Sustainable Hair Removal?
- Thread starter Leta
- Start date
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
My box says 2 mm, which would be about an 1/8 of an inch , i think
typos
typos
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
I got most of this right.ORChick said:I use a 4 pronged approach to the problem - though I don't know how practical my solutions would be for others
#1 - Choose your ancestry with great care - I am light skinned and fair haired - even when the hair on my legs is long it is hardly visible, and I can't imagine ever finding it necessary to pluck my eyebrows
#2 - Change your point of view - I came to adulthood in the 1960's in California, and then lived in Europe for 3 years - somehow body hair just doesn't seem like a major problem to me
#3 - Marry a European - DH thinks that body hair is even less of a problem than I do, and actually thinks American women are sort of silly for making an issue out of removing it - I shave my armpits when the hair gets too long even for my sensibilities (maybe every couple of weeks in the summer - but I don't wear sleeveless shirts anymore, and rarely go swimming), but he wouldn't notice if I didn't
#4 - Encourage your hubby to grow a beard - I didn't have to encourage, mine has always had one, since before I met him. He uses an electric beard trimmer to keep it neat, and I have found - with my fair, light hair - that that also works very well on my legs in the summer - set to the closest cut it still leaves a very short stubble, but it is very fine, and non itchy, and basically (on me) invisible (and something I do, at most, every 2-3 weeks); there is also no danger of getting nicked - in Winter I always wear long skirts or pants, and so never bother.
1- Hereditary blonde and with fine blond body hair unless I mess with it much. If I shave much it gets darker and coarser. So I barely ever shave in winter, then I can go 1-2 weeks in summer before it's long enough to worry about. Brows are pale, so I leave 'em be.
2- I think of the pale, fine peach fuzz as just another body feature. I still shave underarms more often in summer or pluck/wax any facial hair that get's noticeable.
3- Hubby is very furry so I always look bare next to his body hair. He also doesn't care about it unless it was really obvious. We went through a hippie stage when younger, and I'm way less hairy than we saw then- so mine doesn't count.
4- He has one. A neat beard is way better than his fast growing stubble.
I would like to try the sugaring, since nicking myself gets old real fast. Can somebody post the instructions/recipe? I waxed before but those kits are expensive.
aggieterpkatie
Swiss Army Wife
I am seriously jealous of those of you who don't have to shave every day! I am 1/4 Lebanese, but I have my mom's fair skin tone, so I have to shave every single day or it is noticeable! In fact, I can shave my legs in the morning and when I wake up the next mroning they're already stubbly! 
And laser is a waste of money! I spent $400 of my hard earned money to get laser done in a small area. It was painful and I had multiple treatments....at least 10 times, and then the doctor decided to return the laser machine they were leasing. It may have slowed down the hair growth just a little, but it was supposed to be permanent and it definitely was not! 
And laser is a waste of money! I spent $400 of my hard earned money to get laser done in a small area. It was painful and I had multiple treatments....at least 10 times, and then the doctor decided to return the laser machine they were leasing.
It may have slowed down the hair growth just a little, but it was supposed to be permanent and it definitely was not!
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
aggieterpkatie said:I am seriously jealous of those of you who don't have to shave every day! I am 1/4 Lebanese, but I have my mom's fair skin tone, so I have to shave every single day or it is noticeable! In fact, I can shave my legs in the morning and when I wake up the next mroning they're already stubbly!
And laser is a waste of money! I spent $400 of my hard earned money to get laser done in a small area. It was painful and I had multiple treatments....at least 10 times, and then the doctor decided to return the laser machine they were leasing.
Wish I could help.
abifae
Abinormal Butterfly
Well, if I'm related to my mom, I'm a wee bit Hungarian. If I'm related to another of my dad's girlfriends, I'm probably part Russian or German. LOL. So dunno from whom, but I have a lotta dark hair (at least it's all very soft) and very fair skin. Much vitamin D later, it's starting to learn to get nicely golden in the sun. Not tanned, just not pasty.
- Thread starter
- #28
Leta
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
- Messages
- 401
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 68
Thanks so much lwheeler! This was exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Is there a particular kind of safety razor or brand of blades that you like to use?
gettinaclue, yes, I think sugaring is far less painful than waxing, and I think it's much, much easier to do to yourself. Leg waxing made me wince, bikini waxing made me cry. On the other hand, leg sugaring is nothing at all, and bikini sugaring makes me wince. I don't have great luck with 1/8" hair, I always waited until it was about 1/4". Then it worked quite well, and was able to pluck any strays- unlike my eyebrows, leg hairs are coarse enough to grasp.
