| TEXT ONLY |
| CREDITS |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
See how ideals of beauty around the world have evolved over the centuries in this kaleidoscope of images that changes throughout the site. |
 |
Ten people, 10 days
and the challenge to
the best experts in
the field: make these willing guinea pigs look 10 Years Younger. |
 | In the news | |
Check this page regularly to find out what's making the headlines – be it health scares or new advances – in the world of cosmetic treatments. |
|
|
|
| |
Unwanted hair is painted with hot wax and pulled out by the roots when the wax is removed. This treatment can be used on legs, bikini line, underarms, upper lip and chin. A Brazilian wax removes hair from a larger area of the pubes. It can be done at a salon, or you can buy kits and do it yourself at home.
Waxing is also becoming more popular with men, who can have chest, shoulders, back, stomach, arms, legs, ears, nose and even bum cheeks and 'cleavage' plus scrotum ('crack and sac') treated.
Waxing quickly removes unwanted hair. |
|
Some people find that hair re-growth starts to show through after around 10 days.
|
| |  |
Waxing can be quite painful, especially the first time it's done, and for this reason many people prefer to have it done professionally. The beauty therapist will cleanse the skin to be treated, and apply a special oil to prevent the wax from sticking to the skin. The hot wax is painted over small areas, one patch at a time. A cloth is pressed down on to the wax, then sharply drawn off, away from the direction of growth, bringing the wax and hairs with it. When the whole area has been treated any traces of wax are removed and a soothing lotion is applied. The therapist may remove any single stray hairs with tweezers. The treatment needs repeating every 4-6 weeks. |
Skin may look reddened or have a faint red rash for a few hours after treatment, but this quickly fades. Re-growth hairs are usually finer than before. Subsequent treatments become less painful as the hair follicles are weakened.
|
| | |
If hairs are quite long they can break off just under the skin instead of being cleanly pulled out. Ingrown hairs can form when hairs, growing back after waxing, curl over inside the follicles under the skin which become inflamed and create sore red spots on the skin. Creams are available to prevent this problem, and these have to be applied daily. You can also exfoliate the area daily in the shower, using a special cream to help prevent ingrown hairs. |
Widely available at beauty therapists' clinics. |
Expect to pay around £10 for lip, underarm, chin or bikini line. A half-leg wax (ankle to knee) is £15-20, full-leg £30.
Men pay from around £15 for the back.
|
| | |
If you want to remove hair permanently, consider laser hair removal. Sugaring – in which a ball of sugar paste is massaged over the skin to remove unwanted hair – is a traditional beauty treatment that was first practised over 1,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians. To remove hair temporarily, you can shave or use depilatory creams. Hair growth on the upper lip can be disguised with cream bleaching.
 |
Channel 4 Television takes no responsibility for the content of any third-party sites.
Links
Association of Professional Sugaring
www.sugaring.org.uk
Information about this traditional and apparently less painful alternative to waxing. Includes a list of practitioners.
The Consulting Room
www.consultingroom.org
Good UK site that provides a wide range of impartial and independent cosmetic and medical information and demystifies the world of cosmetic treatments.
Guild of Professional Beauty Therapists
www.beauty-guild.co.uk
Key in your postcode to find a list of guild members' salons near you.
Hair Facts
www.hairfacts.com/index.html
Information on the many ways one can remove body hair, including sugaring and waxing.
How to Wax Your Legs
beauty.about.com/cs/summerbeaut1/ht/WaxLegs.htm
Easy-to-follow instructions if you fancy having a go at home and saving money on the salon wax.
Leg Wax Recipe
www.homemakingcottage.com/pamper/legwax.html
Simple but apparently effective, this recipe is a mix of sugar and lemon that can be used for body waxing.
Men's waxing
www.menshealth.co.uk/talk/thread.phtml/post678815
Personal experiences from men who've had body waxing.
|
Books
|
| | |
 | |
Milady's Hair Removal Techniques by Helen Bickmore (Delmar, January 2004)
Explains the evolution of methods of hair removal, with anecdotal historical information; tells how each method works to remove hair, including the length of time before re-growth. Step-by-step procedures are shown with photographs and illustrations for each stage.
Get this book from Amazon
|
|
|
|
|
