Ah, hair. Some find hair to be the best thing that ever happened to them. After all, those long, flowing locks and those enviable tresses can be the object of envy for many. However, once the same hair grows in other places – places where they are unwelcome and a cause for discomfort, it can become a problem. Because of this, the beauty industry has invented multiple and surprisingly varied hair removal methods to effectively eliminate hair (temporarily or permanently) and make your skin as soft and hairless as a baby’s bottom.
Aside from the lovely patch on top of your head, your perfectly arched eyebrows, and long eyelashes, there is no reason why hair should grow in other places on your body. While all this hullabaloo on hair can come across to some people as a little bit vain, very high maintenance, and downright impractical, let’s be honest – hair can cause a great amount of discomfort. Plus, aesthetically, some people just prefer not to have any. Thus hair removal – the act of removing hair from a surface of your body – was born.
There are many points to consider when choosing the right hair removal method for yourself. You’ll need to consider total procedure time, pain, and the estimated time before the hair grows back (if it ever does). This article aims to guide you through all these intricacies and inform you on the varied types of hair removal methods available in the market, along with their pros and cons. The hope is that you can choose which one would be the best for you, your lifestyle, and your preferences.
Let’s start!
Top Hair Removal Methods:
Shaving
Shaving is probably the most common of all hair removal methods, as well as the easiest form of getting rid of your hair in any area you can imagine – all you need is shaving cream and gliding blades and your hair is gone. This is also the most painless (well, unless you accidentally nick yourself) form of hair removal as you just run the blade lightly on the very surface of your skin to cut protruding hairs. However, as much as this is a pro, this can also be a high con – hairs will be growing back will full force within three days. Not to mention there is a risk of razor burn, and itching, as skin can be quite sensitive and can get micro-lacerations through this method.
Epilating
Epilating is one of the more popular hair removal methods, that utilizes a device that has rotating tweezers as its head. You basically run the device across the part of your body you want hair removed from, and the device will grab onto the hair to pull it out. This is basically a more convenient form of waxing, as it comes with automated parts. However, you have to be careful – shaving or at the very least trimming is still necessary when using this device – running it through longer hair will mean a more painful hair removal experience. After the procedure, an ultra-smooth finish can be expected. This is a bit more painful in general as it is almost like plucking or waxing, but is manageable as only a small area is epilated at a time. However, it is a good method as the hair takes a good few weeks, sometimes almost a month, to grow back.
If you want to try out epilating, the Braun Silk Epil 9 is by far the most popular device!
Waxing
The more manual sister of epilation, waxing involves hot or cold wax, and a lot of pulling. With this hair removal method, you basically put sticky wax all over the patch of hair you want gone, let it sit for a while, and pull away hard. Can you feel the pain? Well, get ready to feel more pain as this does not come cheap in salons. You have the option of home waxing, but not many are brave enough to try (and some just don’t have the time). The results, however, are glorious – hair is completely off, skin is completely smooth, and hair takes quite some time to grow back.
Laser/IPL
Laser hair removal is the procedure you want to go through if you really despise having hair in other parts of your body aside from your head. This is one of the only hair removal methods that can be permanent! This method involves the destruction of the hair follicles and roots themselves by light, giving you a more or less permanent result, or at the very least a permanent reduction, after a specific number of sessions. Now, if you think waxing is already expensive, get ready for how much money you’ll shave (get it?) for laser hair-removal treatments – they are $200 on average, but they can go as high as $900. The pain meter also varies for this technique – longer hair equals more pain (that is why it is advisable that you shave before any session). Even the thickness and coarseness of hair can make a difference in the pain level. However, the permanent hair reduction laser affords is worth it.
For laser devices, check out our review of the Tria 4X. For IPL, see the Remington iLight Pro.
These are only four options in the many, many current trends in the hair removal industry. With all these options we must not forget the main goal: to eliminate hair from unwanted area of the body. Different hair removal methods have different results from different people, so be sure to try things to know what’s best for you!
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Shad Morris says
My wife was telling me that she wants to find a way to get rid of some of her hair, but wasn’t sure what method to choose. It’s interesting that wax actually helps you remove the hair, and leave your skin nice and smooth. I think that it could be a really interesting experience.
Frank Delaware says
I have heard a little bit about hair removal in the past, and was curious about how the different methods did. It’s interesting that laser hair removal actually affects the hair follicle itself! Since my wife has been trying to get rid of her hair for a while now, it would be nice to see that she won’t have to worry about it coming back as often.
James Anderson says
It’s surprising to know that there are different removal methods, and it is now possible to significantly remove or even permanently remove hair after a specific number of sessions with the help of laser hair removal. I have unwanted hair in my legs and I want it removed right away. I’ll consider this hair removal treatment option and ask around for clinics that offer this service.