Tag: basketball

Tuesday, December 11th, 2007

Hair Removal – All Over Your Body

Today, a male body builder is not the only person into removing hair from all over their body.

Aside from the fact that there are more and more female body builders, there are scores of everyday males and females who remove hair from all over their bodies.

Both in the media and on the street, an obvious example is how many males and females are into head shaving.

At the pool or the beach, and even on neighborhood basketball courts, it’s much more common to see males with smooth and hairless chests and backs. And even a few without armpit or leg hair.

And if you think about it, males in the media advertising underwear and fitness equipment don’t have any body hair. They have it removed because the current fashion in this society is for males to be hairless.

Some would say it’s about time they caught up with the females …

But the truth is – Today’s males ARE more aware of and conscientious about their overall image and removing body hair is a major means of projecting the most positive image. Besides, males have been learning what females have known ever since they started removing their body hair – There are some definite benefits to doing so.

Less body hair means less body heat. Less body heat means less body odor. And we can all support that.

But, perhaps even more of a benefit is the fact that removing body hair helps to define body shape. For females in particular, this applies to their legs. For males, their chests.

That’s why when body builders are getting their body ready for competition, they use some type of hair removal.

And because there is such a growing trend towards complete body hair removal these days, we look to body builders and other athletes for information about the best way to accomplish it.

But even for body builders, it hasn’t always been easy to connect with the, “perfect”, hair removal product or system.

Before the mid 90s, body builders relied mostly on services employing people who became their personal body shaver. These people used a wet razor to remove the hair from the body builder’s entire body a few hours before a competition. Then they’d oil them down.

After the mid 90s, body builders began relying on laser hair removal treatments. But that didn’t really work out so well.

Partly because the high cost of the treatments took a big chunk of their competition winnings, but mostly because their entire body couldn’t be made completely hairless in one session, or even two or three. So there was the time factor.

Then there were the unsavory side effects of swelling, redness and maybe even some blistering, that often kept body builders from competitions, even if they completed the treatments well ahead of time. When people started coming up with scars – that was pretty much it.

So many body builders returned to the tried and true body shaver.

But that’s not to say that many body builders haven’t experimented with a variety of other alternatives to laser hair removal.

The main laser hair removal alternative methods include: electrolysis, waxing, depilatories, and the old stand by, shaving.

Electrolysis may be the only hair removal method that has been proven to be permanent, and that would seem ideal for a body builder, but –

Because electrolysis involves treating each individual hair follicle, (the skin depression from which the hair emerges), it is also the most time consuming hair removal method. It can take years of weekly or monthly sessions to completely remove all hairs in just one area. And –

Because electrolysis involves inserting a fine wire alongside the hair shaft into the hair follicle through which an electric current and/or strong chemical is sent down to destroy the growth source, (papilla), at the end of the hair, it is also quite painful, even for mighty body builders, even with the use of a topical anesthetic. And –

Electrolysis has some of the worst temporary side effects – Swelling, redness, pinpoint scabbing and skin discoloration, and worse, the possible permanent effects of skin discoloration and scarring.

Add to all of that – Electrolysis is the next most expensive method of hair removal.

So it’s easy to see why electrolysis is not a viable laser hair removal alternative for body builders.

A hair removal method that isn’t as expensive, can last for 3-8 weeks and would seem viable for body builders is waxing. And because waxing can be done on the entire body in one session, it would seem ideal for a body builder, but –

Waxing basically involves applying a warmed taffy like substance to the hairs in an area, then cloth strips, all of which are allowed a moment to cool and adhere to the hairs and then the strips are very quickly removed, pulling the hairs out by their roots.

Obviously, this hair removal method is pretty painful, so a topical anesthetic is recommended. But that’s not the real problem.

The real problem is that while the wax is adhering to the hairs, unfortunately, it’s also adhering to the skin. Which means when the cloth strips are yanked off, sometimes so is some of the skin. Understandably, this leads to some swelling, rawness and redness.

