You've put the sweaters away and pulled out the shorts and tank tops. But with the change of clothing, you may be wanting to remove more body hair. Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic, says there are three relatively safe and common ways to remove unwanted hair.
"One is very easy, it's shaving. It's the one that people do most of the time. You can do it yourself, it's quick, it's easy, it's really safe. You can do the chemical depilatories. Those are the ones you put on, you leave on for 5-minutes and it kind of dissolves the hair and then the hair is gone. The third way is waxing," she explained.
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Waxing, where the hair is pulled out by the root, keeps hair away a little longer but it can be messy and painful. Removing hair with wax is ideal for small areas, like your face. For best results, Ppiliang says to avoid exfoliation before you wax.
"If you're going to remove facial hair, you should be off Alpha Hydroxy Acids, topical retinoids, because those remove the outer layer of the skin, make you more prone to irritation when they rip that wax off," she said.
Shaving is appropriate for most body areas and tends to be least irritating to the skin, says Piliang. For the best shave, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends wetting the hair to soften it, applying a shaving cream or gel and then shaving in the direction that the hair grows.
You can also try a chemical depilatory cream which is usually painless and fast-acting. These products are applied over the hair and dissolve the hair shaft. They should not be applied over cuts or on sunburned skin. You'll want to pay attention to the label because certain creams are formulated specifically for certain parts of the body - and always follow the directions.
"Don't leave it on longer that it says because the longer you leave it on, the more likely you are to get irritation from the, from the chemicals," said Piliang.
Laser hair removal and electrolysis are more permanent options for hair removal but both require several visits to get rid of hair for good. They can also be painful.
Piliang recommends looking for a well-trained, reputable, physician-led office that does the procedure routinely.