DESIS ARE HAIRY BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE SCARY: A STORY OF TRIA OVER BODY HAIR by Meena Khan

I have been told that my hair is thick, lustrous and strong, and far be it for me to deny such kind words… except that these adjectives also apply to the hair that grows on the rest of my body.  My head of dark hair is matched by legs that look like they are covered with ants doing the can-can if I miss a day of shaving.

IT IS A BLONDE WORLD

I recall during high school hanging out with my friends and lamenting about body hair.  Specifically, we all agreed that shaving was annoying, and waxing was too expensive.  Inevitably, a girl with blonde hair would stick out her leg and declare that she was so embarrassed by the hair on her legs.  We would all lean in to inspect the hirsuteness, and all I could see were mini strands of barely-visible corn silk.  I would then look at my own freshly-shaven legs and see ants legs that were waiting just below the surface to pop through.

RAZORS RAISED AND THEN RAZED MY HOPES

The daily shave felt more like a Sisyphean sentence, as I whacked (truly there is no other verb) away the hairs, and for a window of eight hours I had smooth legs and armpits, before the regrowth cast its shadow.

As the razors became more sophisticated in the nineties I graduated from the single blade Daisys to the multiple-bladed Gillettes.  The multiple-bladed razors bought me more time between shaves but nothing relaxed the sting of regrowth.  It was so itchy that sometimes only a solid, gashing scratch would tame the irritation.  It was rather embarrassing when I was reduced to such scratching on my legs in the middle of class.

EARNING SOME MONEY AND GOING FOR THE WAX

With age came a summer job and some cash.  At that point I entertained the possibility that I could indeed afford waxing.  I  had absolutely no problem with growing my leg hairs to the requisite three-centimetre length for a good, proper yank.  However, no matter how much I willed myself, I could never do the same for my armpits because the idea of growing rats nests under my armpits grossed me out.  Every second day I whacked off the one millimetre regrowth, always knowing that like Hydra, the hairs would emerge again, and like Sisyphus I would whack away the hair, knowing that my multiple-bladed razor was no firebrand.

WAXING: THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS

Waxing was touted as the holy grail for hairy desi girls.  I was told that if I stuck with waxing that my hair would grow back thinner and eventually (the aestheticians never said after how many months) I would no longer have to wax on a monthly basis.

I jumped in with both hairy legs first and gritted my teeth as the hair was pulled from its roots.  It was a masochistic satisfaction to wax, because even though it hurt (particularly on the shins), for once I felt like I had the upper-hand over my body hair, until I didn’t.

The first two weeks after my waxing appointment were peaceful.  I could touch my legs at any point in the day, and there was no hair or foreboding ants legs!  The smoothness was glorious but the growing out period was arduous at best.

As with shaving, regrowth after waxing was an itchy affair, and worse I couldn’t seek relief with a quick whack job courtesy of a razor.  I had to wait the requisite three weeks until my leg hairs were long enough to be yanked from the root.  Inevitably those three weeks were fraught with tension as daily gym work-outs were a delicate balance between exertion and making sure that my legs didn’t show.  Further, capris were not an option as my legs were covered with ants that were performing the can-can.

After several waxing sessions I realised that the benefit presented by two weeks of hair-free legs was far outweighed by the annoyances that came in the form of regrowth.  I reverted back to the razor, and observed that my legs were as hairy as if I had never waxed, i.e. no bald patches on my legs.  Waxing was dwarfed by my desi  hairy legs.

THE DAWN OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AND LASERS

I began to hear about laser hair removal in the early 2000’s.  This nascent technology was off-limits to me because it only worked on the Snow Whites of the world, and was expensive.  Additionally, I had read horror stories of untrained technicians burning their victims because the laser was not tested properly.  Looking at the lasering landscape I decided to continue landscaping with my humble razor.

Thankfully, the technology improved and expanded to address the needs of non-Snow Whites, and prices were lowered, which lead to some of my desi girlfriends getting lasered.  They squirmed as they spoke of having to shave their faces, recounted with bated breath the pain of hot snaps covering endless centimetres of their body, and swooned with elation that came after six-to-eight laser sessions when they inspected their bodies and found only skin.

I yearned to revel in such hairlessness, and felt like a Luddite whenever I used my trusty, yet oh-so-twentieth century razor to whack my body hair.  I found the prices expensive but

Tria Hair Removal Laser Precision

Tria Hair Removal Laser Precision (Tria) caught my attention.

