| Whether
it's long, short, straight, or curly, your body hair is important.
It protects skin from dirt and germs, provides cushioning for
your sensitive parts, lessens the friction between skin and clothes,
and holds in heat to keep you warm when you need it, which leads
to more revealing clothes. Body hair even helps provide a subtle
dating service by retaining your unique personal scent - conveyed
by chemicals called pheromones - which helps a potential mate
become attracted to you.
Sometime after puberty, your body starts sprouting hair in places
that were probably baby smooth just a few short months before:
around your genitals, under your arms, on your legs, and (for
guys) on your face and neck. Many guys find it exciting to start
growing body and facial hair. It's a sign that they're changing
from boys to men. Some people choose to keep their new hair -
they like how it looks, their partner prefers it, or they leave
it for religious reasons, among others. But other people prefer
to bleach, trim, or completely remove hair from some parts of
their bodies.
No matter what you decide, you've got plenty of options for dealing
with your own body hair. We've compiled a list with pros and cons
for each choice. If you know the facts making this personal decision
won't be so hairy!
Leave it. This is the easiest option of all - just sit back,
and let it grow! You get all the benefits of having the hair,
and you don't have to spend time or money trying to get rid of
it. However, some people find that armpit hair can encourage the
growth of bacteria there, leading to body odor (read up on body
odor).
Bleach or dissolve it. Chemical bleaches lighten hair so it's
hard to see. Depilatories dissolve hair so it washes away. Both
are good for places not only where you'd rather not have hair,
but also where hair removal is difficult (for example, the upper
lip or lower back). Both are easy to apply but can irritate sensitive
skin. They're available at any drugstore, but they aren't cheap
- they run anywhere from $8 on up.
Shave it. Shaving hair is inexpensive and easy - a pack of three
disposable razors costs around $1.50, and shaving cream costs
around $4. The downside is that you're scraping a very sharp blade
across delicate skin - be careful, or you could be in for some
serious cuts.
Pluck or wax it. Pulling hair out by the roots leaves you smoother
longer - it can take weeks for hair to grow back. However, it
can also be painful, and some hairs can come back ingrown (growing
beneath the skin). Tweezing yourself at home is free, but waxing
at a salon will cost you - starting at around $10 for an upper
lip and $25 for a bikini area.
Shock it. Electrolysis removes hair by killing its roots with
an electrical current. It's permanent - once the hair is killed,
it never grows back. However, electrolysis can be painful, and
sometimes leads to scarring. It can also be expensive - about
$75 an hour. Because each hair has to be shocked individually,
some areas of the body can take several hours to treat!
Zap it. Laser hair removal is also permanent. Because whole parts
of the body can be treated at once, it's much quicker than electrolysis.
Pain is minimal, and skin heals quickly. However, according to
dermatologist Christine Min-Wei Lee of the University of California,
San Francisco, not all lasers can be used on everyone. "Only
seven lasers have been approved for use on ethnic (non-white)
skin," she said. Treatments are costly - anywhere from $500
on up per session. Most people need two-to-six sessions to completely
remove hair.
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