Hair Removal for Fair Hair - The Does & Don'ts

People with blond, grey or red need to be extra careful when it comes to getting rid of unwanted facial and body hair. Hair removal for fair hair requires more care as some methods will be too harsh for sensitive skin, which many fair-haired people also have.

Tips for Fair-Haired People (and Redheads)

• It's important to prepare the skin before any hair removal process so that the tissue will not be damaged or required excessive time to heal. Exfoliating removes the dead skin and leaves less skin cells to anchor the hair root. Hair removal for sensitive skin may require extra preparation.

• Stay well hydrated to keep the skin plump and firm and to make the hair stand up away from the skin.

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  Prevent ingrown hairs.

• Waxing can be done safely at home. Press firmly on surrounding tissue to avoid unnecessary tension on the skin and do not go over the same area more than once. Apply the hair removal wax to small patches at a time to lessen the amount inflammation just in case the skin is injured.

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  Hair epilation hurts until you build some tolerance to it. Use clippers first to trim the hairs as short as possible. Move the epilator very slowly across the skin.

• Avoid unnecessary pinching and skin pulling by purchasing a Braun epilator that has skin guards to prevent the blades from coming in direct contact with the skin. These tend to cost a bit more but are worth it.

• Look for a beauty salon that is experienced with electrolysis on fair hair. A good clinician can effectively remove fair colored hair.

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  A hair removal cream for sensitive skin may work well but will need to be done frequently since it doesn't remove the hair root. Be sure to choose a cream that's been specially formulated for sensitive skin. Repeated use of these chemicals on the same body part can cause a skin reaction.

• Don't be discouraged if one hair removal method fails. A combination of one or more may prove to be the least painful and most successful.

Laser Hair Treatment Is Not For Fair Haired People

Fair hair refers to the color and not the strand thickness or hair density. Because these colors reflect light, fair hair is not suitable for laser hair removal.

The laser light is reflected by the blond and grey color instead of being absorbed into the hair root. This is true for both natural and dyed hair color and makes the hair act like a mirror. The heat and light is reflected away from the hair which can then cause possible injury to the surrounding tissue.

Even though red hair is not light in color compared to blond or gray hair, the color of the laser is approximately red in color (also known as the wavelength) which will also be reflected by the hair. Experienced clinicians or dermatologists will not perform laser hair treatment on red or fair haired patients.

It's unnecessary to dye blond, gray or red hair before laser hair treatment. Instead of wasting money and time, try another hair removal method to see what works best for your skin & hair type.

Hair removal for fair hair requires a bit more preparation and precaution but using a combination of methods can lead to silky smooth skin with the least amount of pain.