Tuesday 14 June 2011

Online Appointment Booking!

I'm very excited to announce a the launch of my new appointment booking system on my website.

New and existing clients can view my availability and book treatments they wish to have using this tool. Of course, the 'Contact Me' page still exists so that those preferring to call or email me can do so. The booking system is ideal for those clients wishing to have a single treatment or a full face option. Those wishing to have multiple treatments e.g. eyebrows and upper lip are still recommended to contact me directly so that I can enter their appointment on to the system directly.

It's a fantastic new tool, which I hope will bode useful to clients.

I love technology!

Sunday 5 June 2011

Threading...Not Just for Women!


Increasingly, I have seen a rise in the number of male clients coming to me for threading. Threading is increasingly becoming a well known hair removal and eyebrow shaping method within female circles but its use is also becoming popular on men.

Threading has widely been used on men in Asia and Arabia for centuries and is now becoming a popular option in the West.



So what are men threading, I hear you ask...

...well... they tend to be areas alot of men secretly or not secretly pluck/ wax anyway!
  • Eyebrows - those who have a monobrow and/or to define their exisitng shape to have a cleaner yet natural look (in most cases - there are some who like them highly shaped too!)
  • Bridge of Nose - those who have excessive or dark hairs on their nose
  • Cheeks - removing the hairs from the cheek area, can give the beard area more definition
  • Ears - removal of hair from all areas of the outer ear (i.e. lobe)
  • Forehead - usually those who shape their eyebrows will also commonly have the hair on their forehead removed or 'thinned' to give more definition to their eyebrows
Most of my male clients tell me that they often tell no one about the fact that they have threading done - this is often due to fears of being seen as vain, 'unmale' etc. I assure them that this is not the case at all! Infact about 25% of my client base are male! 

Although it is widely accepted for women to have perfectly shaped eyebrows and unwanted facial hair removed, often males who are known to also want the same, tend to face some prejudice.

Perhaps the fact that I am a home-based therapist rather than being on a high street or at a threading bar in the middle of a shopping centre is the reason why male clients feel more comfortable visiting me.

Either way, I just want to let those men who do remove those unwanted hairs (by whatever means they choose) know that, it is perfectly normal and welcome any comments from any male readers out there about the topic!

Wednesday 1 June 2011

Unwanted Facial Hair/ Hirsutism

Lately, I have noticed an increase in the number of clients wanting their full face threaded, so I thought this would be a good time to blog about Hirsutism (excessive hair growth) or unwanted facial hair (UFH) in women.  

I am no doctor (ofcourse!) so much of the information below is written based on my own reading around the subject as well as my notes and books from my Homeopathy and Nutrition degrees.

Hirsutism affects approximately 1 in 10 women in the UK and is often embarrassing and distressing to most women; affecting their self esteem and confidence.

Symptoms can vary in their degree of severity, from:
  •      A few individual hairs on the chin
  •      A light growth on the upper lip
  •      Fuzzy hair on the cheeks
  •      Development of dark, coarse hair on the body and facial areas (chin, jaw, upperlip, sides of face etc.)
 
Causes:
  • Idiopathic hirsutism:
    • Genetic.
  • Drug-induced hirsutism, e.g. anabolic steroids
  • Ovarian causes:
    • PCOS
    • Menopause
    • Some tumours which cause an increased productions of Androgens
  • Adrenal causes:
    • Adrenal Tumours, CAH, Cushing’s Syndrome
  • Other causes include severe insulin resistance, Anorexia Nervosa, Hypothyroidism etc.

Treatments:
Some popular hair removal methods include:
  • Plucking/Tweezing
  • Waxing
  • Shaving
  • Threading
  • Laser Hair removal
  • Electrolysis

How can Threading help?
  • It is neat and precise
  • It can be used to shape the eyebrow from both the top and bottom
  • The same area can be 'gone over' without irritating the skin
  • It is kinder to the skin and no heat or chemicals are applied
  • The flexibility of the thread allows the removal of hairs facing in different directions and in awkward places on the face
  • Regrowth of hair in the threaded areas is finer, smoother and softer
  • It is suitable for those with sensitive skin; where waxing is not an option
  • It is considered by many to be less painful than other methods of hair removal
  • Long term use of waxing can prematurely age and weaken the skin, threading barely touches the skin itself and 'grabs' the hair; pulling it out by the root
  • Does not cause ingrown hairs.
Important note!
Facial hair is a very personal and individual issue; whereby hair on the upper-lip can be bothersome for some, may not be bothersome to others; so only You can decide if facial hair is unwanted! 


Useful sites:
http://facialhairremoval.ca/hirsutism/
http://www.hairremovalforum.com/laser-hair-removal-research/hirsutism-causes-treatments/135/
http://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/h/hirsutism