LENA BLOG

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information. Epilation is a little known (and highly painful) way of removing hair from the root. I should know, I have used this technique. It is basically a mechanical form of tweezing. A small, hand-held device made of a series of high velocity rotating spring-coiled discs operates like tweezers, trapping the hair and pulling it out entirely. This system can remove even the shortest and thickest hair by the root. Epilady ® is the brand name of the machine I use, but there are several companies that offer this device. If you choose to try this method, the first time you do it you might want to have a cocktail, anything to numb the pain you are about to feel! If you use epilation consistently, it becomes less and less painful, though the very first time is quite uncomfortable. This technique is a great way to remove hair from the root, giving you a smooth, hairless surface f...

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information. Electrolysis has been around for a long time and used to be the only permanent method of hair removal. It is now running neck and neck with laser techniques in popularity. Electrolysis works by sending an electrical current from a needle down into the hair shaft, affecting the root and basically destroying it. Electrolysis is not foolproof, and the effectiveness rate varies from person to person. Some clients have an 80-100% success rate, while others have less than 50%. You have to go back for repeated visits for best results, and electrolysis can be expensive. When I was working for a spa back in my early years as an aesthetician, I had a client who was getting electrolysis on both of her legs. Imagine the time and expense of having this done! But I also picture this woman today, never having to shave or otherwise worry about unwanted hair on her legs. I’m sure...

Shari is a lovely 35-year-old mother of three. She has great genes for skin and has been coming to me for semiannual facials for quite a while. Over the past few years, she has noticed one or two dark hairs on her chin—something that will probably get worse as she gets older. Chin hair is one of those ugly secrets you don’t really read about. These hairs usually start popping up around the magic age of 40, when so many other undesirable things start to occur. This phenomenon is due in part to waning estrogen levels in a woman’s body as she is starting to phase out of her childbearing years. As the estrogen levels start to decline, the testosterone levels—although they may not increase—seem stronger due to the loss of estrogen. Tweezing would be a better option in this case. Shari decided to get her chin waxed to get rid of the one or two stray hairs she had found. Had I seen her first, I would have recommended tweezing these few hairs, in fact I wou...

If you haven ’ t ever had your upper lip waxed— don ’ t! The reason I don ’ t recommend a first-time lip wax is simply because you will be starting a never-ending process . You could be creating thicker, darker hair in an area that may actually be just fine as it is. Contrary to what you may have heard (that the hair doesn ’ t grow in darker after waxing), in my experience with what I ’ ve seen with my clients is that it does . What I have found throughout the years working on thousands of female clients is that they have a defective view of the hair that exists above their lips. Granted, some women do have a true moustache that contains thick, dark hair that may need to be removed. But for the most part, many women just think they need to have a lip wax, when in actuality they have no real noticeable dark hair on their upper lip. Unfortunately this is sometimes encouraged by fellow aestheticians. I used to offer waxing at my salons. Why? I knew people (mostly w...