The latest development in the war against body hair is a home laser device starting to make headlines in the UK.

Hair growth on both the face and body is a continuous cycle that occurs in three phases:

1. Anagen
This is the growing, or the ‘on’ phase. (4-7 months)

2. Catagen
It is the transitional or regressive phase. Essentially, it is when the hair stops growing. During this period, the hair follicle shrinks and part of it starts to die. (3-4 weeks)

3. Telogen
This is the final resting stage, or ‘off’ phase. When the old hair is in this phase, the hair follicle becomes active again and a new hair in the anagen phase develops, forcing the old telogen hair out. (up to 9 months)

Unfortunately not all hairs will be in the same growth cycle at the same time. This is why traditionally laser hair removal can be so expensive, as every time you go, it your hair is not in the anagen phase, it simply wont work. Add to this the fact that without the use of a specialised laboratory, no one can tell when this phase is happening, you could literally be lasering for years.

Enter the Tria, stage left. This laser for home use aims to bridge that gap, scientifically proven (whatever that

Tria

means, yes lasers remove hair, IF used at the anagen phase), compact, cordless and apparently easy to use.It works exactly like salon lasers but isn’t as powerful, so you don’t need protective eyewear for example. So is it any good? I’ve not managed to find many reviews or testimonials that aren’t on the company website, the most realistic I’ve read is this one, but again, it is only two people. “Chameleon Fridays is not responsible for the content of external sites (ahem)”;

It’s been around 4 months since I started using the Tria, and in that time I’ve used it around six times. I noticed a major reduction after my first session and then it slowed down. It’s not so much permanent hair removal as permanent hair reduction. In layman’s terms this means I now need to shave every five days rather than every two days and the regrowth is finer and lighter than it used to be. I still have 2 months to go, so I’m hoping that the hair will get less and less. It does take quite a while for the Tria to charge, and one charge normally equals one leg rather than two, which is a little annoying. Half a leg takes around 40 minutes, which isn’t so terrible when you’re in front of the TV. You do need to use the Tria approx 8 times on your legs, but not at the same time! each session (2-3 weeks apart) you would use it on your legs, and considering the long term gain (hair-loss) it’s a pretty good deal. Full article

Pros: If you keep using it, hair removal can be permanent. Also slows down regrowth for hair not yet removed. You can use it alongside your current choice of hair remover until the day it finally works.

Cons: Are you ready???

DO NOT USE TRIA around eyes, eyelids, eyelashes, bony orbit of the eye, forehead, temples, cheekbones, nostrils or between the eyes or eyebrows.

DO NOT USE TRIA on darker skin tones (medium brown, dark brown, or black skin). Darker skin tones absorb too much laser light, which can cause serious skin injury including blisters, burns, scars, and skin color changes. This includes lighter skinned individuals who have recently tanned or used a self-tanner on their skin.

DO NOT USE TRIA if you are of African, East Indian, Native American, or Pacific Island descent. These skin types absorb too much laser light, which can cause serious skin injury.

DO NOT USE TRIA if you rarely or never sunburn after prolonged sun exposure. These skin types absorb too much laser light, which can cause serious skin injury.

DO NOT USE TRIA if you have an active skin disease, sunburn, peeling skin, open sores, a skin rash, active lesions from psoriasis or other skin diseases, a prior history of skin cancer, or are taking medications that may cause your skin to be sensitive to light.

TRIA DOES NOT WORK on naturally white, grey, blond, or red facial or body hair. These hair colors are too light for TRIA to be effective. Source Tria website

Costs From: £795

Available from Amazon

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As the weather warms up and there is more flesh on show, women want their legs to look their best. Sadly there is no short cut for the ultimate shapley leg. It often comes down to great genes and regular exercise. However, its not all about shape, the colour, texture, and tone of the skin can make a huge difference, to their appearance.

Bare legs are most womens prime concern as the temperature soars, below are some top tips on how to make your legs look their best for Summer 2008:

Here are four alternatives to going with bare legs:

• If you’re self-concious about pale skin, try the newest self-tanners. Even cbudget versions now come with features such as built-in bronzers that help you see where the self-tanner is going. Just remember to exfoliate first and remove your hair (if waxing/electronic epilating you’ll need to wait another 24 hours, as the newly opened pores will absorb more product and legs will look spotty). It’s also important to use with caution around the knees and feet (it tends to look the most artificial there). Even better: grab a friend or spouse to help you put it on smoothly and get around to the back of your legs.

• Going way beyond the sandalfoot toe (which gives you no visible tight line at the toe), manufacturers have designed toeless tights. This way the sheer hose cover your legs (usually secured to the toes by a thong-like piece), but your toes peek out to give you a bare leg look. You’ll need to have sandals or shoes with a strap to cover the area where the tights end and your bare foot begins, so experiment with this look before relying on it for a special occasion. Toeless tights are available at all price ranges including popular brands like M&S.

• The variety of sheer denier tights options are amazing, from super sheer summer-weight tights to a type that Silkies.com offers called “Sun Oiled Sheen” tights that glisten like you just got off the beach. Remember that the best sheer pantyhose are close to your natural skin tone, not too dark or light.

