The Hairy Times

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June  2010

I am sure some of you have noticed that I have not been working as many weekends as normal.  Warm weather is here and I need to tend to my garden.  Plus, I am spending time in Wisconsin for continuing education, learning new tricks and methods, and hopefully picking up another license.  Sorry for the inconvenience, and I will get back on schedule as soon as possible. 

Egzact is offering 25% off all wax appointments July 26-30.  Be sure to book your appointment as soon as possible because the slots will fill up quickly.  

Last month we talked about shaving and how it does NOT affect the way a hair grows, but it does affect the way we perceive the hair itself.  So what does affect the way a hair grows?  The answer is a bit more complicated because it depends on where the hair is located.  Plucking, waxing, electric depilatories, and any other form of ripping the hair out by the root can stimulate the hair follicle in hormonally controlled areas. 

What is a hormonally-controlled area?  Think of secondary sex characteristics.  Male beards are secondary sex characteristics.  The hair responds to and is stimulated by androgens (“male” hormones).   If women stimulate the hair follicle and have extra androgens in their system, it is possible they can stimulate the growth of real beard or mustache hair.  The extra “male” hormones in their system can be normal or abnormal.  For example, PCOS causes hormones to be out of whack and is the leading cause of extra hair in females.  A more normal example would be the natural decline of estrogen in women as they get older.  Because there is less estrogen, the androgens have more of a free reign and can more easily grow hair. 

Again, a good rule to stick to is not to pluck or wax any area that a man has hair and you don’t want hair.  These areas can include the lip, cheeks, neck, chest, and abdomen. 

Plucking, waxing, or pulling a hair out by the roots can weaken the follicle and eventually kill it in areas that are not hormonally controlled.  The armpit, arms, bikini, legs, toes are all safe areas to wax. 

All of this brings up a pretty tough question:  how should you take care of the hair in hormonally controlled areas?   Shaving, chemical depilatories, buffers, or a more permanent solution such as electrolysis are all good options. 

Jes