|
Hair
removal by sugaring
Sugaring is an ancient method of hair removal first practiced
in the Middle East. The principle of sugaring is similar to that
of waxing. The sugar solution is heated to make a thick, tacky paste.
This is applied to the skin and hair to be removed. The sugar paste
is allowed to cool and then quickly stripped off in the direction
of the hair growth. The hairs are embedded in the sugar paste and
they get plucked out as the sugar is pulled away from the skin.
In the same way as for waxing, there is a modification to this technique
where the sugar paste is applied and then a piece of cloth is put
over the top. The sugar solidifies and binds to both the hair in
the skin and also the cloth. The cloth is pulled away pulling the
sugar and embedded hair with it.
When hairs are plucked out, the hair fibers usually break at just
above the hair follicle root, deep in the skin. Because of this,
the results from sugaring and other forms of plucking are longer
lasting than shaving or chemical depilatories. It usually takes
several weeks for new hair growth to become visible above the skin
surface.
The immediate down side to sugaring is the pain involved as the
sugar paste and hair fibers are ripped from the skin. There is also
a risk of developing ingrown hairs. As the hair fiber regenerates
after plucking it can curl around and dig into the skin at the side
of the hair follicle canal. This can cause focal irritation - ingrown
hair. Waxing can cause the longer term problem of skin irritation
and further exacerbate ingrown hairs. However, while sugaring works
in a similar way to waxing, it is claimed that the sugar paste approach
is less irritating to the skin compared to the wax/resin compounds
of commercial products.
For sugaring to work the hair fibers have to have some length for
them to become properly embedded in the sugar paste. So before the
next sugaring procedure can be performed, the hair must be allowed
to regrow.
Make
your own sugaring solution for hair removal
There are sugaring products available from various commercial
sources. Although you might be hard pressed to find them in your
local pharmacy, there are several vendors selling sugar paste products
for hair removal on the Internet. However, you can also make your
own and it is quite simple to do.
To make the sugar paste, mix 2 cups of sugar, a quarter cup of
lemon (or lime) juice, and a quarter cup of water together in a
pan. Heat up the mixture on low using a candy thermometer. Watch
the mixture very carefully so that it doesn't boil over. Heat the
mixture to 250 F on the candy thermometer for 10 minutes stirring
constantly to avoid burning. Let simmer for 5 minutes until it goes
thick and a deep amber color, this is the equivalent of the hardball
candy stage.
Now remove the mixture from the stove and let it cool so that it
will not burn to touch it. You can place the saucepan in a sink
filled with cold water to speed up cooling. You can either use the
mixture now or pour it into a jar to keep. Make sure the jar is
safe for whatever form of reheating you plan to do later. If you
keep it for later you can reheat the mixture in a microwave to soften
it up or put it in a pan of water to heat (take the lid off the
jar before heating and make sure the mixture does not get too hot).
To use the mixture, test the temperature on the palm of your hand,
remembering that the skin of your hand is much tougher than the
sensitive skin under your arms or on your upper thighs. This is
important as sugar paste can get very hot - much hotter than water
alone and you can burn yourself if you are not careful.
Powder the skin from which you want to remove the hair with a little
baby powder first. Then spread the warm paste in the direction of
hair growth over the area to be treated using a small, plastic spatula.
Going with the hair growth allows the sugar paste to grip the hair
better. Cover the paste with cloth strips, let set for a few minutes,
and then rip off quickly in the direction of the hair growth. As
hair grows in many different directions, it may be necessary to
repeat the same area. A slight reddening of the skin may occur,
but it should be gone within an hour.
Hair
removal by sugaring references
- Tannir D, Leshin B. Sugaring: an ancient method
of hair removal. Dermatol Surg. 2001 Mar;27(3):309-11.
|
