STYLE@LXG: A hairy matter

Okay girlfriends let’s be honest: Hair. If it’s not on your head, eyebrows or eyelashes – is not acceptable. Period.

Unwanted hair could ruin that perfect dress, which in turn ruins what could have been a perfect night! Nothing is more alluring than a confident woman, who knows her skin is smooth and silky.At the same time, nothing is more off putting than hair legs clad in a mini skirt --- eeek!

While there are many ways to go about removing unwanted hair, I personally prefer epilating. Shaving only removes the hairs above the skin, leaving the roots in the follicle. Waxing, while it does remove all the hairs from the roots, can get pretty expensive. 

This brings us to epilation. This tried and tested method removes the hairs from the roots and provides lasting smoothness at a fraction of the price of waxing. I can safely proclaim that this is the most value-for-money option I have yet to come across. 

Most of us keep away from epilation because it is perceived to be painful and not as effective as waxing. Girlfriends, let me tell you, this only happens to people who use cheapo epilators and lets face it, beauty comes with its own share of pain. 

I’ve put together some reasons on why epilating is the way to go for getting the best results. Thanks to the people at Braun for providing some of the information: 

·        Epilation provides lasting smoothness: With epilation, you get smooth skin that lasts up to 4 weeks. That’s because removing hair from the root means that hair takes longer to grow back than removal with surface methods like shaving and creams. ·  

·         Epilation is great for sensitive skin: Epilating in the bath is the new hair removal solution for modern women everywhere. It is ideally suited for sensitive skin and those new to epilating. As the tweezers on an epilation head do not pull the skin directly when removing hair, there is minimal effect on the skin.

·         Epilation helps hair grow back less noticeably: As hairs are removed at the root, hairs grow back with softer, narrower tips than hairs removed with a razor, so they feel softer and finer to the touch. Second, as hair grows back at different speeds depending on the phase of the hair growth cycle they are in, there is also less hair to be removed after the first few sessions.

·         Epilation can be more efficient than waxing: While both epilation and waxing remove hairs from the root, waxing can press hairs flat against the skin, making them harder to lift and remove.

We are giving away TWO Braun Epilators this month!

Want to take part? then simply:
1. Tell us why you want to win (on this blog and on our FB page)
2. Like this post and our FB page (we like LIKES)
3. Share this post. The more you share, the better your chances.

GOOD LUCK!

LADY@LXG: The Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa experience

My new obsession..

After many years of epilating my nether regions and under arms, my poor epilator bid this world adieu and died on me mid epilation (yes you read right, it died in the midst of epilating me, so my hairs were still stuck in the mechanism). After wrenching it off my hairs, I was in quite a tizzy about which epilator I should get to replace old faithful.

Thankfully I didn’t have to think too long as Braun were kind enough to send me their Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa. This little beauty is the female equivalent to the Braun CoolTec shaver. Not only is it an epilator, it is also an exfoliator, can be used both wet and dry and even has a detachable electrical shaver head and trimmer (how much more awesome can this little gadget get?)

Ok so I test drove each of the attachments, and here are my views:

SkinSpa’s epilator head: 

My favourite part about this section is that it comes with a very handy (can’t believe I ever epilated without it in the past?!) little Smartlight. Basically, as soon as you switch the epilator on, a little light pops on and literally illuminates every single hair, making it so easy to ensure that you get a perfectly smooth finish. 

I used it both in and out of water and it works. If you are an epilator virgin, please note that it hurts, like waxing does, cos epilating is essentially removing the hair at the root. The advantage of this method is that you will remain hair free longer (think 1-2 weeks) and newer hairs (after prolonged use) are usually finer. 

I have very fine hairs on my arms and legs which my usual epilator could never reach, but this little beauty did. Although it didn’t remove 100% of my fine hairs, it gave me a very clean finish when I epilated my bikini area and boy did that Smartlight come in handy there!

SkinSpa’s exfoliation brush:

I am so into exfoliating. I have numerous body scrubs, loofahs and natural fiber body brushes, so I was super thrilled to give the exfoliating brush a go. At the end of the day, just like in the case of our face, there is really no point investing a fortune on your skin care if your skin is coated in dead cells, which is why exfoliation is a daily must-do!

I must say, that I love this feature cos none of my exfoliators do the job for me, I usually have to put some effort into manually scrubbing myself, but this cute little things swirls away by itself and my skin looks all glowing and soft after! 