DESI BODY HAIR vs TRIA

My friends highlighted that it was annoying to make the trip to their respective aestheticians.  Between rushing from work or waking up early on weekends, fighting through traffic and then finding parking, the stress to get to the appointment was considerable.  As someone who is sensitive to time and gas prices I did not feel like leaving Montreal to get lasered by an off-island aesthetician whose prices were great but whose location sucked.

I wanted to laser at home, and Tria appeared to be the answer to my prayers.

I was nervous that I was too dark-skinned for Tria’s laser.  Even though lasering now includes many non-Snow Whites, the technology relies on a contrast between the hair follicle and skin.  The laser must hone in on the follicle therefore it must be darker than the skin to be spotted.  This means that darker-skinned desi women cannot yet partake in this technology.

The Tria box has a colour chart and I fell into the category of skin colour that could be lasered at home. Bingo!

This is my skin in tan mode. I am wearing a bit of make-up but I use a darker foundation in summer.

I embraced shaving my armpits but my face… not so much.  I reverted back to my single razor days and gently removed the tufts that had taken up residence on my chin.  The chin hairs are particularly thick and mean.  I truly hoped that the Tria was up to the task.

GETTING TO KNOW THE TRIA: WE ARE ALL FRIENDS HERE

Tria has a lock system which means that before you start to laser you must hold the Tria against the skin, and if your skin is a safe skin tone (i.e. one that falls into the selection on the box), it will unlock and permit you to set the level.  This exercise must be repeated every time you sit down to laser.

This is a snapshot of the chart on the box.

This is how the Tria looks when you put it against your skin and it must detect if your skin tone is safe

The enclosed instructions are clear, and I read every page, because I was putting a laser next to my skin, and I refused to take any chances.  You need to shave the treatment area, clean it, unlock the Tria, set your intensity and then place the laser on your skin.  You move the laser by millimetres after each beep so that you cover the area.  It will result in overlapping but that is okay.  This Tria is designed for the upper lip, underarms and bikini.

I cheated and I also used it on my chin but for the purposes of this blog,  I photographed only my left pit  because it would be humiliating to show the world my chin hair sprouting in all of its unfettered glory. Further, I deviated from the recommended bi-weekly treatments and actually lasered weekly because 1) I can only bear level 1 and the instructions indicate that the higher levels are 2-3 times more effective, and 2) I am desperate to eliminate my armpit and facial hair.

               MY LEFT PIT: A RECORD OF TRIA vs DESI BODY HAIR

Between June 24, 2014 to July 23, 2014, inclusive, photographed my left armpit in various states of hairiness.

June 24, 2014: My last day as a religious shaver, and first day as a lasered woman:

June 24, 2014: This is how my armpits looked when I shaved on every second day. The regrowth is noticeable and rough to the touch.

June 24, 2014: My life prior to Tria. I shaved my armpits diligently but there was still darkness and even though it felt smooth the hair is still a tad visible. The redness never stayed.

June 24, 2014: After shaving my armpit, and wiping away moisture, I lasered for the first time using level 1 intensity.  I noted that there was less darkness. The redness went away. 

June 27, 2014: I noted that my armpit hair was growing in a tad slower:

June 27, 2014: I noted that the level of regrowth after 3 days of not shaving matched how much regrowth I experienced when I shaved every second day. Clearly, Tria was showing my armpits who is the boss.

July 3, 2014: A daring experiment:

July 3, 2014: I decided to not shave for that week, and I noted that my armpits were not bushy at all! I definitely shaved on July 3, 2014!

July 8, 2014: I lasered on July 3, 2014 and let my armpit hair grow, and again I noted that the hair was looking a tad thinner:

July 8, 2014: The regrowth was definitely slower. I only lasered my armpits twice at this point.

July 12, 2014: My armpit hair regrowth was without a doubt slower, and there was less shadow:

July 12, 2014: The regrowth was slower and the dark shadow that I used to have diminished.  There are some bald spots in the centre of the armpit.

July 17, 2014: I stopped being obsessive about shaving my armpit hair every second day because there was simply not enough to shave… I was now waiting a few days between shaving sessions!

July 17, 2014: Freshly lasered armpit reveals diminished darkness, and some empty bald spots.

July 23, 2014: There is solid progress in regrowth levels as I can now go about 4-5 days without shaving.

