Hari Removal Procedures and Treatments

People's desire to remove unwanted hair goes back a long time, the practice being at the very least as old as the Ancient Egyptian civilization. Maybe it was because of Nefertiti, renowned through history for her looks, that we still associate the removal of hair with attractiveness, as she (in common with other nobles and religious leaders) would depilate regularly – although theirs were thought to be to hygienic reasons rather than cosmetic ones. The habit of excess hair removal has been widely adopted by many religious groups, from the complete baldness of Buddhist monks and Hare Krishna followers to the common tonsure of Christian monks.

Throughout the ages, the removal of hair from certain parts of the body has shifted in the fashion stakes, both in males and females, but certainly at the moment the preference seems to be leading in favour of hair removal, particularly for women. When Hollywood megastar Julia Roberts appeared at the premiere of Notting Hill in the Nineties and brazenly showed the world her underarm hair growth, it shocked the nation and made all the papers. If that alone isn't a bit weird, the fact that over a decade later people still talk about it demonstrates pretty conclusively that the "look" (we can be sure it was a deliberate display on Roberts' part) was barely fashionable then and is certainly not favoured today, at least in the UK – despite the efforts of such esteemed cheerleaders.

We can be sure of one thing, however. Nefertiti did not use laser hair removal or electrolysis. She and her peers would have been restricted to using creams, waxes, shaving and plucking to keep that smooth look. Laser hair removal is quite new as a hair removal procedure, even though it feels like it has been around for much longer. It was first authorised as safe for public use in the mid-1990s and started to be seen in the cosmetic clinics of London, Paris and New York by the end of the decade (Hollywood clearly caught on a sometime later).

Actually, the "laser" commonly used in laser hair removal is not a laser at all – it's a pulsating xenon flash lamp that emits an intense full-spectrum beam, but it does have many laser-like qualities, and pure lasers have actually been employed for the purpose and certain types are still used on some skin types.

A full treatment usually requires several visits to the clinic to prevent regrowth and to deal with hair growth that takes place continuously throughout our lives. It can be used on most of the body on which hair grows, but is especially popular for use on parts of the face, normally for women, where exact targeting is needed. Waxing, shaving and creams remain popular choices for areas such as the bikini line, armpits, arms and legs, but these are not permanent methods. Laser hair removal offers a permanent solution and since it can only be carried out by trained practitioners, it will always be done professionally and safely, with the expert able to answer any questions beforehand, identify any risks or unusual conditions and treat patients safely.