One pit in particular seems to take the brunt of abuse and has a monthly bout of inflammation that lately has me exploring plucking my armpit hair instead. Clearly, plucking your underarms will be more time-consuming than shaving, so it's likely that if you suffer from razor burn like me, laser hair removal is a way more enticing alternative. Shaving is quick and cheap, albeit dangerous, and laser hair removal is expensive and requires commitment, but where does plucking fall in the spectrum of underarm hair removal?
I could speculate and draw conclusions all day long, but curiosity and lack of valid sources on the web lead me to seek the help of an IRL expert. I chatted with Dr. Michelle Henry to find out if I should pluck my underarms and exactly what plucking would do to the already sensitive skin under my arms. Michelle Henry is a Harvard trained, board certified dermatologist specializing in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, and having afro-textured hair herself, she also happens to be one of my go-to experts on safely removing body hair.
Together, we've put together everything you wanted and didn't think you wanted to know about plucking your armpit hair. If physical pain sends you running for the hills, I have some good news and bad news: according to Dr. Henry, while it's def more painful than shaving, laser hair removal, and waxing, plucking your pits won't be quite as bad as the first time you got your eyebrows threaded. Fortunately, there are other ways to remove underarm hair, including but not limited to waxing, shaving, and using hair removal creams such as Nair or Veet via The American Academy of Dermatology.
Even so, hair removal comes with some side effects. If you've never used wax as a method of hair removal or have sensitive skin, for example, you may experience itching, redness, or small bumps following your first application via Healthline.
When you tweeze a hair, your goal is to pull the hair shaft out of the skin, at its root. It can also result in an ingrown hair.
Use sterilized tweezers To tweeze effectively, always use sterilized tweezers that are also not dull or unaligned. Damaging your tweezers, like dropping them repeatedly, can make them less effective at gripping hair. This will help avoid breaking the hair. It also may help reduce the likelihood of ingrown hairs, and may be less damaging to hair follicles.
Tweezed hairs come back, needing to be tweezed again. Plucking multiple hairs close together may actually promote hair growth A studyTrusted Source done on mice at the University of Southern California found that tweezing hairs that grow closely together in a small, densely packed location may actually promote new hair growth. The researchers determined that hair follicles located close to each other can orchestrate a unified response to the injury and inflammation caused by tweezing.
This response is known as quorum sensing. The plucked, distressed follicles secreted CCL2, a chemical that generates a white blood cell response. This generated regrowth in the plucked hairs, plus stimulated new hairs to grow.
Other hair removal options to consider Consider these other hair removal techniques if you want to skip the tweezers. Shaving is an inexpensive and fast way to temporarily remove hair on the surface of the skin. It works well for large areas, such as the legs. Shaving is commonly used on the face and underarms as well. There are many types of razors, including disposable razors and electric shavers. These range from inexpensive to more expensive electric models.
Shaving can cause stubble, irritation, and razor bumps in some people. Men of color who have curly or kinky beard hair are especially susceptible to ingrown hairs caused by shaving. Shaving can also be irritating and cause razor bumps on some areas of the body, including the pubic region. Waxing can be done by a professional or at home. It uses warm or cold wax and paper or cloth strips to pull many hairs out simultaneously by the root.
Waxing can be done anywhere on the face or body. Yes, moles that have small hairs growing out of them are very common. But tweezing these hairs can cause inflammation and infection. No-tweeze zone number three is ingrown hair. Tweezing ingrown hair can lead to infection and scarring. Other areas you to think twice before tweezing include around the nipples, vaginal area, and underarms. The skin is very sensitive in these areas and can easily become irritated or scarred. Tweezing sensitive skin can also be painful.
Another potential no-tweeze zone is in a pimple. Pus pimples that form around a hair shaft can sometimes be a minor type of infection, known as folliculitis. In these instances, removing the hair may help clear up the infection. However, it may also make infection worse by introducing bacteria to the area. In some instances, tweezing pimples may even lead to scarring.
When you tweeze a hair, your goal is to pull the hair shaft out of the skin, at its root. It can also result in an ingrown hair. To tweeze effectively, always use sterilized tweezers that are also not dull or unaligned. Damaging your tweezers, like dropping them repeatedly, can make them less effective at gripping hair. This will help avoid breaking the hair.
It also may help reduce the likelihood of ingrown hairs, and may be less damaging to hair follicles. Tweezed hairs come back, needing to be tweezed again. Shaving is an inexpensive and fast way to temporarily remove hair on the surface of the skin.
It works well for large areas, such as the legs. Shaving is commonly used on the face and underarms as well. There are many types of razors, including disposable razors and electric shavers. These range from inexpensive to more expensive electric models.
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