Ageless (poem) #ForeverYoung

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Ageless

Time passes and everything changes.

But my mind is still as young as before.

Time moves forward and my body ages.

But my heart remains the same as ever.

You look at me and you see the years

Written into my skin forever more.

You see this aged body and whitened hair

But inside I haven’t changed, no, never.

Time sweeps us through the days

And what you see alters as it passes

But the part your eyes can’t see

Is the me inside who never changes.

You see the wrinkles on my skin

And you see my now-needed glasses

You don’t see my heart full of love

Or my inner thoughts and my thoughts’ ranges.

Inside, I’m still young and full of hope.

Inside, I still have dreams for tomorrow.

The inner me still feels its youth

I still feel the same joy and the same sorrow.

I’m still full of passion and believe in romance.

I still laugh, and cry, and sing and dance.

You see my appearance

But I am changeless.

You see my age 

But I am ageless.

The Costs for Cosmetic Procedures & Plastic Surgery #ForeverYoung

Image by kai kalhh from Pixabay

Unlike the picture above, money doesn't grow on trees. And many of the procedures I've discussed on this blog for regaining your youthful looks are expensive procedures. I've been watching videos of people who have gone to their cosmetic surgeons for repeated Botox injections, fillers, laser skin treatments and even plastic surgery (or surgeries, in some cases), and one question continually pops into my mind as I watch these videos. How do they pay for all of this?

There are a lot of procedures I would love to get or try in order to look and feel younger. But I don't make a lot of money. What this means is that it will probably be a very long wait until I get to do any of these procedures, if ever.

If you are wondering what these procedures cost, here's a brief run-down of what they cost at some clinics. (I emphasise that these are the prices at some clinics because prices will vary, sometimes widely, at different medical practices and clinics and in different parts of the country or within different countries.) I live in the UK, so I will be using prices from here.

Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) - A blepharoplasty may cost anywhere between £2,000 and £6,000. 

Dermal fillers - Facial fillers cost about £150 to £300 per session, depending on the amount of product used. 

Botox injections - Botox costs about £10-£20 per unit. While some offices and clinics charge a flat rate depending on the area being injected, you'll usually find that you are charged based on how many units of Botox are used.  Botulinum toxin injections usually cost £150-£350 per session, depending on the amount of product used.

Laser skin resurfacing treatment - In the UK, depending on how many sessions are needed and what size of area is being treated, price tends to start at £500 a session with three to five sessions.

Laser skin tightening treatment - Laser skin tightening cost swill differ based on the size of the area to be treated and the number of treatments necessary. In general, laser skin tightening costs range from £300 and go higher depending on the amount of area needed to be treated and the number of sessions needed for the desired result.

Apronectomy/abdominoplasty/tummy tuck - It costs about £4,500 to £6,000 to have an abdominoplasty, plus the cost of any consultations or follow-up care that may not be included in the price.

Breast lift/mastopexy - Depending on the type of lift, how much needs lifting and whether or not implants are used, breast lift surgery cost ranges from £3,495 to £6,495.

Fat melting injections - Fat melting injections cost from £300 per treatment and two to three sessions are recommended for maximum results.

Hair removal laser treatment - In the UK, laser hair removal costs between £40 and £400, depending on the area of skin and number of sessions included.

Electrolysis - Costs for electrolysis sessions start at from £40 per session and can take from 15 to 35 sessions to achieve the desired result.

Chemical peel - Chemical peels cost about £60-£100 for mild peels. It may cost over £500 for deeper peels. 

I know that I listed even more treatments and procedures in my previous post about the ones that interested me, and some of the ones listed both there and here would not suit my skin type anyway, but this is just a brief run-down of the prices of some possible procedures and treatments.

The high cost of all of these should help explain to you my curiousity about how so many YouTube vloggers are able to get various and frequent treatments.

Beauty Mishaps #ForeverYoung #beautytreatmentfails

Image by monicore from Pixabay

About a couple of weeks ago, three of us were using beauty sheet masks. We had two of one type of beauty mask and one of another type. The one who used the different beauty mask complained that it felt like it was burning so she had to take it off her face almost immediately. None of the ingredients should have been a problem, so we decided that maybe she was allergic to something in the mask? We still don't know which ingredient caused the burning sensation for her, but fortunately there were no lasting effects from it on her skin.

