We are Indian women, and predominantly, have dark hair. We thus tend to shave/wax more than people with lighter hair. If you do not see the need to, that’s a completely individual choice. But you can refer this fact-sheet to a friend who would rather get rid of the fuzz than sport it.
India, the land of tropical climates, sweat patches, butter chicken and hair. Now, don’t get us wrong; we are gorgeous people with exotic looks and our dark and thick hair is enviable. Our body hair says a lot about us too! However, when our bodies are full of the same dark, thick hair, it can feel rather vexing to many women. Also, heat and hair DO NOT go together.
Thus begins the rigmarole of threading, plucking, waxing, shaving, laser hair reduction, over and over again. We can choose not to if we want, but if you are one to love no-fuzz and resort to shaving or waxing, here are some important things you should know. They are critical for your skin’s health.
Shaving – Lowdown
“Don’t shave, wax…your hair growth reduces and your legs will be smoother longer.” You’ve heard this before and we know it. Do you think this is true? Let’s look at some myths and facts we know all too well and get down to busting or affirming them, shall we?
1. Hair Grows Back Thicker, Denser and Pokier!
Incorrect. Shaving does not make your hair grow back thicker and faster. Your hormones and genetics are the only things that control this. But you can swear by it! Well, this is what actually happens. When you shave, your hair gets cut on the surface and not in the natural way a hair strand narrows at the tip. This makes it appear thicker and pokey.
2. Dry Shaving is A-Okay
Not recommended. Remember, a blade is running over your delicate skin layer. Water helps the razor blade glide smoothly over your skin. In fact, we’d recommend using conditioner to soften the hair before you shave it.
3. Shaving Every Day Is Bad For Your Skin
Actually, shaving every day removes dead skin cells and makes your skin smoother. If you have faster hair growth, it is completely okay to shave every day. Some of us prefer to let our hair grow out a little and that is okay too.
4. It Is Okay To Share a Razor
Bet you thought we were okay to say its okay. It is not. The obvious reason is that it isn’t hygienic at all. Secondly, someone else’s razor may not be best for your skin or vice versa. This is true especially if you are sharing with your husband, as men’s razors have blades designed for men’s facial hair.
5. New Razor Blades Cut More
Actually, old blades that are blunt tend to cause more nicks and cuts because we tend to press them down harder on our skin. Either way, be careful to only glide the blade smoothly over your skin. Putting excess pressure on the razor can also cause cuts.
6. Because Shaving Exfoliates, It Will Help Reduce Tans Too
Shaving does not remove the tan even though it does remove dead skin. This is only a shaving hair myth. Your skin anyway has its own cell renewal process which takes place every 4-6 weeks. New skin cells push to the top of the topmost skin layer, pushing dead skin cells off. Don’t worry, rock that tan!
Now we know what shaving does or doesn’t do and this is why we love it:
- It’s fast
- Relatively pain-free
- Can be done without any major technical knowledge
- Cost-effective
- You don’t have to wait till the hair grows back to a certain level
Sounds good to us but let’s give waxing a chance too, yes?
Waxing – The Lowdown
“Waxing is too painful, but it removes tans, and ingrown hairs!” True? Let’s find out.
1. Hair Needs To Be Very Long Before It Can Be Waxed
True to a certain extent. People wax smaller eyebrow hair as well so it doesn’t really have to be very long. This would essentially make people with lesser hair growth non-eligible for waxing, which is not true. While hair needs to be slightly longer than stubble for the wax to grip on, it doesn’t need to be “long”.
2. Waxing Removes Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairsingrown hairs
3. Waxing Harms Your Skin
Nope, not true! While waxing your face can cause wrinkles, waxing your body doesn’t cause any long-term harm. The skin on the face is more sensitive and using wax on the face can cause the skin to become loose over time and get wrinkled. Waxing your body, on the other hand, may only cause minor side-effects like redness and bumps that usually settle down in a few hours. In fact, it exfoliates the skin, removing dead skin cells. If you’re still worried about waxing, you can try a safer and relatively less painful method called sugaring! Understand what is sugaring by watching the video below:
4. Waxing Removes Tans
Tanning is caused when, during sun exposure, excess melanin is secreted and deposited on the outermost layer. When you wax, your tan does lighten to a certain degree.
Now we know what waxing does or doesn’t do and this is why we love it:
- It removes tans to a certain extent
- Hair removal lasts up to 2-3 weeks
- Hair feels softer
- Most times someone else does it for you
Now that you have all the myths busted and facts affirmed, choose the one that suits you the most. Go on and take your pick to get fuzz-free, silky smooth skin!