Usually, if waxing is done several days ahead of time and they stay out of direct sunlight, a body builder’s skin is able to heal for competition. Usually … There have been some complications such as infected ingrown hairs and other infections that have left scars.

Which means waxing is not the best laser hair removal alternative.

A host of body builders use the hair removal product of a depilatory to remove all of their body hair. It’s an inexpensive method that can remove hair on the chest, back, underarms, hair in the bikini line area ONLY and legs quickly, easily and painlessly for a few days, but – You knew there had to be a but –

A depilatory employs strong chemicals that basically, “melt”, the hairs above the skin, which can then be wiped from the skin surface.

Problem is, hair and skin are composed of similar materials so that these harsh chemicals that melt the hair can also burn the skin and cause swelling, redness, bumps, ingrown hairs and even scarring.

So using a depilatory hair removal product is still not the best laser hair removal alternative.

Which is why many a body builder is still a body shaver when it comes to inexpensive, reliable and relatively safe hair removal that, when done properly, provides smooth results.

Sure, there’s only one way to receive a, “razor burn”, and that’s by shaving. And it’s possible to get scrapes, nicks and cuts, as well as rashes, bumps and ingrown hairs from shaving, but –

These are minor side effects as compared to all other hair removal methods. And they can be covered with make up if need be. (Yes, make up is worn by body builders, when necessary.)

And shaving truly can be done on any part of a body builder’s body. In fact, if it happens to be part of their overall presentation, there’s really no other way a body builder can achieve a beautiful bald head than by head shaving.

These then are the hair removal experiences and results of body builders from which the everyday person can learn.

Although there is one more method of hair removal for all body shavers, including those into head shaving – It’s still shaving, but with an inexpensive tool designed to easily, quickly, and most importantly, safely provide clean, close, and smooth hair removal – All over your body.

About the author:

The hair removal experts at Bodworx International are leading importers of intimate care products. Visit their website at http://www.a1-laser-hair-removal-alternative.com for cutting edge laser hair removal alternative information for safe, effective hair removal from any part of the body.

Written By: Bodworx International

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Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

Flattering Swimwear for Everyone Yes, Even YOU!

“There are so many styles of swimwear to choose from, especially if you are a women. With more options than ever, all women regardless of size or shape, can feel stylish wearing swimwear at the pool or on the beach this season.”

Summertime is inevitably a season when we all at some time or another bring out the swimwear. Whether it is at the beach, camping or the cottage, the warm weather and tantalizing water encourages a refreshing swim. There are some on the other hand who may not even use their swimwear for the water but who like to sit in the suns rays and give their skin the glow of summer. Whatever use you have for your bikini or swimwear the wonderful assortment of fabrics, styles and accessories will have you out and about enjoying the fine weather.

There are some of us who dont exactly look forward to this time of year when we have to bring out the swimwear and bikinis in hopes that those couple of extra pounds gained over the year wont have us bulging out of the seams. Not to fret though as swimwear today offers great stretch fabrics for easy mobility and plenty of style options that might just minimize or hide any imperfections.

The fabric, body shape, design and color are all factors when choosing the most flattering swimwear for you. When selecting a swimsuit the quality of fabric is important as you want a suit that will stand up to the seasons of wear, sun and saltwater. Nylon, Lycra and Faille are popular fabrics used for swimsuits, they resist fading and hold their stretchiness. Nylon and Lycra used together offer more stretch then standard swimwear along with shaping, control and comfort for the wearer.

The design of the swimsuit is probably the most important factor when women are out shopping for swimwear and bikinis. You will find plenty of suggestions on flattering suits for all sorts of body types. There are suits to create curves where needed, suits to minimize hips, suits to whittle waistlines, others to add shape to specific areas and then there are the standard all purpose suits that may look great on a variety of shapes. Lines and colors are very important in minimizing or accentuating particular parts of the body. Black and darker colors are often used to minimize, while stripes depending on whether they are vertical or horizontal are used for the same minimizing (vertical) or accentuating (horizontal) effects. There are several special sizes of swimsuits available to accommodate women from petite, tall and plus sizes.