Today, I was making sandwiches for others, sandwiches which included cucumber, onion, lettuce and tomato. I wasn't eating, so I decided to try putting slices of cucumber on my eyes as it is supposed to help with puffiness.

It wasn't until my eyes started to burn that I realised I had forgotten to wash off the knife between cutting the onion and cutting the cucumber. So now, in addition to still being puffy, my eyes are red too.

What beauty treatment mishaps have you encountered? Let me know in the comments. I want to know.

Vitamins For Healthy Skin, Hair and Nails #ForeverYoung

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images on Pixabay

Several things happen to your hair, skin and nails as you age.

Your skin:

•  Loses elasticity.
•  Develops fine lines and wrinkles.
•  Can develop age spots.
•  Loses brightness and vitality.

Your hair:

•  Becomes more brittle. 
•  Can lose lustre and gloss.
•  Loses volume and thins over time.

Your nails:

•  Become brittle.
•  Become discoloured and dull.
•  Grow more slowly.

There are certain vitamins and nutrients that are important in keeping these signs of ageing from developing and in treating some of these signs of ageing that are already present. Some experts claim that there is no clear evidence that, unless you already have a deficiency in any of these vitamins and minerals, taking supplements will be of any use. But as you age, it is more and more common to become deficient in one or more of these vitamins and minerals.

For skin:

•  Vitamin C - Vitamin C boosts your skin's collagen production to give you firmer, more plump skin and smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. The antioxidant properties of vitamin C help fight free radicals and damage caused by UV radiation. It can help to lighten and brighten the skin.
• Glutathione - Glutathione is a highly synergistic ingredient with Vitamin C. For best skin whitening take Vitamin C with Glutathione to effectively promote skin lightening by inhibition of skin pigment (melanin) production.
•  Vitamin A/Retinol - Vitamin A can help treat skin disorders like acne and psoriasis while reducing brown spots and wrinkles and smoothing out rough patches by increasing cell turnover. 
•  Collagen - Collagen is a structural protein that holds cells together, strengthens skin, and gives it elasticity.
•  Vitamin B7/Biotin - Biotin helps with the metabolism of fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids in your body. Biotin helps turn the carbs, fats, and proteins in the food you eat into energy. It also plays a role in gene regulation and cell signalling. A biotin deficiency can cause a skin rash around your eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as seizures, brittle nails, and thinning hair.
•  Vitamin D - Vitamin D is thought to help with fine lines and wrinkles through its ability to act as an antioxidant. This helps your body to fight off free-radicals which are thought to cause lines on our skin and the general deterioration that comes as we get older.
•  Vitamin E - Vitamin E is a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant that protects lipids from oxidising, which helps skin retain its natural moisturisers.
•  Hyaluronic Acid - Hyaluronic acid is well known for its skin benefits, especially alleviating dry skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and speeding up wound healing. 
•  Coenzyme Q10 - Coenzyme Q10 vital for energy production to fulfil the skin's basic functions such as regeneration and repair. As we age, the levels of natural Coenzyme Q10 in our skin decrease. This makes it more susceptible to fine lines and wrinkles. Coenzyme Q10 helps the skin by acting as a strong antioxidant. It helps to neutralise the harmful free radicals that are one of the major causes of ageing. Coenzyme q10 is a naturally occurring molecule, found in large quantities in our mitochondria that protects elastin and collagen from free radicals.
•  Zinc - Zinc aids in healing the skin and prevents acne by regulating the activity of the oil glands. Zinc promotes a healthy immune system and the healing of tissues. It is also an antioxidant which helps to fight and prevent the formation of free radicals. 
•  Copper - Copper helps to develop collagen and elastin, which maintain the strength of the skin, and it promotes the production of skin-plumping hyaluronic acid.
•  Iron - Hair, skin, and nails require iron to retain their natural lustre, shine, and moisture. Iron is crucial for the structural stability of collagen. Pale, dull, and lifeless skin is a common symptom of anaemia. Iron-deficient skin often appears to be pale, yellow, or sallow in colour.
•  Selenium - Selenium has multiple functions. It reduces inflammation, boosts thyroid hormone production, and is also an antioxidant. It is a mineral known to help the body's immune system function properly, and also works to prevent damage to cells and tissue. Too much selenium can be toxic though, so check with your doctor on the right dosage, if you decide to take this mineral.
•  Silica - Silica is an essential beauty mineral that helps heal brittle bones, teeth, hair, and nails. It is also well known for its anti-ageing, anti-wrinkle properties due to its ability to help form collagen and repair damaged or loose skin. Whenever collagen is damaged in skin, silica is required to take care of this by rebuilding and regenerating this connective tissue. 
•  Vitamin B3/Niacin - Niacin can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles and other issues with skin elasticity concerned with ageing. Niacin has been identified to have preventive effects against skin cancer. Niacin is a major component of NAP and NADP, which are two coenzymes involved in cellular metabolism. Niacin also prepares and repairs DNA and even works as an antioxidant. It has the ability to speed up cell metabolism and cell turnover (a process that slows down with age), revealing younger skin. It also helps heal wounds, repair sun damage and hyperpigmentation, and strengthen the skin barrier, making skin better able to retain moisture.
•  Vitamin K/K2 - Fat-soluble vitamin K plays an important role in how the kidneys function and helping to aid in proper bone growth and repair. It can minimise dark circles.
•  Vitamin B5/Pantothenic Acid - People need B5 to synthesise and metabolise fats, proteins, and coenzyme A.
•  Alpha-Lipoic Acid - Alpha-lipoic acid seems to help prevent certain kinds of cell damage in the body, and also restores vitamin levels such as vitamin E and vitamin C. 
•  Folic Acid/Vitamin B9 - Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells.
•  Creatine - Creatine has shown effects on the repair of cutaneous ageing and the protection of the skin from UV exposure.
• Magnesium - Magnesium deficiency can accelerate ageing of the skin by resulting in lower levels of fatty acids on the skin. This reduces elasticity and moisture and creates the perfect condition for dryness, lack of tone and more wrinkles. 
•  Manganese - Manganese is required for collagen synthesis, and deficiency can cause slow hair and nail growth and a reddening of the skin.
•  Potassium - Potassium helps control the volume of cells and helps the skin stay  moisturised. Deficiency in potassium can lead to dry skin and hair loss.
•  Protein - Protein supplies the body with the amino acids it requires to make keratin – one of the structural proteins in our skin, hair and nails. Protein is one of the building blocks of skin tissue. Protein also contains two amino acids, namely L-Lysine and L-proline, that support the body's production of collagen.
• Niacin/Vitamin B3 - Vitamin B3 helps the skin retain moisture by boosting the production of fatty acids and ceramides.