• Leg makeup may sound overkill, but it’s a great way to cover blemishes, varicose veins, even tattoos. Dermablend is the main brand to name for corrective cosmetics and its “Leg and Body Cover” promises to go on easily over moisturiser and not rub off. Make sure your leg makeup is dry before you get dressed.

For tips on hair removal see this post

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Waxing, shaving, laser, creams and electric epilation, are all different ways of removing hair in a variety of painful and painless methods. All promise legs that would make Elle McPherson cover up, and while unlikely, some are more effective than others:

Waxing: Perhaps the most well known and most painful form of hair removal. Despite the adverts, everyone knows this hurts. You can choose to do this at home, but if you prefer, you can pay for somebody else to hurt you. The process removes (This means rip, hence the pain) the hair from the root, so the regrowth takes as long as your hair folicles take to produce new ones.

Pros: Its effective, its lasts, and the legs normally have a very smooth finish. The hair growth feels softer to the touch and appears finer as the individual hairs are growing from scratch, therefore having a pointed tip. Rumour has it that sugaring is slightly less painful than waxing, but popular opinion is divided. To be fair, how can ripping a hair out of a folicle be less painful? The jury is still out.

Cons: Can be expensive if you pay a professional to make it slightly less painful. Some people can get ingrowing hair as the new growth gets trapped under some dead skin (regular exfoliation helps). The hair needs to be at least 5cm long to remove. So despite being hair free for longer, there is a period of time where you have to have hairy legs. Catch 22.

Costs: Home Kits from £6, professional from £10 for a half +.

Shaving: This is, without doubt, the most marketed form of leg hair removal, with Gillette and their “Venus” range advertised heavily in most media formats. If this option is to be taken, it is crucial to use both a good razor and base product like a shaving foam, gel or oil. It will depend on your skin type, but one of the most popular products is the King of Shaves oil. A range which now has a female friendly pink tube (ahem). While Gillette push their Venus range, the male range, in particular the Gillette Mach 3 Turbo, is often the same if not superior, for a slightly lower cost.

Pros: Pain free if you don’t cut yourself. One of the cheapest options. Quick and convienient, can be done in the privacy of yoor home.

Cons: Regrowth is quick, as you are only taking away the top part of he hair. Legs feel stubbly when hair grows through as the folicle has a flat end from where it has been chopped.

Costs: You can purchase a pack of disposable razors for £1, however to ensure a better finish and less risk of nicks/cuts premium razors start at £5 and go up.

Laser: Leg laser hair removal is becoming a more popular and effective option for removing hair on the legs. It works by destroying the hair and cuticle permenantly. However, as the hair folicle can only be destroyed at a certain stage of development, you will need to go for several sessions. Lasers produce a high-intensity ray of pure light which gives off heat energy. This energy is absorbed by different body tissues, depending on the colour of the laser beam. That’s why laser light can pass safely through the skin, and destroy targeted cells under the surface without harming surrounding areas. For hair removal, the heat energy damages the cells at the root of the hair, thus preventing further growth. As the legs have a relatively large surface area, laser hair removal on a leg can take from a hour upwards during each session. However if you want lasting hair removal may need 3 to 5 treatment sessions. The price per session can very widely depending on the patient’s hair thickness, density, and surface area. The area of the country you live in also may affect the price you pay.

Pros: If you have all of the the required treatments, hair removal can be permenant.

Cons: It’s painful, it is very expensive, each ‘treatment’ takes a long time. It probably won’t remove all hair permanently, but should reduce growth significantly, and any regrowth is likely to be paler and weaker. Lasers are targeted at pigmented tissue, so they don’t work on white, grey or platinum blonde hair. Most people have to return every 6 months for maintenance.

Costs: £400 for a whole leg upwards. You can also try the home use units now available.

Creams: A depilatory is a cream, liquid or foam that removes hair from the skin’s surface. They work by reacting with the protein structure of the hair, so the hair dissolves and can be washed or wiped away. Generally they take from three to ten minutes ‘developing’ time and come in a variety of types for individual skins, such as sensitive. Hair regrowth is slower than with shaving, but not as long as waxing, approx 4 days.

Pros: Easily available like razors, quick and can be done in the privacy of your own home.

Cons: Applying depilatories can be messy and many people dislike the odor. If you have sensitive skin, you might have an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the depilatory, which may cause a rash or inflammation. Depilatories may not be as effective on people with coarse hair.

Costs: From £3 for a tube.

Electric epilation: Electric epilators have rotating heads that grasp the hairs and pull them from the follicle. This method is slower than waxing, as it can’t pull many hairs at the same time. Regrowth is the same as with waxing although takes significantly longer to actually perform. Most epilators are also very loud a the motors turn, making your hair removing very obvious!

Pros: Convienient, it can be done in the privacy of your own home. No repeat purchase so very cost effective over a long period.

Cons: Painful and slow. Most have to be plugged into the mains, so will need charging or you’ll have to be next to a plug whilst using it.

Costs: from £40 upwards.

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