How To Remove Back Hair As A Female
For a woman, back hair can be unsightly, embarrassing, and even mentally draining and damaging. All women have some hair on their backs, but it’s usually unnoticeable, soft downy hair. This hair can become a problem when it’s coarse, dark and long. Many women look for ways to remove the hair from their backs.
Causes Of Excessive Back Hair
Excessive back hair can be caused by a condition called hirsutism. Hirsutism is often linked to PCOS, and other endocrinological conditions. One of the most common symptoms is excessive, male pattern hair growth. The hair grows in places where hair would typically grow on men, such as the back, lower abdomen, face, and neck. Other symptoms include acne, oily skin, oily hair, and hair loss.
In most cases, Hirsutism is caused by a hormonal imbalance, which basically means that the body has a higher level of male hormones, such as testosterone, than it needs. These hormonal imbalances can be treated through medications, such as the birth control pill. However, it can take a few months before any significant changes are seen.
Removing Back Hair
Removing back hair can be difficult as it isn’t easy to reach your back by yourself. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It is still possible to remove excess back hair.
Shaving
Shaving is an inexpensive way to remove unwanted hair. It cuts the hair above the skin, which does mean that the hair will grow back. Shaving back hair solo is very awkward. You can ask a friend to help, but many women who have hirsutism are embarrassed, and don’t want others to be involved. There are long handled razors available that have been designed especially for shaving back hair. It’s probably a good idea to get an electric long handled razor, rather than a manual razor, until you get used to shaving your back hair. You should also make sure to exfoliate your back beforehand, and use a shaving cream. Shaving can irritate the skin, and cause redness, so make sure you use a soothing lotion afterwards. Buy long handled razors on Amazon
Waxing
Back hair can be waxed at your local salon, or at home with some help from a friend. It is pretty much impossible to wax your back by yourself, so you definitely need some help with this. The results of waxing lasts longer than shaving, as it removes the hair from the root. However, it isn’t permanent, and will need to be repeated regularly. It is painful, and can leave redness. Wash the skin after with an antibacterial wash, and use a moisturizing lotion for best results. Buy Waxing Strips on Amazon
Sugaring
Sugaring is very similar to waxing, but some experts say it’s a little more gentle. Sugaring is done with a mixture of sugar, water and lemon juice. This mix is heated, but isn’t as hot as regular wax. It’s not suitable for every hair type, and some practitioners recommend starting with regular waxing, then transitioning to sugaring. Buy Sugaring Paste on Amazon
Depilatory Creams
Depilatory creams remove the hair by dissolving the proteins inside the hairs. They’re widely available, and take around ten minutes to work. These creams are easy to use, but you still may need some help getting the cream on hard to reach areas. The hair will grow back, and you may need to use the cream once a week to keep the hair to a minimum. The chemicals in depilatory creams may not be suitable for people with sensitive skin. Buy Depilatory Creams on Amazon
Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal is one of the more expensive options, and it works better on some people than on others. It focuses on the pigment in the hair, and then uses a laser beam to destroy the hair. It can be painful, and it can leave scarring if the laser is operated by someone who is untrained and inexperienced. Most technicians will use ice, or some other form of numbing before the treatment.
It takes a few sessions to be effective, and you can only have one session every six weeks as the skin needs time to recover. However, it does last much longer than shaving, waxing, or depilatory creams. It’s semi permanent, which means that the hair will eventually grow back, but often, it grows back lighter and finer than it was.
The recommendations for the number of sessions needed are usually six sessions with the six week gap in between. Most people will need to shave in between sessions. Laser hair removal will also need annual, or bi-annual maintenance sessions.
Some women also take matters into their own hands and have seen success with devices like the Philipps Lumea for at home IPL treatments.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is considered to be the only form of permanent hair removal, but it takes a few sessions to achieve this result. It uses shortwave radio frequencies in the skin to destroy the hair follicle, rather than the hair itself. This means that the hair growth slows, and eventually the follicle can no longer grow a new hair. It’s suitable for everybody, and can be used on every area of the body.
Electrolysis does need to be administered by a trained technician in a clinic setting, so it is also one of the most expensive forms of hair removal. It can cause some skin redness, and in rare cases, pain and swelling. Depending on the amount of hair, and area covered, some technicians recommend a weekly, or twice weekly session until the follicles are destroyed.
Once the optimal results are achieved, there is no follow-up maintenance.
Medications
There are some medications that can slow hair growth. These would need to be approved by a physician before use. There are medications available in table form that can inhibit unwanted hair growth.
The other option is a medicated cream. It slows the growth, but will not actually remove the hairs. It needs to be applied twice a day, which can be expensive if you’re covering a large area of skin. If you stop treatment, then the growth will increase. It also can’t be used in conjunction with other hair removal methods.
Some women have also seen success taking supplements in order to reduce body hair growth and hirsutism symptoms. If you would like to learn more about permanent hair removal and your options, check out our Ultimate Guide to Permanent Hair Removal.