For hair:

•  Biotin/Vitamin B7 - Biotin is a B-complex vitamin. Biotin deficiency can lead to thinning of the hair as well as premature greying of the hair. It is thought that taking Biotin supplements can thicken hair and stimulate hair and nail growth. Biotin encourages elasticity within the hair’s cortex while thickening cuticles to eliminate breakage. Biotin promotes growth of existing hair, produces keratin, and works to increase hair's elasticity.
•  Niacin/Vitamin B3 - Niacin helps improve the health of the hair follicles. Niacin/Vitamin B3 promotes blood circulation to the scalp.
• Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic acid is important for our bodies to properly use carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids and for healthy skin.Vitamin B5 supports the adrenal glands, which helps stimulate hair growth. Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5 strengthens and nourishes the hair follicle.
•  Vitamin C - Vitamin C helps the body produce sebum, the natural oil that protects your hair and keeps it strong. It assists in the production of collagen, a connective tissue responsible for keeping your body’s tissues and organs together. When deficient in vitamin C, your hair may feel weak. Breakage and split ends can also occur. 
•  Zinc - Zinc is an important mineral that keeps your body and nails healthy. It helps in the healing of wounds, increasing immunity, and improving nail and hair growth. Extreme zinc deficiency can cause hair loss. Zinc is also a potent inhibitor of hair follicle regression, and it accelerates hair follicle recovery.
•  Iron - Hair, skin, and nails require iron to retain their natural lustre, shine, and moisture. When you don't have enough iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen for the growth and repair of cells in your body, including the cells that stimulate hair growth.
•  Vitamin A/Retinol - All cells need vitamin A for growth. Vitamin A helps the body produce sebum, the natural oil that protects your hair and keeps it strong. It assists bone growth and helps the body process myelin, a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres.
• Vitamin D - Vitamin D is a hormone that plays an important role in calcium homeostasis, immune regulation and cell growth differentiation. Hair follicles are highly sensitive to hormones.
•  Folic Acid/Vitamin B9 - Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells.
•  Omega 3 Fatty Acids - Omega-3 fats nourish the hair, support hair thickening and reduce inflammation that can lead to hair loss.
•  Silica - Silica can help maintain the health of your hair and scalp. A deficiency of this mineral might lead to hair loss. Almost all of the trace minerals that silica helps balance are factors in treating hair loss. Ask your doctor about consuming silica to help with your thinning strands.
• Protein - Protein supplies the body with the amino acids it requires to make keratin – one of the structural proteins in our skin, hair and nails.
• Magnesium - Magnesium really is one of the most important nutrients for healthy hair growth. Without it, your hair follicles may not grow to their full potential because of calcification and poor protein synthesis.
• Manganese - Manganese is required for collagen synthesis, and deficiency can cause slow hair and nail growth and a reddening of the skin.

