Hair removal methods have become ever more common today than ever before and it could be because of the unrealistic body representations in media that lead many, especially women to assume that body and facial hair are not feminine traits. And now we are also seeing women shaving off their facial peach fuzz on social media, which ultimately influences many to head in the same direction.
At the end of the day, what you choose to do with your hair is nobody’s business but yours, and as far as is personal hygiene is concerned, you should only commit to what you feel most comfortable in. And here’s this one hair removal hack where you don't really have to cut or pull the hair to make it seemingly invisible. Now how does that work, you may wonder? You bleach it. It's pain-free, it lasts long and you don't have to worry about ingrowns or cuts.
Table of Contents:- Part 1: Can You Bleach Body Hair?
- Part 2: How to Bleach Body Hair?
- Part 3: How Long Does Body Hair Bleach Last
- Part 4: Natural Ways for Bleaching Body Hair
- Part 5: Safer and More Effective Alternative - IPL Hair Removal Devices
Can You Bleach Body Hair?
Skin and hair bleaching is in fact a fairly ancient practice that began when women used lemon juice or vinegar as bleaching agents to lighten skin tan or reduce the pigment of the hair. So to answer your question, can you bleach body hair? The answer is yes, you can effectively bleach your body hair, and today, we have many bleaching products and treatments that claim to be safer for your skin.
One of the key active ingredients in bleach is hydroperoxide which is pretty quick in its job. It takes at least 15 minutes before the pigment of your hair fully breaks down and there’s no longer pigment left in the hair. You can get it done professionally, but it can easily be done in the comfort of your own home too.
All in all it's a really affordable hack to make your hair appear seemingly less than it really is and it won't damage your skin the way certain hair removal methods like shaving do, where you are at risk of cuts, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hairs, and scars.
How to Bleach Body Hair?
If you prefer getting your facial or body hair bleached at a salon professionally, you only have to sit back and let the aesthetician or professional do their job. But if you want to save up on that service cost, you can easily do it all in the comfort of your home.
- Do your research well enough to decide what bleaching cream you want to go for. Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Golden Body Viel is generally a safe option.
- Mix equal parts of the lightening cream with the accelerator in a container or as directed for the cream.
- Use preferably a hair-dyeing brush and do a patch test on either your arm or leg to monitor your skin’s reaction to the cream.
- Once you feel safe enough to use the bleaching cream apply it on the targeted body part and leave for about 10 minutes. Wipe the bleach off and raise the part under cold water.
- The hair will turn a very light shade of golden. Apply a soothing lotion to settle any remaining tingling sensation that you may feel.
How Long Does Body Hair Bleach Last
If you apply your regular bleaching cream to your body or facial hair you can expect your bleached hair to last from anywhere between 2-6 weeks before the hair starts turning dark again because of the body’s natural regrowth process.
Hollywood Spectra laser is a relatively new technology that uses a laser to target melanin in the hair and break down the pigment of the hair. The results are much longer lasting from 2- 4 months after which you may be required to get another booster session done.
Natural Ways for Bleaching Body Hair
Over the years, people have found answers to how to bleach body hair naturally, as they sought to shift from available bleaching products, harmful chemicals, and skin sensitivity, all of which have played a major role in this trend. Here are some of the best methods you can try yourself—some leave a pleasant fragrance, while others are simply more effective.
1. Lemon Juice with Conditioner
Use lemon juice but with a conditioner which will act as a carrier agent for the citric acid in lemon juice. Citric acid directly on your skin can do more damage than good, so it is always safe to practise before you are sorry.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
You can also use apple cider vinegar which is also incredibly acidic in nature. Its acidity comes forms its acidic components which goes by acetic acid and malic acid which are two very powerful acids, which are also responsible for giving apple cider vinegar its strong tangy smell. Combining one part apple cider vinegar with 6 parts of water will help you achieve your bleaching agent which you can then apply to your hair and leave it on for the next 30 minutes. After some time you might feel your hair colour is toned down a bit.
3. Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide Paste
Now why is mixing baking soda with hydrogen peroxide more efficient than using hydrogen peroxide as is? Because it enhances the efficiency of hair lightening where the reaction catalyses the process by opening hair cuticles and breaking down the hair pigment.
4. Honey, Cinnamon, and Olive Oil Mixture
Here is a quick look at this recipe:
- 1/4 cup of raw honey
- 1/2 cup of distilled water
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon,
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
When you mix all these ingredients together, you get the golden recipe for a narual bleach but this is only possible granted that you leave it on for a longer period of time. Both cinnamon and honey contain peroxides that activate the lightening effect by penetrating hair cuticles and targeting the melanin of the hair.
As glorious as bleaching creams may appear to be, using them over time can do more harm, not just to your hair but skin as well as it does it any good. These harms especially include skin sensitivity, dryness and itching. And these are only the milder side-effects.
In some cases you may also experience chemical burns and redness, and if you accidentally use it around sensitive areas of your body like near the eyes, nose and mouth, you may need quite a long time to recover from it. And not to mention the fact that when you stand in the sun and the bleached hair glistens, the hair becomes further prominent.
Safer and More Effective Alternative - IPL Hair Removal Devices
A safer hair removal method compared to bleaching is Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment which targets hair follicles and destroys them. This eventually weakens the root over time and you begin to notice either little next to no hair growth in the area or incredibly weak growth.
Usually, when somebody opts for a hair removal solution, they’d rather that the results last much longer than they actually do. IPL in this regard seldom ever disappoints because it allows you one of those rare long-lasting results you are looking for.
It uses a broad-spectrum light to target hair follicles because of which you notice a near-permanent solution to hair removal. A few series of IPL sessions later. your hair growth is significantly reduced or even stopped in some cases, so you don’t have to perform as many touch-ups as required for any other hair removal method.
Bleaching, on the other hand, is more of a hair-lightening solution than a hair removal one, that lightens the hair but it remains intact no matter what and despite that the results only last 2-6 weeks to maintain the lighter appearance, making it a more time-consuming and ongoing solution compared to IPL.
Switching over from natural remedies to something a bit more expensive will always be a difficult choice to make. But if you’re looking to shift to an actual hair removal method, you can try using the Ulike Air 10; a reliable and effective IPL device which will also turn out to be so much cheaper in the long run.
You just can’t go wrong with the Air 10 IPL device with its high precision, sapphire cooling technology, and flexibility, giving you a relaxing, comfortable and effective hair removal experience at home.
Bottomline
Bleaching has long been considered a quick and easy solution to the body and facial hair problem, especially for women but it wouldn’t be fair to call it a true hair removal method. Yes, your hair will lighten up for a few weeks before the effect starts wearing off and you have to end up doing retouches after retouches, putting all those chemicals on your skin and ultimately causing it to become ever so sensitive. And while laser bleaching is a safer option, it doesn't make sense to go through it when you can just get laser hair removal done at the same cost.
At the end of it all, what you choose to do with your body hair is your choice. And if you are looking for something effective, comfortable, and long-lasting, you may want to consider IPL as a solution to your problem. These devices offer a safer, professional-grade option, and are less time-consuming if you draw a comparison with the natural bleaching remedies. And if you value quality Ulike is indefinitely a very safe option to go doe.