July 23, 2014: This looks like my second day regrowth that I had on June 24, 2014.

CONCLUSIONS

1. After about two weeks I observed that I could shave after four days, instead of every second day, because the regrowth slowed down;

2. Before the Tria, the dark shadow under my armpits was more pronounced but over the weeks the shadow is less pronounced;

3. There are already small patches of baldness on my armpits after only 4 weeks, and I am supposed to follow the Tria treatments for three months – this bodes every well

4. My upper lip has improved vastly, in that the baby fuzz is now growing in quite slowly and only the tough thickies require lasering

5. The thickies on my chin are stubborn but I find that they take a few days longer to grow in with each laser treatment

6. The best way to use Tria is to work it into another activity, such as if you watch a weekly show, just park yourself in front of the TV with a portable mirror. I can do my lasering in one episode of Young & the Restless, as I have now memorised my treatment areas and I just raise my arm to laser during commercial breaks or scenes featuring Paul and Christine or Nicki and Victor.  I check for redness with the mirror;

7. Make sure that you re-charge after EACH session because the laser runs out of power after 15-20 minutes. I forgot to do it once and mid-session the Tria just shut down;

8. The Tria has a fan and the noise is annoying but if you are watching a good TV show it will become white noise, and now it no longers bothers me;

9. Given that desi skin tones tend to tan quickly it is possible that you could use the Tria easily at the beginning of June but over two months you will tan to the point that the Tria will not unlock so watch your skin tone carefully and consider undertaking the treatment in fall or winter when skin tones are lighter;

10. I fully intend to follow through with the three month schedule. I love having to shave less and I honestly believe that my armpits will be free to always see the light of day, instead of every few days.  My upper lip is getting in line and appears to understand that the Tria is the boss.  My chinnies are a tough bunch but they are growing in slower.  So if your skin tone fits with the chart, use your Eid/ Diwali money and get a Tria!

PARDESIS AND PASTELS by Meena Khan

When I read that the colour trend for spring 2014 is based on pastels  I immediately reflected on how I could reconcile these cool-based colours with my desi skin.

WIPE OUT BY WHITE OUT

The fundamental issue is that pastels’ coolness clashes with the warmth of desi skin.

Pastels are soft, unabashedly feminine colours that brighten up the face.  However, if your skin is darker, the delicate pinks and soft sky blues in the eye shadow set look like a white shimmery mess on the eyelids.  Pastels, especially when they are shimmery, do not have a heavy pigment and are prone to being dominated by the skin tone.  I cannot count how many times I applied pastel blue eye shadow and a sweet friend then complimented me on my mint green eye shadow.

UN PONT VERS LES PASTELS EST POSSIBLE

At first blush, it appears that when it comes to pastels biology is destiny, and darker-skinned women should avoid this spring trend.

However I opine that what needs to be tweaked is the approach towards pastels.  Pastels should not be used to create a complete look, rather they should be used create a highly-stylised look that focuses on the eyes with a beautiful accent on the nails.

Jennifer Lopez’s brilliant icy pastel make-up in the All I Have music video is an excellent reference.  Putting aside the heavy contouring and the concealer-tinged lips, Lopez’s eye make-up is unforgettable.  The icy pastels contrast against, and hence highlight, the beauty of dark eyes.

Pastel manicures, like their dark brethren, require short, trimmed nails, because one chip ruins the whole manicure.  Just because pastels are light does not make them neutrals.  They are powerful because of their milkiness and require the same diligence and care reserved for dark manicures.

PAS DE PONT ICI

I eschew applying pastels to the cheeks and lips.  Blush is supposed to highlight the cheekbones and have a somewhat natural look.  A pastel blush will highlight the cheekbones but because they contrast rather than blend in with desi skin tones the colour looks like a pair of fading pink doll cheeks.  The effect is not flattering.

Arguably pastel lips is a look, just like pastel eyes.  The problem is that there is no darkness in the lip area to anchor the lightness.  The lips’ natural darkness overwhelms pastel colours making the lips look washed out instead of fresh.

PREPPING FOR PASTELS: BASE AND TEXTURE

All make-up, and pastels in particular, require priming to neutralise naturally-occurring darkness in the skin and to create a smooth base upon which pigment sits but not slides.

I recommend covering the eyelid with a cream-to-powder primer such as Dior Backstage Eye Prime in 002 (Primer).  It is dry to the touch, spreads easily and dries quickly.  The soft mocha colour evens out the eyelid colour.