For nails:

•  Biotin/Vitamin B7 - Biotin is a B-complex vitamin that strengthens the protein infrastructure in hair, skin, and nails.
•  Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5 - People need B5 to synthesise and metabolise fats, proteins, and coenzyme A.
•  Iron - Hair, skin, and nails require iron to retain their natural lustre, shine, and moisture. Onychoschizia is the term for splitting, brittle, soft or thin nails. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of this, on the rare occasion when it is caused by a vitamin deficiency. Nails are comprised of keratin, which are hard layers of protein that form to keep soft tissues safe and protected. When there is not enough hemoglobin in the body, nails don’t get enough oxygen to stay healthy.
•  Magnesium - Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of reactions in your body, including protein synthesis, which is required for nail growth. Vertical ridges in your nails may be a sign of a magnesium deficiency. This mineral also helps with protein synthesis and the formation of new nails.
•  Protein - Protein supplies the body with the amino acids it requires to make keratin – one of the structural proteins in our skin, hair and nails.
•  Omega 3 Fatty Acids - 
•  Vitamin C - The production of free radicals increases with age and the amount of antioxidative enzymes that defend the body decrease, leading to the damage of cellular structures and the ageing of hair. By working as an antioxidant, vitamin C fights oxidative stress that contributes to hair greying and hair loss. 
•  Zinc - Zinc is an important mineral that keeps your body and nails healthy. It helps in the healing of wounds, increasing immunity, and improving nail and hair growth. If you lack zinc, you will see more white spots on your nails, inflammation of the cuticles, and poor nail growth.
• Vitamin A/Retinol - All cells need Vitamin A for growth.
• Manganese - Manganese is required for collagen synthesis, and deficiency can cause slow hair and nail growth and a reddening of the skin.
• Silica - Silica takes all the nutrients to the nails helping not only to impart strength, but also feeds the nail bed with all the vital nutrients for encouraging healthy and strong nails.

Your best bet if you want to take vitamins that work for all three - skin, hair and nails - is to go with Biotin, Collagen, Niacin, Vitamin C, Zinc, Iron, Vitamin A, Folic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Zinc, Silica, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin D.

Your best source of these vitamins is in the food you eat. If you want to take supplements, please check in with your doctor first. As most of these are shown to only help if you are already deficient in them, it might be a good idea to have your doctor test your levels before trying to add a vitamin or mineral supplement to your daily regimen. Many of the skin and hair vitamins can be used safely topically in creams and lotions.

Laser Hair Removal Treatments for Home Use #ForeverYoung

Image by Alexandr33 on Pixabay

There are many devices used at dermatologists and beauty care centres that can now be found for use at home when it comes to laser hair removal. I have not tested any of these out, and the information posted is information I found on their buying page, so I have no way of knowing how accurate the information is. I have the wrong skin and hair type to use these types of devices as I have light red hair and am covered in freckles. I have a family member who suffers with chronic pain and, as she has the perfect skin tone and hair type for using these devices, I would love to someday be able to afford to buy her one as, due to her chronic pain, regular shaving is difficult for her. But, until that day, I won't be able to tell you how well these devices work.

*****

No!No! IPL Perfector 

IPL uses intense pulsed light technology to send light pulses to the skin, which are absorbed by the hair follicle. These light pulses gradually reduce hair growth leaving you with beautiful, hair-free skin. It's suitable for use on legs, underarm, bikini area, stomach, arms, back and upper lip. It costs about £200 and does not work well on light hair or dark skin. 

