Depending on the cultural context, removing hair from certain parts of the body is considered part of routine personal hygiene. Hair removal is generally performed for cosmetic reasons. In some cases of inflammatory skin conditions, there is a medical benefit—or even a necessity—for hair removal.
Here you will find the most important information as well as qualified hair removal specialists.
In line with Western beauty standards, most women tend to remove hair from certain areas of the body, such as
For men, a subtle amount of body hair is considered aesthetically pleasing to a certain extent. However, there is also a trend toward hair removal among men, particularly on the chest, underarms, and back. This is not only for aesthetic reasons—thick hair can also be a nuisance during sports and when sweating.
Many women opt for “permanent” laser hair removal, for example in the bikini area © Kzenon | AdobeStock
A medical cause of excessive body hair must be ruled out in each individual case. Particularly pronounced or rapidly developing body hair may suggest such a cause. If women simultaneously develop menstrual irregularities, it is advisable to investigate the cause.
Possible causes include
In most cases, excessive hair growth is not pathological but rather genetically inherited. There is simply a genetically determined increased sensitivity of the hair follicles to androgens, but no detectable increase in androgen production.
In the structure of the hair, the hair follicle (located deep within the skin) is the structure responsible for hair growth. As part of their follicular cycle, hairs go through phases of growth and shedding.
During such a growth cycle, a distinction is made between
The duration of the individual phases of the cycle depends on the anatomical location where hair growth occurs. The hair follicles in a given area are not synchronized; that is, they are at different stages of the growth cycle at the same time.
In a healthy state, the three phases are in a natural balance in terms of their duration.
A wide variety of epilation and depilation methods are available for removing hair.
Shaving is the best-known and fastest method of hair removal. Men, in particular, shave their beards daily. The hair is cut off directly at the skin’s surface. With modern razors, the risk of cutting oneself is very low.
The disadvantage of shaving is that, depending on the body area, it must be repeated every few days. Regrowth may “appear” thicker because shaving cuts off the fine tips. However, the hair diameter does not change measurably.
Depilatory creams (chemical depilators) usually contain substituted mercaptans and 2 to 10 percent thioglycolates mixed with 2 to 6 percent sodium hydroxide solution. The chemicals are applied in the form of
. They break down the hair directly at the skin’s surface, which in turn can lead to skin irritation. This may result in localized redness or a “rash.”
To avoid widespread skin irritation, you can first test the cream on a small area. If no skin irritation has occurred after 48 hours, you tolerate the product well.
Applying the creams is painless. The effect lasts up to 14 days.
Permanent hair removal is defined as hair-free skin lasting more than three months.
Common methods include:
Laser or IPL treatments always require multiple sessions. Hair is constantly in different growth phases, but it responds to the treatment only during one phase—the anagen phase.
Every physician listed in the Leading Medicine Guide has attained the highest level of training and certification within their respective medical specialty society. Furthermore, we contacted this physician based, among other factors, on their case volume (surgeries, treatments, and therapies), which we determined by cross-referencing various publicly available sources. Following discussions with the selected physicians and the directors of the medical facilities, as well as a subsequent internal review, they were admitted to the Leading Medicine Guide.
The quality assurance of the Leading Medicine Guide is further ensured by 8 admission criteria. Each member must meet at least 6 of them:
