HAIR

REMOVAL
CHAPTER 18
 Hair Removal
 Mastering the techniques of removing unwanted hair will be
of great benefit to the professional cosmetologist because
most clients have unwanted hair in one area or another
 Excessive hair can be extremely embarrassing and
unattractive for female clients, especially when found on the
face and chest.
 It’s important for the cosmetologist to be very sensitive
when approaching a client about this type of service
 You will want to learn the best ways to remove unwanted
hair that cause the least amount of discomfort for the client
and create lasting results.
 Hair Removal
 The technical terms for excessive hair are hirsuties (hur-
SOO-shee-eeez) or hypertrichosis (hy-pur-trih-KOH-sis)
 Simply, it means hair growth in unusual amounts or
locations on both male and female clients that needs to be
removed
 This problem of excessive hairiness has been around for
centuries
 History documents that everything from abrasive pumice
stones to sharpened stones and seashells have been used to
rub off and pluck out hair
 Hair Removal
 Records also indicate that primitive chemicals were used for his
purpose
 Egyptians made a compound of mud and alum, which was unpleasant
and could pit the surface of the skin
 Turks used a combination of yellow sulfide of arsenic, quicklime and
rose water, which created a primitive depilatory called rusma
 Today, methods of hair removal fall into two categories:
– Depilation: removing hair at the skin line such as shaving and using
chemical depilatories
– Epilation: removing hair below the skin line such as tweezing, waxing and
electrolysis
 Contraindications

 A contraindication is any condition or disease

that makes an indicated treatment or
medication inadvisable
 Contraindications
 Facial waxing or tweezing should not be
performed on clients with these conditions
– Roascea or very sensitive skin
– Sunburn
– History of fever blisters or cold sores
– Presence of pustules or papules
– Recent chemical peel using glycolic, salicylic or other
acid-based products
– Recent botox or collagen injections
– Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery
 Contraindications
 Medications affecting hair removal services
– Retin-A
– Renova
– Hydroquinone
– Blood-thinning medications
– Topical or oral cortisone medication
– Accutane
 TYPES OF HAIR REMOVAL
 Temporary
– Hair will grow back eventually
– Quick and convenient
 Permanent
– Destroys the papilla
– Will not grow back
 TEMPORARY METHODS OF HAIR REMOVAL

 Shaving
– REMOVES HAIR ABOVE SKIN
SURFACE

 Tweezing
– REMOVES HAIR SHAFT AND
BULB
 Electronic tweezers
– PAPILLA IS DEHYDRATED &
EVENTUALLY DESTROYED
 Depilatories
– PHYSICAL
– CHEMICAL
 TEMPORARY METHODS OF HAIR REMOVAL

 EPILATORS
– REMOVES HAIR BY PULLING IT OUT OF
THE FOLLICLE
 Waxing
– Removes hair by pulling out the hair follicle
 Threading
– Practiced in many Eastern cultures; involves
manipulations of cotton thread, which is twisted
& rolled along the skin surface, entwining the
hair in the thread & lifting it from the follicle.
 Sugaring
– As results as hot or cold wax. Involves the
use of a thick, sugar-based paste & is
especially appropriate for more sensitive
skin types
 DEPILATORIES
 PHYSICAL
– EPILADY
– WAX
• HOT
• COLD
• SUGAR
 CHEMICAL
– NEET
– NAIR
– BIKINI BARE
 CHEMICAL DEPILATORIES

 CONTAINS AMMONIUM THIOGLYCOLATE

 PENETRATES INTO THE CORTEX LAYER
 BREAKS THE DISULFIDE BONDS AND THE
POLY PEPTIDE BONDS
 DISSOLVES THE HAIR SHAFT
 REMOVES HAIR AT SKIN SURFACE
 PHYSICAL HAIR REMOVAL
 Wax is applied to the hair shaft
 Removes hair shaft and bulb
 It is like tweezing, but eventually it will
weaken the papilla and eliminate growth
 Removes all hair, even lanugo hair
 Epilady only removes the long hairs
 PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL
 ELECTROLOGY
– GENERAL TERM USED TO DESCRIBE PERMANENT
HAIR REMOVAL
• By means of an electric current that destroys the root of the hair
 Photo-epilation
– Intense light to destroy hair follicle
 Laser hair removal
– Laser beam is pulsed on the skin, impairing the hair
follicle
 GALVANIC
 THERMOLYSIS
PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL
 GALVANIC
– WORKS THROUGH  THERMOLYSIS
CHEMICALLY AND – ALTERNATING OR
ELECTRICITY
HIGH FREQUENCY
 DIRECT CURRENT CURRENT
– AN ELECTRICAL – USES HEAT TO
CURRENT IS SENT DESTROY THE
THROUGH A PAPILLA
SMALL NEEEDLE
THAT IS INSERTED
IN THE FOLLICLE
– BODY SALTS
CHANGE
Summary
 We’ve learned that hair is removed by:
– Depilation; removing hair at the skin line such as tweezing,
waxing and electrolysis
– Epilation; removing hair below the skin line such as tweezing,
waxing and electrolysis
 As a cosmetologist you will be asked to remove unwanted
hair, especially the eyebrows and facial hair. If you choose
to specialize in esthetics, you will want to become
proficient in other hair removal services as allowed by the
regulatory agency in the state
 It is extremely important to follow sanitary guidelines
when removing unwanted hair. Never forget to cleanse and
dry the treatment area prior to treatment and apply a
cooling antiseptic afterwards. Follow all safety precautions
to protect client from skin irritation or inflammation