs. Then a layer of fabric is applied on top of the wax layer and quickly pulled out, taking away the hair base and dead skin cells. Wax can be warmed or can be cold-aded. Wax can be done at the salon or at home.
Effective maintenance time: 3 to 6 weeks
Advantages: Wax hair removal helps smooth and long-lasting skin. Fur wax kits are available in pharmacies. The hair regrowth looks paler and less noticeable than after performing other hair removal methods, such as shaving.
Cons: The biggest drawback of waxing is discomfort: Because this treatment acts through plucking at the hair's feet, it can be pricked a little when the hair falls off – luckily that part is quick. People may notice temporary redness, inflammation and swelling after waxing.
Professional wax hair is more expensive than other hair removal methods. However, hair removal treatment should first be done at the salon to see how the specialists perform. Adolescents who use acne medications such as tretinoin and isotretinoin due to puberty acne may skip hair removal because those drugs make the skin more sensitive. People with moles or skin irritated by sunburn should also avoid waxing that area.
Tip: For effective hair removal, the fur should be at least 6 mm long. So skip shaving for several weeks before wax waxing.
Electrolynthy
How to do it: This axillary hair removal must always be done first to perform at the beauty salon. A professional electrical expert will insert a probe into the hair follicle and send an electric current through the hairy legs, destroying and killing.
Time to maintain efficiency: Electrolyses are a permanent way of waxing. However, a small number of people may have hair that regrows but very few.
Advantages: Most achieve permanent hair removal effect.
Cons: The electrolyze process takes a lot of time and is very expensive, so it is usually used only on small areas such as armpits, eyebrows. Electrolysing can cause pain and dryness of the skin, scabs, scarring and inflammation after treatment. Infection can be a risk if needles and other tools are not properly sterilized.
Tip: Consult with your doctor if you are interested in this method, considering the benefits and risks.
Laser Hair Removal
How to do it: Lasers are projected directly through the skin to the hair follicles, which stops them from growing. This method works best on light-skinned people with dark hair because melanin (color pigmentation) in the hair absorbs more light, making the treatment more effective.
Effective maintenance time: It can be permanent, but users often need to return periodically 6 months to a year to maintain the results achieved.
Advantages: This type of hair removal has a long-term effect and can treat wide skin areas at the same time.
Cons: A laser hair removal session can be expensive. Side effects of the treatment may include inflammation and skin redness.
Tip: Using a cold compress bag can help alleviate inflammation after laser hair removal. Avoiding the sun before treatment can make the results more effective.
Doctor's prescription treatment
A cream called eflornithine is sold on a single order to treat unwanted hair growth in women. The cream is applied twice a day until the hair becomes softer and lighter – like vellus hair. Side effects may include skin irritation and acne.
Out-of-life hormones can be another method prescribed by a doctor to reduce the appearance of unwanted hair in women. Since androgens can be responsible for the growth of hair in undesirable areas, these drugs can reduce the growth of hair by blocking the production of androgens. Doctors often prescribe contraceptives in combination with these drugs to enhance the effect, avoid pregnancy (since antigens can harm the developing fetus) and help to reconcile the menstrual cycle in girls in need. Accordingly, this method of axillary hair removal is contraintrained for young people during puberty.
In summary, the decision to remove hair on the body in general or armpit hair in particular is an individual option. It is necessary to learn and choose how to remove armpit hair at puberty appropriately, without affecting health that is already sensitive to external influences. At the same time, parents or caregivers need to care and guide children, beauty and confidence in puberty also need to be built and trained in many different ways.
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