Bikini Wax .org List of Articles:

FDA Bikini Wax Information
Overview of Bikini Waxing and Other Hair Removal Methods
Tweezing and Wax. Does It Get Any Better?
Waxing Pain: Withstanding the Pain of the Bikini Wax
Bikini Wax Frequently Asked Questions
Tips for Best Results from Your Bikini Wax
Prevent Ingrown Hairs After Your Bikini Wax
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FDA on Bikini Wax Methods and More

Hair where hair oughtn't be, according to the current dictates of American fashion, raises many an eyebrow. And so, for cosmetic reasons, millions of women, and a growing number of men, spend millions of dollars each year on products and services that promise smooth, silky skin free of "unsightly," "excessive" body hair.

For do-it-yourselfers, a variety of home-use hair removal products are available over the counter. These include shaving creams, foams, and gels; waxes; chemical depilatories; and electrolysis devices. Professionals at beauty and skin care salons and in dermatologists' offices provide waxing, electrolysis, and, most recently, laser treatments to remove hair. On April 3, 1995, FDA cleared the first laser for this use.

The cost, safety, effectiveness, and ease of use of the various methods, as well as the area and amount of hair growth to be treated, are some factors to weigh in choosing a method and deciding whether to go to a professional. Often, different methods are better suited for different areas.

FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition regulates chemical depilatories, waxes, and shaving creams and gels. (The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates razors.) These products, says John E. Bailey Jr., Ph.D., acting director of the office, are classified as cosmetics, defined as substances applied to the body to alter the appearance, promote attractiveness, cleanse, or beautify.

The agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health regulates electrolysis equipment and lasers.

Tweezing and Waxing

While depilatories remove hair at the skin's surface, "epilatories," such as tweezers and waxes, pluck hairs from below the surface. Waxing and tweezing may be more painful than using a depilatory, but the results are longer lasting. Because the hair is plucked at the root, new growth is not visible for several weeks after treatment.

Tweezing is impractical for large areas, however, because it is such a slow process. Women mostly use tweezers for shaping eyebrows and removing facial hair.

Waxing, too, is mostly done to shape the eyebrows and remove hair on the chin and upper lip, says Brenda Ruffner, a cosmetologist in Rockville, Md., although, she says, many women also have their legs, underarms, and bikini line waxed.

"Men usually come in for treatment on their chest or back," Ruffner says. "I have male clients who are bodybuilders and want their skin to look smooth for competitions. And some men are uncomfortable with the hair on their back or are embarrassed by it," she says.

Epilatory waxes are also available over the counter for home use. They contain combinations of waxes, such as paraffin and beeswax, oils or fats, and a resin that makes the wax adhere to the skin. There are "hot" and "cold" waxes.

With hot waxing, a thin layer of heated wax is applied to the skin in the direction of the hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax as it cools and hardens. The wax is then pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth, taking the uprooted hair with it.

Cold waxes work similarly. Strips precoated with wax are pressed on the skin in the direction of the hair growth and pulled off in the opposite direction. The strips come in different sizes for use on the eyebrows, upper lip, chin, and bikini area.

Labeling of over-the-counter waxes cautions that these products should not be used by people with diabetes and circulatory problems, who are particularly susceptible to infection. Waxing--and tweezing as well--can leave the skin sore and open to infection. Waxes should not be used over varicose veins, moles, or warts. They should not be used on the eyelashes, inside the nose or ears, on the nipples or genital areas, or on irritated, chapped, sunburned, or cut skin. A small area should be tested for sensitivity or allergic reaction before treating the entire area. Some hair removal experts recommend professional waxing for the best results.