Previously (see Wipe Out  by White Out), I discussed how shimmery pastel shadows lack the requisite pigment to show up on dark skin.  Dior addresses the issue with its Diorshow Fusion Mono shadows (Shadow) which now come in a matte finish.  The Shadow feels like a soft gel sponge which sets to a powder finish in mere seconds if applied dry.  You can also moisten a brush, dip it in the Shadow and then gently tap it on the eyelid.  Again the Shadow dries in mere seconds but the pigment is richer and more opaque.  The wet application helps desi women achieve a highly-stylised pastel eyes look with minimum effort to maximum effect.

PROCEEDING TO PASTEL EYES

The following steps will help you achieve highly-stylised pastel eyes:

1. Even out skin tone and apply concealer;

         

2. Tap the Primer all over the eyelids with your ring finger which has the least pressure and hence will be gentle on the eyelid (Never pull the skin on the eyelid because it encourages wrinkle formation);

 

3. Moisten a flat, duck-billed eyeshadow brush such as Make Up For Ever 226 Straight brush (226 Brush);

4. Drag the 226 Brush across the surface of the Shadow  (My two favourites are Dior’s Céleste (a barely-there lavender) and Fantaisie (a soft peachy pink));

5. Close one eye and then tap the 226 Brush on the lower lid;

6. Wait a few seconds for the Shadow to set;

7. Define the crease by dipping a contour brush such as the Make Up For Ever 234 Straight & Wavy brush (234 Brush) in the Shadow;

8. Half close the eye and then tap the 234 Brush in the crease to define it;

9. Open the eye and continue tapping in the crease until the veil of colour is apparent (Note that in the All I Have video Lopez defined the crease with black eyeshadow.  This is risky because black eyeshadow particles can migrate and create a sooty mess.);

10. Close the eye and pull the lid taut;

11. Take liquid liner such as L’Oréal The Superslim Liquid Eyeliner in black and place the tip near the inner corner of the eye;

12. Draw short quick strokes along the eye line;

13. Return to the inner corner and then draw a smooth line that unites all of the short strokes into a single line;

14. Starting at the inner corner of the lower eye line trace a soft line along the lash line by using a steel grey liner such as Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes 21L Dark Grey (Grey is preferable because it has the intensity of black but is soft enough to not enhance dark circles);

15. Repeat steps 2 through 14, inclusive, for the other eye;

16. Curl the lashes with Shu Uemura New Generation Eyelash Curler;

17. Apply several coats of curling and thickening mascara such as Dolce & Gabbana Passion Eyes Mascara.

CHEEKS, LIPS AND NAILS

Highly-stylised pastel eyes make quite the statement and to avoid looking like a clown, the rest of the face should be light but never bare.  The cheeks and lips  should contrast the eyes in terms of finish.  Instead of applying matte colours, apply some shimmer so that the face has dimension and does not look flat.

Highlight your cheekbones using a soft silver colour and then blend it into the skin.  I smile and dab on a few strokes of Nars the Multiple in Copacabana on the apples of my cheeks.

I then take my pointer and middle fingers and blend it up to the hairline, so that the light bounces off my bone structure and looks diffuse.  The blending is done correctly when you do not see streaks of silver, you just see definition.

As with my cheeks, I want my lips to look done and have dimension.  I use Bobbi Brown Pink Mist Lip Gloss, a soft, iris pink gloss loaded with shimmer.  Unlike lipstick, the glossiness prevents the pigment from just sitting on the lips, instead they look shiny and the colour looks fresh.  The shimmery finish refracts the light, making the lips look lush.

The nails because of their distance from the eyes enjoy freedom in terms of colour.  My spring 2014 favourite is Dior Vernis in Porcelaine, a delicate pastel sky blue that immediately evokes images of Marie Antoinette’s sumptuous gowns, such as the one she wore in her portrait painted by Lié Louis Périn-Salbreux.  Moreover given that it is not stark white, it does not contrast strongly against the hyperpigmentation in my cuticle area and was the natural choice for my photos in this blog.

PASTELS: THOUGHTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Pastels can work on every skin tone.  For many desi women a full face of pastel leads to wipe out by white out.  By focussing on the eyes and accenting the nails, desi women can transform pastels into a statement look that allows them to use colour and contrast finishes for a beautiful effect.