Braun Silk-expert 3 BD 3001 Laser Hair Removal at Home for Body and Face

IPL uses intense pulsed light technology to send light pulses to the skin, which are absorbed by the hair follicle. This one uses SMART IPL with SensoAdaptTM skin sensor: the only laser hair removal technology that automatically adapts to your skin tone. It has been assessed on lower leg, armpits & bikini and shown permanent hair reduction in just 3 months. It treats your lower leg in just 10 minutes. it costs around £225. 

Philips Lumea Advanced IPL 3 Months* of Hair-free Smoothness with Satin Compact Facial Pen Trimmer - BRI923/00

Gentle pulses of light, applied regularly, keep skin silky-smooth every day. Lumea Advanced includes 2 attachments - for body with a large treatment window for fast application, bikini attatchement for effective treatment of bikini hair and precision attachment for the face. An integrated skin tone sensor measures the treated skin complexion at the beginning of each session and occasionally during the session for extra safety. It includes an integrated skin tone sensor for extra safety, plus three attachments and satin compact pen trimmer. It costs about £300.

Philips Lumea Prestige IPL 6 Months* of Hair-free Smoothness - BRI953/00

Philips Lumea uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to break the cycle of hair regrowth. Gentle, pain-free, pulses of light are applied at the root and, after several treatments, hair is prevented from growing back. Philips Lumea Prestige works effectively on a wide variety of hair and skin types - from naturally dark blonde, brown and black coloured hairs and on skin tones from very white to dark brown. As with other IPL based treatments, Philips Lumea cannot be used to treat white / grey, light blonde or red hair and is not suitable for very dark skin. This is due to the high contrast required between the pigment in hair colour and pigment in the skin tone. It has three curved attachments for body, face & precision, a SmartSkin Sensor to select the perfect setting for your skin tone and has both corded and cordless functionality. It costs around £420.

Remington IPL6500 I-Light Pro Hair Removal System

The Remington I-Light Pro uses ProPulse™ technology to focus light energy at the hair follicle root to break the hair growth cycle. It is suitable for use on the face and body. For maximum safety, the built-in integrated skin sensor also ensures that only correct skin tones are treated and the device won’t switch on for skin tones it is not suitable for. It has five energy settings. It costs around £215.

Braun Silk Expert 5009 IPL For Body

Braun Silk Exppert uses IPL for permanent visible hair removal at home for body and face plus it has a sonic body exfoliator. It uses an intelligent SensoAdapt™ skin tone sensor. Silk-expert IPL requires no batteries or charging. It can be used at full power with no interruptions. It includes a sonic body exfoliator to gently exfoliate the skin for a silky, smooth feel. It costs around £350.

HoMedics Duo Salon - IPL Permanent Hair Reduction

The Duo Salon is our fast, safe and pain-free IPL solution and most powerful home IPL device yet. It also features a unique Active Cooling Technology that soothes the skin, while heat generated by the light pulses is directed straight to the hair root. The combination of Intense Pulse Light (IPL) and Advanced Fluorescence Technology in a single device means you can tackle the different types of hair found on the body.  The Duo Salon has five light settings to deliver gentle and effective treatments. However, it is not effective on natural light-blonde, red, grey or white hair. It's also not effective for very dark skin tones. It costs around £550.

BaByliss 8875U IPL Hair Removal System

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a clinically tested hair removal technology, that works by preventing hair re-growth for long-lasting, silky smooth results.This gentle method can be used on all parts of the body, including the arms, legs and back, as well as sensitive areas such as the armpits, bikini line and face. Smooth Glide mode is quick and easy to use across large areas such as the legs, while Pulse mode is ideal for smaller areas that require more precision. It costs around £200.

Rio Lux IPL Hair Remover

This compact, handheld tool from Rio uses intense pulsed light (IPL) technology to efficiently and safely target hairs at the root, to quickly remove them and prevent regrowth. It costs around £130.

*****

There are many more devices, but I thought this would show a good range of prices and, possibly, quality.

If you've ever used one of these, let me know in the comments what you thought of it.

Dramatic Weight Loss & Its Effects on your Skin #ForeverYoung

Image by mojzagrebinfo on Pixabay

Back in 2010, I managed to reach my weight loss goal. I lost 145.5 lbs and reached a healthy BMI with a weight of 127 lbs. It took me 19 months. The problem with massive weight loss like that is that, for some of us, our skin doesn't bounce back to it's original shape. Think of blowing up a balloon and then deflating it. Inflating it stretches it out so that, when you deflate it again, it's looser and more pliable, when you deflate it. Our skin can be like that too. It remains stretched out and hangs loosely after losing a lot of weight.

