It’s probably happened to you already. You look in the mirror, or you scratch your ear, or you reach down to get what you think is a loose thread on your shirt or bra, and—oh my goodness, is that a HAIR?
And then you try to swipe it away, but you discover with even more horror that it’s still attached to you.
You may panic as though you have become a new and unheard-of cosmetic nightmare, but trust us: New hair growth is very common, especially as we age.
But that doesn’t mean we have to live with it.
As your Bradenton medspa aesthetician experts, getting rid of unwanted hair is one of the things we live for, for three big reasons:
- Unwanted hair is common.
- Thorough and long-term hair removal is available through several safe, easy and straightforward procedures.
- Clean smooth skin relieves stress and makes our clients feel happy and confident.
In other words, hair removal is the kind of work that makes us happy to be in the aesthetics business.
In today’s blog: Why do we suddenly start growing hair on unexpected parts of our bodies? And just as importantly, what can we do about it?
Why do humans grow hair?
Human hair began as the same genetic necessity that gave so many other mammals fur: protection from the sun, from the cold, and even from potential injury to our most vulnerable or exposed parts. Plus, most hairs are connected to nerve fibers that provide tactile benefits by allowing you to feel things before they damage your skin.
Why does hair suddenly start growing in new places?
Because hair is a useful part of our genetic makeup, when and why it grows where it grows are factors controlled by a number of bodily functions.
Generally speaking, your hair growth (location, speed, color, and even texture) will be determined by the genetics you were born with and your ever-changing hormones, as well as illnesses or injuries that change how many functions in your body behave. (These are similar to the factors that affect skin pigmentation.)
Why do we get hairier as we age?
Most notably, your hormones fluctuate more drastically and frequently as part of the aging process.
First, as we’re sure you remember, you experience a burst of testosterone in puberty.
We think of this change as causing “new” hair. In fact, testosterone simply triggers changes in hair texture. Our skin already contains hair follicles, and actual hair, almost everywhere. But many of these follicles started off producing “vellus”—you might call it “peach fuzz.” Vellus is soft and hard to see, so it tends not to be aesthetically bothersome.
But in puberty, the increased testosterone makes some of these formerly vellus hair follicles start producing longer, more hearty hairs.
Pregnancy, too, causes wild hormonal fluctuations that result in noticeable body hair changes.
Additionally, over the years, that exposure to testosterone will actually start to shrink our hair follicles. In many cases, hair that previously had a very long growing cycle—like the hair on our heads—will gradually grow for less time and fall out sooner.
At the same time, women experience a drop in estrogen as they age. Even though testosterone levels stay more or less the same, decreased estrogen makes the body respond as though you’re going through a second mini-puberty. This is why women often discover darker, longer, unwanted facial hair on their chin, cheeks and upper lip (as well as elsewhere on the body, including the decolletage and around the nipples).
So what can I do about unwanted hair?
Good news! If you’re in Bradenton, then professional hair-removal help is already here!
Our advanced skincare services include laser hair removal as well as electrolysis.
It may take several sessions, however laser hair removal treatments are fast and efficient and virtually painless. Laser hair removal results in permanent hair reduction, while future touch up treatments may be required.
Electrolysis involves an ultra-thin needle placed directly into the follicle just under the skin. The process is more time-consuming, requiring several sessions, but results in permanent hair loss from the targeted follicles.
Is laser hair removal or electrolysis right for me?
If you find yourself troubled by unwanted growth, the first thing to do is talk to your friendly, local hair-removal professionals.
Hair removal procedures are among the spa services that can make the biggest difference in people’s lives for a surprisingly little amount of trouble. Because unwanted hair starts off slowly and accumulates, many people find themselves inadvertently living with it, even as the hair becomes harder and harder to ignore.
Then, when that hair is finally removed, you’ll find your confidence grows immeasurably in its place!
