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

Where To Wax?

Waxing can safely be done throughout the body. Individuals use it for their legs, eyebrows, bikini areas and much larger hairs such as their chest, stomach and back. You can have it done so that you can shave time off of your swimming competition or to help you to just look the way that you enjoy looking.

What Is It?

Whats in the wax? The mixture that you will use is a combination of paraffin or beeswax and natural oils. These products are chosen since they work well with the body and stick to the skin. There are two types, cold and hot waxing. Some have supplements in them to help improve the skins feel and texture.

Hot Waxing: In this method of waxing, a hot but comfortable temperature is used for the wax. It is spread onto the area in the direction of the hair growth. When the wax cools, it is torn off quickly in the opposite direction, pulling the hair out with it. Usually, this gives the best results in waxing.

Cold Waxing: In this method of waxing, the strips of cloth are coated with the wax and them applied to the skin. The strips are rubbed in the direction of the hair growth and then ripped off in the opposite direction.

After you wax your skin, you can use a treatment of a non perfumed moisturizer. This will help to restore the feel of the skin by adding Vitamin B and Aloe Vera to it. Whatever you do, you do not want to go swimming, use a spa or hot tub, tan, or apply perfume, deodorant or other chemicals to the area that was just waxed as these can cause infections and pain.

It is important that you carefully look at your skin prior to using any type of waxing. You should not use in areas where there are open sores, infection, moles, warts or other skin irritations. You should never attempt to wax eyelashes, ear hair, nose hair or nipple hair. And, you should make sure that you use the appropriate combination of wax for specific areas such as pubic hair. Make sure to test the temperature of the wax so that you do not get burned too.

Waxing has been around for centuries because it is an effective way to remove hair. There are not normally side effects besides a little bit of pain and redness. And, you can do it at home or in a salon. Waxing is an effective method to remove unwanted hair from virtually every area of your body.

About the Author:

As a beauty consultant Nicola is always evaluating new products. Visit her site at http://www.epilator.info for information about body hair removal. Copyright http://Epilator.info. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact.

Written By: Nicola Kennedy