Skin Spa's Shaving head and trimmer:

Have you ever made the mistake of shaving your bikini area cos you were just too lazy or tied for time to get it waxed? Did you them itch your skin off a few days later when the hair started to grow out? Well I did. My advice, don’t EVER shave your nether regions, the grow back is torture!

Well anyway, I was a bit concerned about putting myself through that torture again, but heck, I had already epilated my leg and arm, hair off so I didn’t have that many options. The shaver is great. Its fast, very gentle (especially around the delicate bits) and the best part?? There is absolutely NO itching when the hair grows back. I am so impressed. I don’t know why this is the case, but I don’t care, I am just so thankful I wont have to rip my skin off itching again.

I love the fact that this is cordless cos my old one wasn’t. Its beautifully designed, ergonomic and a joy to hold and use. If I had to choose just ONE feature, what would it be? I love them all, but If I was forced at gun point, I would choose the Smartlight, cos it really illuminates the area and makes epilating so much more efficient.

The Braun Silk-épil 7 SkinSpa retails at $219 and will be available at all major electrical chain stores, departmental stores, selected hypermarkets and independent electrical stores. 

Join Braun on facebook for more promotions and giveaways :  www.facebook.com/braunsingapore

Stay tuned because I will be giving away this little beauty to ONE lucky winner in January!

LADY@LXG: HAIR BE GONE - SOPRANO PART 5

I know that many of you have been wondering what happened to my underarm hair after my last session with Dr. Pang. Well, I wanted to wait a few months to see if my hair grew back before I wrote my review, so here goes:

To understand how our hair grows, its important to have a quick biology lesson. Hair growth has three distinct phases: anagen, catagen and telogen. Each phase has specific characteristics that determine the length of the hair and all three phases occur simultaneously. Therefore, one strand of hair may be in the anagen phase, while another is in the telogen phase.

Because I had been epilating my underarm hair for several years, five session, done over a period of five months, was not enough to catch the hairs in the catagen and telogen phases (see, the quick biology lesson was helpful wasn’t it?) My advice, if you are looking at having your hair permanently removed - go for it, its totally worth the money, but opt for 6-8 sessions, which should catch your hair in whatever growth phase its in.

Although my hair has grown back, its much less than it was before and I can still get away with shaving about twice a month. 

For more information about the procedure, check out my first post where I get a bit technical, explaining how laser hair removal and IPL differ.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Aaron Pang at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic, #B1-10, Marina Square. 6 Raffles Boulevard, S039594. Tel: 63363128. http://stchapelleclinic.com/

 

LADY@LXG: HAIR BE GONE - SOPRANO PART 4

I had my fourth session of Soprano this August and although I only had to shave once during that month, I noticed that I had a few fine hairs growing in the area. 

I figured this was because since I have been epilating (for those of your who are not aware what epilating is, its similar to waxing, in that it rips the hair off at the root - the difference is that instead of using a wax or sugar paste, I use a handy little gadget that does the deed for me. Fuss-free but as painful as waxing and with the definite risk of ingrown hairs) which is why I am so thrilled to be able to have hair-free armpits thanks to Dr. Pang! 

When I spoke to Dr Pang about it, he confirmed that the new, albeit fine and sparse growth was due to the fact that because I used to epilate, not all the hairs re-grew at the same time which is why the laser was unable to kill them, so fingers crossed that after my fifth and final session this coming week, I will truly be permanently hair-free in my under-arm area.

The procedure was very fast, around 10-minutes or less and completely painless. Because Dr. Pang increased the intensity (he usually does this as the patient progresses in the treatment) I felt more heat, but it was not painful - uncomfortable, but bearable. If it gets too hot, all you need to do is let Dr. Pang know and he will stop, apply more cooling gel and reduce the intensity, easy as pie. 

After each session the nurses will clean the gel and apply a gentle moisturizer to the area and you are ready to go. There is no down-time, no pain, no mess, its simple and you can have it done during your coffee break or lunch hour and no one would be the wiser :) 

I seriously love this machine - as you can see the results after just one session - and it is pain-free, fuss-free, and best of all - permanent! I really do hope that the fifth session next week can kill off the remaining hair follicles so my under arms can look flawless and hair-free!

For more information about the procedure, check out my first post where I get a bit technical, explaining how laser hair removal and IPL differ. 

