Hair Removal at Home

Both men and women have long sought to remove hair from their bodies for many different reasons. But hair removal at home has not always been as safe and effective as it can be today. Though you may still want to seek a professional in certain situations, you have more choices available for hair removal at home than ever before. Which products and methods you choose will depend on your budget, your hair and skin color and type, the amount of hair that needs to be removed, how permanent you want the results, and your pain tolerance. There is a solution, though, for every person’s needs.

Shaving

Shaving is probably the best-known and regularly practiced form of hair removal for both men and women. Though shaving needs to be done daily, it remains one of the most cost effective methods to get rid of unwanted hair at home. Shaving can be done wet or dry. Wet shaving is more effective but messier and can result in nicks or cuts. Using an electric shaver takes off less hair but is perfect if you need immediate results, without fear of cutting the skin. Significant advancements have been made in the effectiveness of electric razors.

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Depilatory Creams

Using depilatory creams is an effective hair removal technique. Chemicals melt the hair away at the skin. Like shaving, the results are temporary. Depilatory creams provide a smoother finish that lasts slightly longer than shaving, but the process is more time consuming and more expensive. The chemicals can also cause skin irritation. This is especially true on the face. Facial skin can be very sensitive, and depilatory creams can cause burns on some people.

 

Waxing

Waxing is another really popular form of hair removal at home. It involves spreading a layer of heated wax on the unwanted hair, covering the wax with a thin piece of paper or cloth, then rapidly pulling the cloth in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Though the results are temporary, hair grows back more slowly with waxing than with shaving because it extracts the hair from the root and reduces the speed of growth. Although it can be somewhat painful, the more you do it the easier it gets because the hair follicles become weaker each time the hair grows back. In some cases the results can eventually be permanent.

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Sugaring

Sugaring is similar to waxing and provides similar results. However, sugaring doesn’t require heating and so is less messy. Residue can be cleaned with warm water. Sugar strips can also be reused, unlike wax. And sugaring typically does not irritate skin as much as waxing might.

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Epilating

Epilators look something like electric razors, but take the hair straight from the root using a gripping and pulling action that removes several hairs at a time. Epilators can be an effective means to remove hair on the legs and armpits. They provide results similar to waxing and sugaring. Like waxing, epilating can be painful at first but the more you do it the less painful it will get.

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Plucking or Tweezing

Plucking or tweezing is involves using tweezers to pull out individual hairs. It is typically used with eyebrows and other facial hair. By plucking the hair out at the follicle, hair growth is slowed. Repeated plucking may cause the hair to stop growing altogether. While it is a cheap and effective means of hair removal at home, tweezing could be very time-consuming for larger areas of the body where hair removal is desired.

 

Threading

Threading is a form of epliation. Practitioners use a pure, thin, twisted cotton thread to pluck unwanted hair at the follicle level. Unlike tweezing, threading can remove an entire row of hair, resulting in a straighter line. In some cases the process is painless and in some cases not. It is popularly used on eyebrows and typically performed by a professional. However, there are some tools that are especially helpful for upper lip hair removal. It doesn’t involve an actual thread, the the tool produces a similar result.

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Intense Pulsed Light Therapy (IPL)

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a hair removal option that has become increasingly popular because it provides almost long-lasting results. It uses a pulsed light to heat the hair to cause it to stop growing, in some cases permanently. Usually, the treated hair will fall out a few days after treatment. The machines can cover a large area of the body, though not quickly. While the hair isn’t permanently removed, the hair growth is permanently reduced. Side effects tend to be minimal.

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Laser

Lasers have been providing semi-permanently smooth skin since 1993. The laser targets dark pigments in the hair and releases heat. As pigments absorb the heat, hair follicles are inflamed and disabled, preventing hair from growing back. Lasers are only effective on black or brown hair. Most laser treatments are performed by professionals. However, at least one laser product has been developed to allow for semi-permanent hair removal at home.

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Heat Treatment

In addition to light and lasers, heat can be used to remove hair. Unlike the lasers and IPL, this method is safe and effective for all complexions and hair colors. It is a semi-permanent solution which reduces hair growth dramatically.

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Hair Growth Inhibitors

Hair inhibitors can slow down the rate of hair growth if used after each hair removal session. They are designed to work with hair removal methods that removed hair by the root, such as waxing, sugaring, tweezing or threading. Results vary from individual to individual.

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Electrolysis

Electrolysis is the only truly permanent method of hair removal. A small needle is inserted into each hair follicle to burn the root and prevent it from producing hair. This procedure is very time-consuming and should be done by a professional. If your attempts at hair removal at home do not produce the permanent result you want, you may want to seek out electrolysis treatments.

 

Men’s Hair Removal

Though men may use all of the above procedures to remove hair, they also may have special needs.

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The reviews and recommendations you’ll find on this site are based on research and the real experiences of people who used different methods and products for hair removal at home. There is no one product that will work well for everyone. Your own results may be different. No matter which methods and products you choose, please carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Please understand that, while every effort is made to present honest and reliable information to help you make informed decisions, if you choose to use any of these products, the owner of this site cannot be held responsible for any difficulties you may experience. Seek the advice of your doctor if you have any concerns about the safety of hair removal at home.