I already had a road-map of stretch marks on my belly left-over from my first pregnancy and delivery. But now, I was left with loose, sagging skin on my belly and loose, sagging skin on my upper arms. Doing weights helped lessen the sagging skin on my upper arms, but it didn't completely get rid of it. Also, the more weight I lost, the less was left of my sagging belly, but there was enough of the left-over stretched-out skin to mean that I couldn't completely get rid of it.

I was told that the only way to completely rid myself of it was to have an apronectomy/abdominoplasty which would cut out the loose skin and pull what was left together to leave a smooth, flat belly. I was also told that it would be expensive to have done. There is also something called a panniculectomy. A panniculectomy removes any overhanging “apron” of skin and tissue from below the belly button. It is different from a tummy tuck, which tightens the underlying stomach muscles in that a panniculectomy only removes excess skin and fat.

How much loose skin a person is left with after major weight loss depends on genetics, how much weight was lost and how quickly the weight was lost. For the average woman undergoing this type of surgery, the abdominoplasty surgery itself removes about five more pounds of fat and skin from them when completed.

Tummy tucks have a higher incidence of complications than other plastic surgeries, so it is recommended that you think carefully before choosing this option to resolve your loose skin issues.

There is also a surgery to remove excess, sagging skin on the upper arms. It is called an arm lift, or brachioplasty.  An arm lift is a surgical procedure that reduces excess sagging skin, tightens the underlying supportive tissue and reduces localised pockets of fat in the upper arm region. Like the tummy tuck, it is an expensive procedure. It leaves a scar along the inside of the upper arms. 

There have been other technological advances that mean a person does not necessarily have to resort to surgery in order to get their desired results when it comes to tightening loose skin on areas such as the upper arms. For instance, radio frequency waves can be used. Radio frequency skin tightening is an aesthetic technique that uses radio frequency energy to heat tissue and stimulate subdermal collagen production in order to reduce the appearance of fine lines and loose skin.

Shaving Legs and Other Areas of the Body #ForeverYoung

Women have been shaving their legs since early in the 1900s. Some women have rebelled against the idea that they need to shave their legs in order to conform to selective societal customs, and, in truth, it was the fashion industry that started the trend of women needing to shave their legs in the first place. But these days, many women still like to have smooth legs when they bare their legs in public.

I must admit, if I know I won't be showing my legs because I'll be wearing trousers for several days in a row, I will often neglect to shave my legs for long periods of time. Why bother, when no one is going to see my unshaven legs anyway, right?

But I would love it if I could have smooth legs without all the effort of shaving them every day. That goes ditto for my armpits. Fortunately for most women, there are technologies available to them which can permanently remove their leg hair and armpit hair. Unfortunately for me, most of those technologies do not work on light hair. (or do not work as well).

The technology for permanent hair removal has to do with lasers. It is usually done in a dermatologists clinic or with a specialist, but nowadays, they have home laser and IPL devices for hair removal. Lasers use pulses of light, which the hair follicles absorb through the melanin in them and this weakens the hair follicle, which, over time, stops it growing.

IPL, or intense pulsed light, does not use light as a laser does, but instead emits a spectrum of colours and wavelengths that reduces hair growth which delivers one single wave of red light and permanently removes the hair follicle.

The drawbacks from these devices is that they don't work on dark skin or light hair. What can you do if you have dark skin or light hair?

Well, it's much more time-consuming, requires more sessions, and is not good for areas of high hair growth, but for spot areas such as small hair growth on chin or chest (for women), electrolysis can permanently remove hair. Electrolysis uses needles that are smaller than the size of your hair follicles to direct electric pulses into each hair follicle individually. It can sting a bit when being done; some areas of the body will hurt more than others, but the pain isn't horrible and doesn't last long. One serious draw-back for some women is that the first few sessions, while removing some hair follicles can also stimulate the growth of new hair follicles. And it takes many sessions to completely get rid of an area of hair.

This is why many people go for the none-permanent method of waxing. The removal of hair in this way leaves your skin smoother than shaving does, but it only last for between three to six weeks.