SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Summer’s here and that means showing off smooth, silky skin in the warm gentle breeze at the beach for many.
There are two hair removing services that could help with achieving dreamy skin this season: electrolysis and sugaring.
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal treatment in which a trained electrologist inserts a thin wire into the hair follicle under the surface of the skin. An electric current moves down the wire to the bottom of the follicle, destroying the hair root. The follicle damage prevents hair from growing and causes the existing hair to fall out.
Electrolysis has been around for more than 100 years. It was first invented to remove irritating ingrown eyelash hairs. Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved method for permanent hair removal.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, electrolysis can provide permanent hair removal and is safe to use for facial hair removal and on the rest of the body with no long-lasting side effects and with very slight risks of infection (from an unsterile needle). Electrolysis: Definition & Treatment (clevelandclinic.org)
Jessica Mock, esthetician and owner of Southern Sugaring & Spa located in Savannah said they started offering electrolysis about a year ago and they’ve really seen it take off in popularity. Mock has some tips on what to do in preparation for an electrolysis appointment. Southern Sugaring & Spa | Never Wax Again
“You would want your hair to be visible. With electrolysis we don’t recommend that people shave before their appointment. I know with laser, your suppose to shave but with electrolysis we need to be able to see just enough of that hair to know what direction the hair is growing in because that’s important with the insertion of the probe. Exfoliating is always a good idea because if there’s any dead skin on the surface, it can make it a little more complicated.”
Mock continued, “Another really cool thing about electrolysis is because it is electricity, and we all know how well electricity travels in water, it is actually really important to be super hydrated when you come in for your electrolysis appointment because that helps the current do its job a little better in the follicle. “
In describing any pain that might be felt during the procedure, Mock said, ” It’s like a little pinch. Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. For most people it feels like a tiny pinch or a little rubber band snap for each hair that’s removed.”
Mock said in getting electrolysis, the hair is removed permanently, but every single follicle has got to be basically zapped by that current. It may need to be zapped multiple times over the course of a few appointments in order to remove that particular follicle permanently.
Sugaring is a method of hair removal that removes hair quickly by removes body hair by quickly pulling the hair from the root.
“Our main service at Southern Sugaring & Spa is sugaring hair removal. We started off as just a sugaring salon, it’s in our name. We’ve grown from a one room salon to about 4,000 square feet now.” said Mock.
Other than the scalp, everything else can be sugared.
“From head to toe, our main service is the Brazilian but we can do anything from the inside of the nostrils and the ears to eyebrows to legs and underarms. We have people come in and have their whole faces sugared. It’s safe for any area of the body. It’s actually safer than waxing for any area of the body because it is so much less abrasive than waxing.” said Mock.
before they show up to have the sugaring procedure done?
Before having a sugaring procedure done, Mock says the best rule of thumb is to have the hair be about a quarter of an inch long, the length of a grain of rice. The bikini area should have about 10 days of growth. Exfoliating the day before with a gentle exfoliant is recommended.
The ingredients in sugaring paste include sugar, lemon and water. “You could technically eat it, it’s all natural. It hurts a lot less than waxing and lasts longer. That technique dates back to Cleopatra. It is done by holding a paste in your hand. You apply the sugar paste onto the skin with your hand. Hair comes off with the paste.” said Mock.
She continued, “Once someone tries sugaring, they don’t go back to waxing. It does not leave you with that raw feeling that you can have after waxing because it doesn’t adhere to live skin cells, it only removes hair and dead skin. Also with sugaring, you remove the hair in the direction of growth as opposed to the opposite direction of growth so you have a lot less breakage with sugaring than you do with waxing.”
Mock said after care should include exfoliating every other day to help prevent ingrown hairs. When the new growth come back it’s important to moisturize, which also keeps the skin nice and soft and helps new baby hairs when they start growing back.
“Most of our clients come in once a month. Over time, you will be able to spread your appointments out even further. So, during the summer just because of bikini season most people will do it every three to four weeks and then you can space it out up to every six or so weeks.” said Mock.
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