My mom is coming to visit, and I am going to force her into trying threading with me. We'll see how that goes...
gettinaclue, yes, I think sugaring is far less painful than waxing, and I think it's much, much easier to do to yourself. Leg waxing made me wince, bikini waxing made me cry. On the other hand, leg sugaring is nothing at all, and bikini sugaring makes me wince. I don't have great luck with 1/8" hair, I always waited until it was about 1/4". Then it worked quite well, and was able to pluck any strays- unlike my eyebrows, leg hairs are coarse enough to grasp.
My mom is coming to visit, and I am going to force her into trying threading with me. We'll see how that goes...
- Thread starter
- #29
Leta
Lovin' The Homestead
- Joined
- May 19, 2011
- Messages
- 401
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 68
Yeah, I forgot to mention, I did the home sugaring for the first time last night and things went swimmingly. I cut up an old, holey, cotton pillowcase for strips, and they worked fine. This is cheeeaaap.
If I could only learn to do it to my underarms... if I manage to get good at that and skilled at threading, I'd never have to buy razors -for me- ever again.
I mean, geez, sugar, water and acid, and 12-18" of cotton thread versus $10 for a package of razor cartridges? No contest. Even if the package of cartridges lasted me a year, I'd still come out way ahead using these other methods.
Underarms are really difficult, though. DH is useless for helping at stuff like this... maybe I should just wait until DD is a little older... I need that third hand for holding skin taut.
If I could only learn to do it to my underarms... if I manage to get good at that and skilled at threading, I'd never have to buy razors -for me- ever again.
I mean, geez, sugar, water and acid, and 12-18" of cotton thread versus $10 for a package of razor cartridges? No contest. Even if the package of cartridges lasted me a year, I'd still come out way ahead using these other methods.
Underarms are really difficult, though. DH is useless for helping at stuff like this... maybe I should just wait until DD is a little older... I need that third hand for holding skin taut.
Icu4dzs
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- May 7, 2010
- Messages
- 1,388
- Reaction score
- 59
- Points
- 208
Shaving is kind of an art...which I gave up when I retired from the Navy.
There are a few YouTube videos on how to stretch the life of a razor like those fancy multiblade ones they sell in Walmarts and places. The bottom line there is to get it really good and clean by using your finger over the spigot to get a high pressure stream and clean out all the hair and soap from between those blades. After it is clean and dry you apply the blade to your arm and push it up the grain of the skin, not the other way (which is the cutting way) What this does is strop the very fine edge of the blade and uncurl it so you are using a fresh sharp blade each time.
I think the YouTube video is how to get more life from a razor.
The other thing that would help is soap and how you apply it.
Hair will soften with good hot soap. It makes the blade cut better and with less strain on the edge. If you get a really good boar bristle shaving brush and just plain old Ivory soap, you will get a wonderful shave. Use the hottest water you can to rinse the skin, then whip up a good hot lather with the brush and then give the razor a chance to do it's job.
Getting the razor to last a long time is NOT difficult if you get it clean and dry and strop it after every use.
I used to make those blades last 6 months or more that way.
There is another option. The trimmers they make now for fine "sculpting" of the hair (guys use them for trimming beards and black guys like them for fancy hair cuts.) They cut really close now and they won't cut you. The corded one I bought works the best and it works even better if the hair is nice a dry. I forget the brand but will look when I get back to the house. It works really well and can get "in the tiniest places without fear of a cut".
//BT//
Trim sends
There are a few YouTube videos on how to stretch the life of a razor like those fancy multiblade ones they sell in Walmarts and places. The bottom line there is to get it really good and clean by using your finger over the spigot to get a high pressure stream and clean out all the hair and soap from between those blades. After it is clean and dry you apply the blade to your arm and push it up the grain of the skin, not the other way (which is the cutting way) What this does is strop the very fine edge of the blade and uncurl it so you are using a fresh sharp blade each time.
I think the YouTube video is how to get more life from a razor.
The other thing that would help is soap and how you apply it.
Hair will soften with good hot soap. It makes the blade cut better and with less strain on the edge. If you get a really good boar bristle shaving brush and just plain old Ivory soap, you will get a wonderful shave. Use the hottest water you can to rinse the skin, then whip up a good hot lather with the brush and then give the razor a chance to do it's job.
Getting the razor to last a long time is NOT difficult if you get it clean and dry and strop it after every use.
I used to make those blades last 6 months or more that way.
There is another option. The trimmers they make now for fine "sculpting" of the hair (guys use them for trimming beards and black guys like them for fancy hair cuts.) They cut really close now and they won't cut you. The corded one I bought works the best and it works even better if the hair is nice a dry. I forget the brand but will look when I get back to the house. It works really well and can get "in the tiniest places without fear of a cut".
//BT//
Trim sends
