Depilation and swimming – why should swimmers do depilation?
Blog BackTable of Contents:
- Overcoming water resistance
- Hygiene and swimmer’s comfort
- Regeneration after swimming training
- Cooling and aesthetic considerations
Swimming may be considered an inspiration for hair removal, as more and more swimmers, professional and amateur, undergo depilation treatments. What is the phenomenon of removing unwanted hair? How does it affect the results? For what reasons has depilation become a duty for swimmers?
Overcoming water resistance
Epilation of swimmers can be important for getting a medal or dropping out of the competition. For athletes competing in world-class competitions, the issue of increased water resistance caused by hair on the body is very important and even crucial. In water sports, the smoothness of the skin is a priority.
Until recently, athletes competed in a costume called “shark skin”. Inspired by nature, the surface of the suit was so smooth that the swimmer would cut the water with minimal resistance. Currently, this technology is forbidden at swimming competitions.
However, it makes you realize how important perfectly smooth skin is in this sport. Hair on the skin disrupts the hydrodynamics of water flow along the body – they act like liquid stream diffusers and microwire generators. Laser hair removal or other type of permanent hair removal is the element of the body which – quite literally – can determine the victory in this sport.
Hygiene and swimmer’s comfort
Epilation allows you to eliminate unpleasant smell of sweat. The bacteria that live on the skin are responsible for the formation of an unpleasant odour. They break down sweat, the particles of which are embedded on, among others, the hair. It is the products of the biochemical transformation of sweat caused by bacteria become the source of the unpleasant odour from the body. Therefore, it cannot be concealed that if there is less sweat, there is less problems with hygiene and the number of bacteria inhabiting the skin. The abundant multiplication of these microorganisms also exposes the athlete to infections.
Shaving with a traditional razor will not work, unfortunately, in the case of athletes – because of the irritation of the skin, which is caused by this procedure, and then the inflammation and the related water retention in the body. The solution is wax or laser hair removal – just a few treatments are enough to get rid of unwanted hair for a long time. After laser hair removal, swimmers no longer have to spend so much time on their body cosmetics and can fully focus on training.
Regeneration after swimming training
For athletes, the biological regeneration is as important as good training and proper diet. Massages are an inseparable element for the swimmers. During the treatment, warming ointments or various skin care creams are applied on the skin. The smooth surface of the skin facilitates the absorption of these preparations.
After training, athletes often reach for gels that soothe muscle pain. It should also be mentioned that wounds or abrasion can occur in any sport. It is much easier to clean the wound and apply the dressing to hairless skin.
Cooling and aesthetic considerations
Sweating is an excellent cooling mechanism, thanks to which further effort is possible. It is worth remembering that although swimmers train in the water, his body is also warmed up. The smoother the surface of the skin, the better the cooling effect works – it is not felt in the water, but outside it, after training or competition – it absolutely is.
The depilated body of a swimmer is more aesthetic, in addition, the figure and muscles can be exposed much better. This is particularly evident in water-related sports, such as spring board diving or water ballet. The body is then strongly exposed to public view, and the grace of movement or the correctness of evolutions during the jump into the water are assessed together with the aesthetics of the appearance of the entire silhouette.
When an athlete swimmer is confident that his depilated legs, armpits, arms and bikini area will evoke only positive aesthetic feelings, he can deeply focus on the precise performance of ballet dance in the water or a perfect jump into the water. With a smooth body, he does not have to worry about the fact that unshaven hair can be a reason to lower the jury’s scoring for the overall presentation.
Taking care of your image is now a duty for athletes – swimmers, are they are watched by thousands of people from around the world. Many of them also become idols for the young generation.