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Volume CXXXI, Number 22 |
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Hair removal and eww
JEFF BENSON, M.D.
Dear Dr. Jeff: "Is there a safe, cheap, effective way to get rid of body hair so that it doesn't grow back thicker and quicker? (i.e. not shaving or lasers.) Thanks," M.E.
Dear M.E.: The only conventional hair removal modality that is permanent,
is electrolysis. Laser treatment would definitely also be permanent, but
it's very, very expensive, requires general anesthesia, and carries a
certain amount of risk.
With electrolysis, the hair follicle itself is destroyed by an electric
current, and new hair can no longer grow. Electrolysis can, however, cause
considerable local irritation, as well as pit-like scarring. The outcome
depends on the skill of the operator, and treatment can be expensive.
If you are considering electrolysis, make sure the operator is licensed
and uses sterilized instruments.
All other methods of body hair removal are temporary. The hair will eventually
grow back, although not necessarily any thicker or quicker than before.
Here are the pros and cons of commonly available alternatives to shaving.
Tweezing hairs is obviously cheap and easy, but it can be painful and
hard to recommend for more than a few stray hairs. Plucking a hair does
not destroy its follicle, and so a new hair will grow back quickly.
Chemical depilatories are inexpensive and easy to apply, but can be irritating
to your skin. Depilatories should always be "test applied" first
to a small area of skin to judge your sensitivity to that particular product.
Depilatories cause hair proteins to dissolve, but leave hair roots and
follicles intact. New, replacement hairs will start growing almost immediately.
Waxing can be expensive, especially if done professionally, although
you certainly can do it yourself at home. Most people would rate its discomfort
level as tolerable. After waxing, hair growth resumes after a few weeks,
although it may diminish some over time. Regular, do-it-yourself waxing
may well be the "safe," "cheap," and "effective"
method you're seeking to control that unwanted body hair.
Medical alternatives to mechanical hair removal do exist. Spironolactone,
for instance, a diuretic ("water pill") most often prescribed
for high blood pressure, is sometimes used to treat facial hirsuitism
in women. Birth control pills, especially those, like Ortho Tricyclen
or Zovia, which contain one of the newer progestins, often have anti-androgenic
activity that lessens excess hair growth (the same mechanism that works
for acne.)
Remember, though, that the growth of excess facial or body hair can be
a sign of a hormonal imbalance, either from an endocrine problem or a
medication side effect. Certain birth control pills, for instance, can
cause this kind of problem for particular individuals (and not for others).
If the unwanted hair involves more than a few stray hairs, and they're
new and increasing in number, you should consider seeking medical evaluation
at the Health Center.
And, finally, consider this. Removing body hair from our legs, underarms,
etc., etc. may be consonant with our own cultural biases and aesthetics,
and, obviously, if that's how you choose to look, that's how you should
make yourself look. Don't be fooled, however, by media-borne images of
perfectly hairless (and otherwise perfectly perfect) bodies. What waxing
doesn't accomplish, computer re-imaging does. Shouldn't it seem a little
more peculiar to us all that advertisers are trying to make us want to
look like the re-engineered pictures of models who aren't even all there
themselves?
One final thought. Have you ever wondered why we even have body hair
at all? The current leading theories have to do with pheromones, the natural,
odorless scents produced by our bodies to attract others. The idea is
that pheromones are trapped by body hair, and then slowly released into
the air. While our bodies have the same number of hair follicles as apes,
they do produce, for the most part, only very fine hairs in comparison.
To your health and happiness!
Jeff Benson, M.D.
Dudley Coe Health Center