Toss Your Razor Blade: Women Are Now Microwaving Their Armpits
But is it safe?
Growing out your arm pit hair may be the statement du jour, or you know, just a matter of personal preference, but that hasn't slowed technology designed to banish growth once and for all. In fact, it's quite literally hotter than ever.
Medical device company Miramar Labs has just released MiraSmooth, a new treatment that permanently reduces underarm hair growth—no matter the color of your skin or hair—and zaps sweat-producing glands using a precisely controlled microwave energy emitted from a laser gun-type device. Yes, these are the very microwaves that reheat last night's takeout and pop your Orville Redenbacher's—but much safer.
"It's the same wavelength but the delivery method, depth of penetration or range, and safety profile are totally different," explains Dr. Snehal P. Amin, a board certified dermatologic surgeon.
The device heats up the levels deep under the skin, where the hair roots and sweat glands are located, while protecting the superficial skin, says Dr. Amin. "If something is heated up enough, it can be destroyed," he adds.
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As the only FDA-approved device of its kind, and with the company reporting that over 40,000 treatments have been performed thus far, it seems the treatment is giving the ol' daily razor and shaving cream routine a serious run for its money.
But, is it safe? Even though the treatment, which can run a couple thousand dollars, is brand new and hasn't exactly undergone long-term research, Dr. Amin believes it is, as similar devices have been used to exclusively address excess sweating for years.
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The only thing you *do* have to be wary of is mild to moderate pain, which is addressed with a pretreatment cream and cooling of the skin. One Instagram user who shared a snap of herself getting the treatment done said, "the procedure didn't hurt, but the few days after I was sore."
And so goes the old adage, no (moderate) pain, no gain.
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Lauren Valenti is Vogue’s former senior beauty editor. Her work has also appeared on ELLE.com, MarieClaire.com, and in In Style. She graduated with a liberal arts degree from Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts, with a concentration on Culture and Media Studies and a minor in Journalism.