Painless Hair Removal

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Pros

Cons

Hair Removal Hints

Cost

Depilatories (Hair Removal Creams)

Ouch Index:

Face

Legs

Bikini

Underarms

Easy to use and almost completely painless (unless you’re allergic), these products work by breaking down the structure of the hair. Depilatory creams dissolve hair just below the surface of the skin, dissolving the right below the skin's surface.  Depilatory creams should keep you hair-free for several days.

Not everyone can use a depilatory product. It’s essential to do a patch test first. Apply a nickel-sized dab of the product to your forearm (where allergic reactions will be minimal if they occur). Wait 15 minutes before washing the product off. Check for redness and bumps, preferably waiting at least 24 hours, before working on larger areas of the body. 

With depilatories, the choices are cream or liquid. It’s always best to use a cream when you need a well-defined line, such as the bikini line. Creams are also best for underarm hair removal. A more liquid lotion is best for legs and back, since you are covering a larger area. On the face, use products labeled for facial use, since they contain milder ingredients.

Among the lowest (not quite as inexpensive as shaving).

Electrolysis

Ouch Index:

Face

Bikini

Underarms

Whether you have fair skin, black skin, fine hair or coarse, electrolysis is a permanent method of hair removal. An electrolysis tech places a very thin needle into a hair follicle and switches on an electric current. The current cauterizes the blood vessel the hair needs to grow, so there is no further hair growth—at that one follicle. The sensation is like a really strong shock of static electricity.

Taking out hairs one by one is very time consuming, and the more you need the procedure, the more it costs.

 Home personal electrolysis kits exist, but require a certain amount of self-discipline to use. The most popular device is the One-Touch.

Electrolysis technicians typically charge $100 an hour. Just one leg can take 50 hours or more—at least $5,000. A typical home electrolysis device costs about $40, but most people don’t stick with them because it is hard to knowingly cause yourself pain—over and over.

Tweezing (Epilation)

Ouch Index:

Face

Legs

Bikini

Underarms

Plucking is pulling out a hair by the root. This doesn’t have be done one hair at a time. A row of carefully placed tweezers can remove all the hair from a relatively large area of skin. The procedure usually doesn’t have to be repeated for 3 to 4 weeks.

Not as painful as electrolysis, but relatively unpleasant.

Dry, clean skin is a must. Do not use any oils or lubricants—they will cause the tweezers to slip.  If you are using epilation for the first time, it may be helpful to clip or shave the hair first.

Epilation is a procedure you do yourself, at home. The systems usually cost $50 to $100.

Laser

Ouch Index:

 

Face

Legs

Bikini

Arms

Underarms

Not as painful as electrolysis, laser treatment can be semi-permanent after you’ve had several treatments.

Darker objects absorb heat. If your hair is lighter than your skin, you simply can’t use laser therapy. It will burn the skin rather than the hair follicle. If you have dark hair and light skin, laser treatment may work very well for you.

You'll need to stick to a strict once-a-month schedule at first, because laser treatments don’t get all the hair and the hair they miss grows on monthly cycles. And for several months you’ll tend to get fuzz where you had the treatment. Don’t mix laser with waxing—the laser won’t be able to find the hair if you wax it.

Laser hair removal isn’t cheap. A $150 to $200 session is only enough to treat underarms or bikini line. Legs may require two treatments.

Shaving

Legs

Underarms

Well suited for legs and underarms, shaving is quick and inexpensive.

Not a great idea for removing hair from underarms, bikini line, or even face unless it’s done every day.

Men and women need to use different razors. Men’s razors are designed for tougher skin and tougher hair than women’s razors.

Very inexpensive, no special equipment or skills required.

Threading

Ouch Index:

Face

Facial skin that’s too sensitive for laser or waxing is often treated with threading. This is a Middle Eastern method that plucks out hairs by the roots with a piece of thread. There are no chemicals, and, if the technician is skilled, little pain.  Threading is especially well suited to removing excessive hair from the eyebrows.

Threading only works on flat skin, and it is not suitable to for treating skin affected by acne.

Threading is for the face only. It’s likely just to pinch the skin anywhere else on the body.

For women, $40 for the whole face or $20 for the upper lip.

Waxing

Ouch Index:

Face

Legs

Bikini

Arms

Underarms

By removing hair by the root, waxing leaves the skin smooth for 3 to 4 weeks.

The ouch factor for waxing is relatively high. The sensation of waxing is like ripping off a Band-Aid from hairy skin. No one should use waxing within 3 days of having a sunburn, and women should avoid waxing during their periods, when skin is more sensitive to pain and the skin surface is less flat. If you use a prescription skin cream, don’t wax.

Waxing is easy to do at home, but the hair has to be at least ¼ inch (1/2 cm) long for the wax to catch it. Sugar-based waxes are easier to use at home.

Estimated prices range from $10 to $50 per treatment, up to $300 for the whole body.

Ouch Index