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Aaron Pang at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic, #B1-10, Marina Square. 6 Raffles Boulevard, S039594. Tel: 63363128. http://stchapelleclinic.com/

LADY@LXG: Hair Be Gone - Soprano Part 3!

A big hello! For those of you following my quest for hairless underarms, you will be happy to know that I had my third session of Soprano in July! 

And just like I raved to Dr. Pang, I was thrilled as I only had to shave once that entire month, and this is only because since I used to epilate (even though I stopped a few weeks prior to my first session) I had a few very fine, almost invisible, baby hairs growing, so Dr. Pang, increased the intensity of the machine and zapped them all away! 

I seriously love this machine! Its fast, painless and fuss-free and at the end of just five sessions, I will walk away not ever having to worry about having to shave again. Its such a relief to be able to just don on a sleeveless top without ever having to worry if I need to shave or epilate. 

The procedure is very fast, only around 10-minutes or less and completely painless. Just expect to feel some mild heat in the treated area. Remember to stop waxing or epilating about a month prior to your treatment as the laser needs to kill the hair at the root (hence the sprouting of baby hairs for me) and shave before you go, but if your shave isn’t close enough, the nurses will give you a brief dry shave so don’t worry, they will then apply some cooling gel and the doctor will begin the treatment.

Dr. Pang is really helpful, so if you have any concerns or would like more information, feel free to talk to him.

 

For more information about the procedure, check out my first post where I get a bit scientific, explaining how laser hair removal and IPL differ.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Aaron Pang at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic, #B1-10, Marina Square. 6 Raffles Boulevard, S039594. Tel: 63363128. http://stchapelleclinic.com/

My next session is coming up during the first week of August so stay tuned for more updates!

LADY@LXG: Hair Be Gone!!!

Hair, hair everywhere, except where I would rather have it be...

There is nothing more off-putting than a hairy woman. As sexist as it may sound, I do believe that if a woman wants to wear short skirts and sleeveless tops, she should ensure that she is hair-free in those areas, simply for hygienic, if not aesthetic reasons. 

I usually resort to shaving and epilating my underarms, but I wanted to find a permanent solution for my unwanted hair. I really didn’t like how my underarms looked darker after shaving and how I couldn’t apply deodorant directly after, and that’s how I came across SopranoXL. 

  

 SopranoXL is completely painless and safe for even those with tanned or darker skin tones, unlike IPL which can cause burns. This is because IPL devices emit non‑coherent polychromatic light and although the wavelength can be adjusted with filters, the spectrum is too broad and they don’t offer sufficient precision. While laser hair removal on the other hand uses “selective photothermolysis” through a device that makes light converge into a narrow beam with a single wavelength - making it more stable, measured and focussed. 

Here’s some basic science to explain how they both work to kill unwanted hair: lasers and IPL use photoepilation to kill unwanted hair follicles by converting light rays to heat in order to “burn” the hair follicle without injuring the skin. The rays target the melanin that pigments the hair. Unlike those of us with fair skin, those with darker skin contain melanin in both their hair and skin -  this means, darker skinned folk require high‑precision devices that can distinguish between melanin in the hair and melanin in the skin, or they could get burned.

For this experiment, I will be having five sessions of Soprano at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic with Aesthetic Doctor Aaron Pang, to see if all the hype about this machine is well deserved. I had my first session on the 14^th of May and two weeks later, my underarm hair growth has reduced tremendously. I only have to shave once a week and it remains perfectly hair-free for the whole week or more. 

If you are interested in ridding your hair from problem areas, seven sessions of SopranoXL for the underarms at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic is priced at $2300 (before GST), although the doctor usually recommends an eighth complimentary touch-up session to ensure permanent hairless-ness.

I will be undergoing a session every month from May till September 2013 and will post an update after each session to give you an idea on what to expect, how it feels and if its worth the investment. Today’s post is a bit wordy and scientific, only because I want you to understand why I chose SopranoXL over the more common and much cheaper IPL and why you should perhaps consider doing so too. In my next post, I will take you through the procedure and give you tips on what you should and should not do before the procedure.

For more information, contact Dr. Pang or his very helpful staff at The Sainte Chapelle Clinic, #B1-10, Marina Square. 6 Raffles Boulevard, S039594. Tel: 63363128. http://stchapelleclinic.com/