I interviewed Julyne Derrick, a journalist that has worked in many cities but has been the beauty guide for About.com since 2005. Her Site: beauty.about.com.
A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic she grew up in a small Texas town browsing Seventeen Magazine and as a pre-teen practiced the beautifying tricks she read about on herself and her mom, later moving on to fixing her friends’ unibrows in college. Now seasoned she helps us by sifting through loads of information out there and pass on what she learns without glossing over the truth.
Julyne shares with us about her experience shelling out thousands of dollars trying professional laser hair removal, her best eyebrow tips, what she thinks of common hair removal methods and her favorite brand of tweezers.
Naomi: I know you tried out professional laser hair removal on your bikini and entire legs. Can you give us the gist of your experience, what year you had the treatments, the pain, how many treatments you did (the cost if you don't mind sharing) and your hair reduction results when finished and now?
Julyne: I did try laser hair removal years ago at NY's famed Completely Bare Salon, which remains the hottest hair removal place in the city, partly because the owner Cindy Barshop is currently starring on the "Real Housewives of New York." Anyway, I paid a lot of money - something like $4,000 for a full leg treatment, which included a series of treatments. Keep in mind this was years ago before laser hair removal became so popular and therefore so cheap. I did 4 treatments and was very disappointed with the results. Both the laser hair technician and my current waxer will back me up on the fact that it didn't work on me despite the fact that I am the perfect candidate: Dark hair and light skin. You can read all about it my "Diary of a Laser Hair Removal Guinea Pig."
Naomi: It's not uncommon that you still have to shave or wax after laser hair removal. But how often do you need to get to your legs and bikini?
Julyne: I get my legs waxed every now and then and I shave a couple times a week. I loathe shaving and I don't like waxing simply because you have to let your hair grow out for it to work. I do prefer waxing for the bikini area and I get my bikini area waxed during the summer especially. It lasts a few weeks which is great.
Naomi: What are your favorite shaving products?
Julyne: I don't really use shaving cream, but I like it and I swear by Venus Razors. See My Top 10 Shaving Tips.
Naomi: Living in New York City with so many places offering waxing, how do you choose where to go?
Julyne: Oh, it's so important to find one person who you love and trust because a bikini wax can be such an intimate procedure. You're basically lying there naked with your legs splayed here and there. I ask for referrals from my friends who live in the neighborhood. My good friend and I share the same waxer, who we both adore.
Naomi: If you don't mind telling us, what is the most you've spent on a wax?
Julyne: I don't actually know! I think it's usually under $40. I live in NY, where there's so much competition for all things beauty so you don't have to spend as much money on nail salons and wax salons here as you might in a town where there's only a few places.
Naomi: Have you ever tried waxing at home? If so, what did you use and how did it go?
Julyne: Oh yes! Years ago, I bought a sugar waxing kit from a couple at a street fair in the West Village. The guy grabbed my arm, swiped a warm stripe of sugar on my forearm and with a quick flip of the wrist, removed the hair painlessly. I was sold. But when I got it home, I found the stuff was a real mess to work with. I tried it several times and finally threw the whole kit away. My friends swear by Sally Hansen body waxes and I tried the All-Over Body Wax Hair Removal Kit and I found it's also just too much trouble. I'd rather walk the 3 blocks to my waxer and pay her $30. But I can see if you live in a more remote area or you have to drive across town, a home kit might be worth the trouble. See How to Wax Your Own Legs.
Naomi: One of my least favorite hair removal methods is hair removal creams. What are your thoughts on them?
Julyne: I'm with you. I tried them and found they only work so-so.
Naomi: What about facial hair removal. What methods do you recommend to women and why?
Julyne: My friends use at-home waxes on their mustaches and they actually make dates to do it together. I have light hair on my upper lip that I just live with, but sometimes when I get my brows done at my favorite threading shop in the subway station at Rockefeller Center, I ask them to do my mustache and I love the results. Waxing is good too, but I'm just a huge fan of threading. For the random stubborn hairs that grow on the chin, electrolysis is your best bet, but it can take many, many painful visits. For these I recommend waxing or threading, even though I just tweeze my own. Full disclosure! See How To Get Rid of Hair on Your Face.
Naomi: And brows? Do you always get them done professionally or do you sometimes shape them yourself?
Julyne: I've had my brows waxed, but I'm a huge fan of threading and have been getting my brows threaded for years. I just keep my brows cleaned up with my Tweezerman tweezers in between visits. But I will say one benefit to getting older is the brow hairs grow more sparsely even if random hairs start popping up on your chin and above your lip! See What is Threading?
Naomi: Give us your top three brow beauty tips.
Julyne: Tweezerman tweezers. They are simply the best. Always get your brows done professionally and then use the map set by the job to keep your brows up. This means fewer visits. And finally, don't abide by that old-fashioned beauty rule that you shouldn't remove hair above the brow. Oh yes, you should.
Naomi: Does your makeup routine include doing anything to your brows?
Julyne: Actually, my brows are in pretty good shape. Sometimes I spray a bit of hairspray on my finger and "brush" my brows into perfect shape with my finger. The hairspray sets them. I don't like the way my brows look when a makeup artist fills them in with a brow pencil. I'm quite happy with them as they are.
Naomi: As a beauty writer I'm sure you've tried many tweezer brands. What do you have at home right now?
Julyne: I have bought probably 20 Tweezerman tweezers over my lifetime. I leave them all over the world and then sometimes I find them. As a result, I have about 5 of them right now in my beauty drawer. All but one is dull. But the great thing about Tweezerman is there's a lifetime sharpening guarantee. Send in your tweezers and they'll sharpen them for you. I just haven't gotten around to sending the 4 dull ones in. Must get on that!
Naomi: What's the most common question you get asked about removing hair?
Julyne: Does laser hair removal work?
Naomi: What is the biggest lesson you've learned in hair removal since becoming a beauty writer?
Julyne: I think that waxing is really your best hair removal bet when it comes to legs and bikini. Laser hair removal is pricey (even today) and painful and you aren't guaranteed results.
Naomi: What are some of your favorite hair removal articles on your Site?
