Also, does using this homemade tend skin replace exfoliating or will I need to start doing that in a couple days?
If you have more than the usual amount of hair, and you have just had your first experience with an epilator then 1) Congratulations on your exceedingly high pain tolerance, the chest is a b**ch for guys, and 2) Your’re gonna have some red bumps the first time out. Put the solution on twice a day. What you’re going through, from what I read, is normal. But, keep us posted if the bumps don’t start fading at the four day mark.
…Seriously though? Save your money any way you can, take it out of your food budget, entertainment bugdet, pizza budget, and go for an electrolysis or lazer treatment. Even just a hair reduction and not a whole complete clearing. Just make up your mind to do it, and find a way to get it done. Either that, or you and that epilator are going to be very good friends for years to come. If permanent hair removal is in your future, don’t waste time or try getting a quick fix. As much as I think so highly of the two Brauns (2170 & 3370, their heads and all parts are interchangeable) I use, I still think of them as quickfix that doesn’t address the problem, just as shaving or waxing are quickfixes too. That’s what I’ve came to terms with, spend the $350 or so for your back, and be done with it. Epilating is far more cost effective, conveneint, cleaner, and quicker than waxing. But do you realize what’s it going to be like to do this for years? That’s why I’m now shopping around and checking out the San Diego area hair removal clinics. There’s a lot to know, so I’d get started now.
Mantaray
The alcohol/aspirin solution does exfoliate by killing the top layer of cells, but you need to help it along. You need to take a good firm brush with you in the shower. That will remove the dead cells. If not, then you get a scale-y, peeling type look, like your skin is dry. This is just the cells still hanging on. The red bumps diminish as you get used to it. The first generation hairs are always anchored in the strongest, they’ve had awhile to brace themselves in the follical. Plucking these first generation hairs always irritates the skin leaving the red bumps.
Mantaray
I’m interested in trying the homemade TendSkin. However, I live in the UK, and it seems that rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol) is not available to consumers. It seems as if ‘surgical spirit’ is the closest alternative. From what I understand, surgical spirit is ethanol (which is essentially alcohol) with a small amount of methanol added to make it unpalatable to drink (!). Has anyone in the UK tried making the homemade TendSkin with surgical spirit? Does the addition of methanol effect the absorbtion of the aspirin or the action of the solution?
At least I won’t be tempted to DRINK the solution! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
thanks!
-kate
The alcohol/aspirin solution does exfoliate by killing the top layer of cells, but you need to help it along. You need to take a good firm brush with you in the shower. That will remove the dead cells. If not, then you get a scale-y, peeling type look, like your skin is dry. This is just the cells still hanging on. The red bumps diminish as you get used to it. The first generation hairs are always anchored in the strongest, they’ve had awhile to brace themselves in the follical. Plucking these first generation hairs always irritates the skin leaving the red bumps.
Mantaray
Well, I hope they go away soon cause it still looks horrible and its been like 4 days. It’s almost like a lot of acne, which really sucks. I’m not sure if I’m going to do this again unless I buy a lot of turtlenecks or something, haha. It worked great on the hands and feet, but I can’t walk around with red bumps/acne all over my body. The hair is better then this.
On another note, I have thought about getting permanent hair removal done, but I’m only 22. I have been told it’s not worth doing until you are 35+ because of the amount of hair that will grow later. I don’t mind the body hair so much in most places, but some places I do want to get it removed. In others I think a set of trimmers will do (like my legs and arms). I might have misunderstood something before; when your hair comes back thinner then before you epilate, does it stay this way? Or will it eventually look the same anyway? I was hoping to use the epilator for a while until the hair is just not as thick and long…will this happen? Is there a better way to make this happen? That’s what my goal was with most of the parts of my body, not total hair removal for good.
Thanks again.
It sounds like you just had a reaction to your moisturizer.
Stick to the Aloe and Tea Tree Oil.
Moisturizers and lotions contain many ingredients that are skin irritants. Lanolin, and FD&C colors for an example, cause many people to have negative reactions. FD&C colors contain pine tar!
Tell us what your results are the next time you clear the area.
well, it’s winter so a turtleneck is not hard to pull off <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
but seriouly, are you that self concious about some red bumps.
I use an epilator for my arm pits and I have never had issues like that (or i don’t remember) but instead of the tend skin right away why don’t you try something more soothing like vitamn E oil or any other natural oil, even baby oil.
Other than that i think that you made the tend skin well. i would say it’s even not that strong, so that’s good.
Tend Skin is alchohol, water, and aspirin.
From a web site where I purchased a Seiko CleanCut:
“The ingredients in Tend Skin Lotion are Isopropyl Alcohol, Water, Propylene Glycol, Acetylsalicylic Acid, Cyclomethicone and Glycerin.”
