Hair Removal for Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, no matter where it is on the body, you need to be careful with how you treat it. Choosing a hair removal method can be a case of finding the method that is least likely to cause a reaction. Here’s what you need to consider…

Shaving – this can irritate sensitive skin, so choosing a very mild shaving cream/foam is essential, and avoiding razors with moisturising strips can be a good idea. Some skins simply won’t tolerate shaving.

Hair Removal Creams – although there are sensitive skin formulations available, if you have especially sensitive skin, it might be an idea to avoid using chemical hair removal methods.

Waxing – depending on how sensitive your skin is, waxing may be perfectly fine, or it may be a complete no go. Hot wax might be too much to take, but whatever you decide, you should always test the wax on a small patch of skin 24 hours before trying it.

Sugaring – the ingredients in the paste/gel can be irritating to sensitive skins, especially the more acidic recipes, and the abrasiveness of the sugar might be particularly painful. Sensitive skins should generally avoid this method as it doesn’t offer any real advantages over waxing and could cause more problems.

Epilation – epilators are a mechanical method of removing the hair, so there shouldn’t be any reactions the same way that putting a product on the skin can cause. The action of pulling out the hairs can be more painful if you have sensitive skin, however.

IPL – as this uses light to affect the hair follicle, there shouldn’t be an issue with skin sensitivity in a chemical sense, but a patch test prior to treatment should be conducted to ensure the skin isn’t sensitive to light either.

Laser Hair Removal – as with IPL, laser hair removal uses light energy and so wouldn’t trigger chemical sensitivities. Again, a patch test is necessary before starting, just to be safe.