Body hair and skin problems - has anyone tried home-use IPL hair removal?

[chibi]

Hello,

I'm considering saving up to buy myself a Rio laser hair removal tool to use at home but I'm not sure how effective it and I was wondering if anyone had any reviews that might be helpful!

I used to use the Veet hair removal cream which worked really well for me but after a while it stopped being very effective and made my skin burn. I started shaving after that and while it was very effective, it's made things much worse now. I have to wait aaaages between shaving now because it brings me up in horrible rashes/itchy patches, some bleeding and lots of horribly dotted red/purple marks where the hairs used to be. Especially on my underarms it's caused lots of painful ingrown hairs repeated shaving in the past has even brought me out in bruises but I can't bear the thought of attempting to get myself waxed!

I think laser hair removal might be a good thing to try but I just wanted to make sure I was getting something useful, since it'll cost me quite a bit.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks~

[WaveRider]

I wouldn't go laser hair removal. My ex-g/f tried it. She went back to her youth: shaving.

If you go laser hair removal, make darn sure that you want hair to never grow where it has been permanently removed. Keep in mind that chic is era specific. Thick eyebrows for women is back in vogue. Those who had gone thin when thin was in have to have tattooing to give them the appearance of thick eyebrows.

Unless a skin condition is indicated, in which case a person should consult with a dermatologist, shaving should not cause problems if done correctly.

Wet shaving is the way to go. Always assure areas to be shaved are clean. Always use antibacterial soap. Use a wet wash cloth soaked in hot water. Cover area to be shaved with it. Leave it in place for about a minute. You can use a pre-shave such as Proraso, but it's not necessary. The two most important components of a great shave are cream and sharp razor. If it comes in a can, don't use it. Buy tube shaving cream. It's more expensive, but worth every extra penny. Use a sharp razor. Don't rush shaving lest you cut yourself. Begin shaving in direction of hair growth. Then against growth. You should be as smooth as if hair were never in the area shaved. Do not wash off shaving cream. Wipe it off with a dry towel. Good quality shaving cream will prevent razor rash & bumps.

Many women will buy shaving products marketed for men, especially shaving cream.

After watching my ex-g/f shave more than a few times, I suggested she try another approach. She was surprised at how smooth her legs were. However, she'll still shave in the shower because it's a lot quicker. About six months into our relationship, she told me she'll cheat in winter months. Sometimes she'd go weeks w/o shaving. It never bothered me. But then again, she always knew when she should. She did tell me that many men expected her to always be silky smooth, a very unreasonable demand. Some men have asked her go full Brazilian on her pubic area. She has told me that she never has.

For men: if you shave your girlfriends/wives' legs, be prepared for their expecting you to shave them all the time. Women love to be pampered.

People seemed to have progressed beyond neurotic (trichophobia?) removal of hair. Hair is a natural barrier against disease and infection. Human beings grown hair. It's not normal to have a fear or loathing of body hair.

One last point: the best shave you can get is with a straight razor, which is why professionals use them. I have a few. They will effect an incredibly smooth shave. But they're a pain to use. Learning to shave with one takes a lot of time. And it takes a lot of time, especially prep time, to shave with a straight razor. Maintaining a straight razor in shaving condition is inconvenient. The up side is a good quality straight razor made of German steel (best in world) will last years or longer.

I wouldn't advise going laser hair removal. It's expensive & time consuming. In done correctly, shaving will give you a silky smooth feel. But then again, some women have to shave twice a day. If that's the case, laser hair removal might be wise.

[Popcorn&Candy]

I shave myself: I can't be bothered with hair removing cream. Shaving has to be done more often, but it is just a habit for me. Because I shower daily, I will shave every other day. I don't like body hair and am religious about removing it.