Looking at the exotic ingredients, it appears to me that they are ways of distributing the substance and smoothing delivery (glycerin).
Also note that not all aspirins are acetylsalicylic acid, but might be a variant of same.
But home brew is a good idea!
The Ol’ Bumparoo
is the Braun 3370 an epilator?
if it is the most probable cause of the bumps is a reaction to having the hair ripped out of your chest. this is a really common reaction to a first hair removal on the chest especially if you did not trip it first. if your hands and feet are fine i would guess that the homemade tend skin is not the problem.
I’m interested in trying the homemade TendSkin. However, I live in the UK, and it seems that rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol) is not available to consumers. It seems as if ‘surgical spirit’ is the closest alternative. From what I understand, surgical spirit is ethanol (which is essentially alcohol) with a small amount of methanol added to make it unpalatable to drink (!). Has anyone in the UK tried making the homemade TendSkin with surgical spirit? Does the addition of methanol effect the absorbtion of the aspirin or the action of the solution?
At least I won’t be tempted to DRINK the solution! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />
thanks!
-kate
Im also interested in making my own, but Im in Japan,
and have the same problem… I can`t find isopropyl
alcohol, only ethanol alcohol.
Can I use this??!! PLEASE help!!!
If Tend Skin is too costly for you, look into Follique. It is just as good (if not better) and you get more ounces per bottle for about the same price.
How are the chemists doing with their home made versions?
i have scars and pitting caused by long-term tweezing and also plucking to remove ingrown hairs which keep coming back. does tend skin (homemade or commercial) affect these scars & pitting or make them worse? also, can tend skin be applied on the underarm and facial area? would appreciate anyone’s kind help asap as this problem of ingrown hair and scarring has been causing grief for a long time. thanks!
hi!
This is my first post here… I’m very interested in home made tend skin, but it seems that where i live (italy) isopropyl alcohol isn’t sold to normal people…
i believe it’s because you can use it to make bombs or something like this…
so… what can i use instead of it? please tell me there’s something else i can use! maybe some other type of alcohol?
ok… sorry for my bad english =)
Hi, you can buy rubbing alcohol in the UK from E-bay. However, it is rather more expensive than it should be. The cheapest I found was a 5 litre container for £18.00 (including postage). Just type ‘rubbing alcohol’ into the search box.
Regards
Kirsten
I’ve heard that in the UK, ‘Surgical Spirits’ are the same thing as Isopropyl alcohol in the US. I don’t know what percentage of iso it contains though.
Outside of that, I might suggest a bottle of Amber-190 or Everclear. I haven’t seen Everclear myself, but I know for a fact that I’ve gotten a bottle of Amber-190 vodka - it’s 95% alcohol. I’ve read on this forum somewhere that it might be bad to put on skin if it’s over a certain percentage of alcohol, but here in the US, they sell bottles of 91% iso-alc which I’m quite sure is ok to put on the skin…
If getting Amber-190 I would add some water before putting it on the skin. If adding it in combination with aspirin to make your own ‘tend skin’, just err on the side of more water.
You may want to check into the actual percentage that’s safe for the skin though, as I’m no doctor. 
Hope this helps.
As a first-time waxer, I am just learning about all these ingrown hair products. In trying to do so, I stumbled across the patent for Tend Skin. It described the composition of the product, which I thought might be helpful to those trying to make their own. The patent can be found here.
US Patent 6703009 - Topical compositions and methods for treating pseudofolliculitis barbae and ingrown hair
US Patent Issued on March 9, 2004
Estimated Patent Expiration Date: July 18, 2020
Having described the inventions what is claimed is:
- A method for treating pseudofolliculitis barbae and/or ingrown hair comprising applying in an amount of a homogenous composition to the effect area of the skin is an amount is effective to provide topical relief from irritation caused by pseudofolliculitis barbae and/or ingrown hair, wherein the homogenous composition comprises:
(a) acetylsalicylic acid, which is present in an amount effective to treat pseudofolliculitis barbae and/or ingrown hair and which amount is not greater than 18% by weight from the composition; in a solvent comprising:
(b) isopropyl alcohol, which is present in amount not less than about 27% by weight of the composition;
© ethanol, present in amount of 0-32% by weight of the composition and;
(d) optionally, methanol or water; wherein the combined amount of ethanol, methanol and water is not greater than the amount of isopropyl alcohol.
Full text is here: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6703009/fulltext.html
I guess this is why universal communication and co-operation is so feared by those who wish to monopolize the resourses of the world. As the saying goes, “Information longs to be free!”
What a patent is: a period of exclusivity in exchange for a release of information to the pubic. Unfortunately the creative people managed to con congress into straying from this principal, and over time, have become virtually exempt (copyright). But that is another discussion.