Bikinis alone come in several popular designs that may include; tankinis which are similar to a tank top (with matching bottom, there are different variations of the tankini from short (above the navel) to tops that touch the bottom piece; bandeau tops are designed as a strip usually with no straps; halter tops are just as the name implies similar to a halter with possibly a string that goes around the neck connecting the bodice; lastly there are bra-tops (similar to bra designs) and triangle tops (triangle designs). The bikini that works best will vary from person to person, you want a top that offers support if needed, it is always best to try on a few different tops and see what works best.

Womens swimsuits offer features such as; soft-cup bras which give full support, built-in shelf bras with underwire, sarongs that add gentle shaping to midsection, gentle tummy wraps that accentuates shape, side shirring adding gentle shaping, and overlapping tops with bottoms for gentle coverage. There are also swimsuits available in swim dress designs which offer additional coverage of hips if needed for some, and bandeau style one pieces with no straps.

Women really are at an advantage when it comes to selecting swimwear designs, as the number of womens designs far exceeds the number of mens designs. Womens swimsuits come in one-piece designs, swim dress designs, sarong swimsuits, tankini suits and several bikini designs. Whereas mens suits are available mostly in the standard racing style, swim trunk and swim short designs.

The list of swimwear accessories is as great as the swimsuits to be had. The accessories are an important part of your beach or lake excursion, and can include; straw hats, crochet hats, sun hats, short chemises, pareo (cover up skirt), cover ups, capris, thongs, sunglasses, tote bags, mesh bags and most importantly beach towels.

Childrens swimwear offers some excellent options for those little ones just learning to swim. There are great thermal wear suits available, which keep children nice and warm, the innovative suits are made from a specially treated heat reflective neoprene material. Thermal wear suits and special sun protective swimwear also offer UV protection from the sun. There are special water shoes for children that protect their small feet and help to prevent slips. Then of course there is the wide variety of designs and fabrics available to choose from. Designs for girls come in one and two piece while the boys suits most often come in the short and trunk designs.

Other considerations to keep the children busy at the beach or lake are lifejackets, arm floats, flotation devices, goggles and beach toys. There are great swim vests and special swimming tubes specially made for children to gradually ease into swimming. The list of pool toys is endless with floating basketball nets, dive toys, swimming fins and volleyball games to name a few.

The sun protection clothing and sun protective swimwear that is being manufactured is innovative and an excellent choice especially for children. Some of the sun protective clothing and swimwear claims to block 98 per cent of UV rays with a UPF of 50 plus. What this means is that only one fiftieth of UV radiation falling on the surface of the garment will pass through. Wearing this clothing is added protection against the suns harmful rays.

When going to the beach, pool or when participating in any outdoor activity it is important to wear a sunscreen of at least thirty. Nothing spoils a day in the sun like the pain of sunburn. That is why being prepared for your outing is important, bring along the necessary hats, sunglasses and cover-ups to ensure both comfort and protection. This is true especially for children, its probably best to avoid mid afternoon intense sun if possible. However if you cannot avoid being in the sun, be sure to bring along a beach umbrella to provide shade and again hats and sunscreens for children are absolutely necessary.

With so many wonderful swimwear options to choose from your beach, pool, lake or camping experience can be both pleasurable and fashionable. Take the time and find a swimsuit that you feel comfortable in and one that compliments your particular figure. With the right swimwear choices you will be ready for all your travel and vacation needs with a suit that lasts for a few seasons. Valerie Giles owns and operates Bikinis and Swimsuits, a swimsuit and resort wear site showcasing bikinis, swimwear and resort wear. Find the perfect swimsuit for every occasion and every figure type. http://www.bikinis-and-swimsuits.com The accompanying article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.

Written By: Valerie Giles

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