Beyonce and Gaga's Hair Removal Secret

There's no denying that Beyonce and Lady Gaga have the hottest legs in music today. Sorry Tina and Cher, but there are new divas in town. Just rewind Beyonce and Gaga's 'Telephone' video when you have a chance and you'll see what we're talking about. And it just so happens that they both credit // or at least both endorse // the same product - the No! No! Hair remover. This little gadget eliminates hair by utilizing heat generated from thermodynamic wires. Basically it relies on the heating techniques of electrolysis and laser hair removal // transferring heat from the hand-held device to the hair follicle, damaging it. As soon as the hair has been heated by the 'hot blades,' which are thermal 'razors', it separates from the shaft and becomes bristly. You can then easily buff it away. Now the hair removal process can be a little painful, and you'll get big 'no' 'no' to using it on your face or breasts, according to the device's manufactures. But, unlike home laser hair removal devices, the $250 No!No! is safe for BOTH light and dark skin tones.

Here's another popular misconception // Shaving your underarm hair leaves you with darker armpit skin. The pigment in your skin is in no way affected by shaving. But, since you're cutting the hair at skin level, the slight stubble can make the skin APPEAR darker. It's also not true that laser hair removal can permanently damage your skin. In fact, the laser penetrates only one to four millimeters deep into the skin, which isn't enough to do much harm. Sure it may hurt, but it's no worse than a mild sunburn. And that leads us to our last hair removal myth // A single laser treatment permanently removes hair. First lasers can't permanently remove hair, but they CAN permanently reduce growth. And secondly, it takes between four to seven sessions to have around an 80 percent overall body hair removal success rate.

IPL hair removal. Laser hair removal. They're the same thing, right? Wrong. On one hand, laser hair removal is all about precision - targeting hair follicles while NOT heating the surrounding skin, while IPL - which stands for intense pulsed light - is all about hitting the greatest surface area in the shortest amount of time. With IPL, high intensity flashes of light from a specially designed xenon flash lamp quickly wash over BOTH the hair AND skin being treated. The rapid discharge of the lamp's capacitors does the trick -- damaging, and eventually killing the hair, and, in most cases, only slightly injuring the skin. Another important thing to remember is that both procedures are based on targeting dark pigmented hair, meaning neither works well on light colored hair or peach fuzz.

But why go for threading as opposed to tweezing? Well, with threading you can remove a whole row of hair at once, giving you a nice, straight line. And, unlike waxing, you're ONLY removing hair. Sure, threading's great for shaping small patches of hair, like your eyebrows or removing stragglers from your upper lip, but if you're looking to remove a large amount of hair from, say, your cheeks or hands, it can be painful. Because remember, you're not only pulling hair from the root, you're also pulling a good amount out at once. And if you happen to have extremely sensitive skin, or use certain acne medications, threading's your best bet. Threading won't give you the redness or sore feeling of waxing or something more sever, like laser hair removal. Not to mention, it's one of the most, sanitary ways to remove pesky little hairs, since no chemicals are involved and the skin is never broken.

But why go for threading as opposed to tweezing? Well, with threading you can remove a whole row of hair at once, giving you a nice, straight line. And, unlike waxing, you're ONLY removing hair. Sure, threading's great for shaping small patches of hair, like your eyebrows or removing stragglers from your upper lip, but if you're looking to remove a large amount of hair from, say, your cheeks or hands, it can be painful. Because remember, you're not only pulling hair from the root, you're also pulling a good amount out at once. And if you happen to have extremely sensitive skin, or use certain acne medications, threading's your best bet. Threading won't give you the redness or sore feeling of waxing or something more sever, like laser hair removal. Not to mention, it's one of the most, sanitary ways to remove pesky little hairs, since no chemicals are involved and the skin is never broken.

Not handy with a pair of tweezers? Here's how it works. To tweeze, grip the hair close to the root and pull gently, yet firmly IN the direction of growth. You'll feel a slight stinging or pricking sensation as soon as the hair is pulled and red bumps may appear around the swollen follicle, but those will disappear in about half an hour. Afterwards, wipe the area down with an antibacterial soap.

Tweezing is great for eyebrows, or those strays that pop up around your chin and I'm going there -- the bikini line. But how do you know if you're doing it right? Never fear, these tips will help. Stretch the skin taut, ESPECIALLY near the sensitive areas like the eye and bikini line. This will help you get a better grip on the hair AND reduce the pain. If you're tweezing at home, prep yourself by ensuring you have good even light and consider taking a shower beforehand, since it's easier to remove the hair when your pores are open.

If you're going to a professional, be sure they're accredited and working with sanitized tools. Even the slightest bit of bacteria can cause an infection when it hits broken skin. For gals, if you're nearing your period, think twice before tweezing, since skin gets more sensitive the first three days before your period and the first three days of your period. Be careful not to yank the hair, because then it will break and you'll have an ingrown hair on your hands. That's when the hair typically curls back or grows sideways into the skin, often causing an infection. And in case you were considering tweezing your nose hairs or those growing from moles , don't do it. These areas are highly susceptible to infections. To learn more about hair removal procedures and techniques, check out other videos in this series.

Waxing does have its drawbacks though -- like ingrown hairs. See, removing the hair against the direction of growth disturbs the follicles, sometimes causing hair to grow back in different directions or even curl into the skin as an ingrown hair. There's also the chance of tearing and minor bleeding. But that usually occurs when waxing areas with thick hair for the first few times, when the follicles are strongest.

As for aftercare, you'll want to keep exfoliating to avoid ingrown hairs. And cut out other pore clogging activities like workout sessions -- ie sweating -- as well as tanning for at least 2-3 days. While waxing is great for lots of places, there are some places wax does not belong: extremely sensitive areas like your eyelashes and eyelids. And always discuss any medical conditions you may have with the waxing professional. To learn more about hair removal procedures and techniques, check out other videos in this series.

Even though depilatories most often come in cream form, they're also available in gels, lotions, aerosol, roll-ons, and powders . So that means directions are going to differ for each. But the first step is ALWAYS the same - clean your skin. To start, coat the area evenly and wait until the directed time is up -- usually 5 to 10 minutes. Just steer clear of applying the cream over cuts or inflamed skin, as well near the upper cheeks, eyebrows and eyes. The chemicals, even when diluted, can cause a burning sensation in these sensitive areas. When time's up, grab a wet, warm washcloth and smooth it along the area in a downward motion. The extra pressure will help break away more hairs. And there you have it, you're hair free.

Because the alkali chemicals used can cause skin irritation, abrasive soaps and deodorants are OFF LIMITS for at least 12 hours. There are a number of advantages to using hair removal creams // from convenience to targeting difficult to shave areas - think bikini line. They'll also work on your arms, legs, chest, back, and face. The results last a LITTLE longer than shaving, but NOT as long as waxing, since the cream ISN'T killing the root. The good news is your hair WILL grow back softer and thinner than before. Just bear in mind the chemicals aren't strong enough for coarse, thick hair. Some unpleasant side effects include rashes and partially dissolved hair. And, for those with dark hair, you might wind up with a visible shadow under the skin since the hair HASN'T been completely removed.