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Best For |
Pros |
Cons |
Hair Removal Hints |
Cost |
| Shaving
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legs
Underarms
|
It's quick, simple, and cheap.
It's ideal for legs and underarms. |
Since shaving produces stubble
very quickly, sometimes in under 24 hours, it's not great for
removing hair from such areas as your face, arms and bikini
line. |
Use a moisturizing shaving cream,
gel, or oil and a triple-blade razor (to nix more hair with
fewer strokes) that has a moisturizing strip (to help the blades
glide smoothly over your skin). Don't use your man's razor
- it's designed for tough male face scruff, which is 50 to
60% thicker than your body hair. Hot product: Tend
Skin. The best product for eliminating razor burn, bumps
and ingrown hairs (based on customers' rating at Folica.com) |
Shaving is the least expensive
fuzz-busting method. |
| Electrolysis
|
Face
Bikini
Underarms |
That unsightly hair will be gone
for good, no matter what your skin type. A technician inserts
a very fine needle into a hair follicle, and an electric current
cauterizes the blood vessel that makes the hair grow, thereby
eliminating any future growth. The sensation is similar to
a static-electricity shock. |
Going after hairs one by one is
time-consuming and pricey, so electrolysis isn't recommended
for larger areas like legs - it can take up to 50 hours just
to do one calf, which could add up to $5,000.
Fortunately, personal electrolysis device had been approved
for home use, at a fraction of the cost.
|
The most popular home electrolysis
device approved by FDA is: One Touch Home Electrolysis |
An electrolysis by session by
a professional costs about $100 for one hour.
Personal electrolysis device: $39.95.
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| Waxing
|
Face
Legs
Bikini
Arms
Underarms |
Waxing removes hair by the root,
it leaves your skin super smooth and hair-free for up to four
weeks. |
The pain factor is relatively
high (think of an adhesive bandage quickly ripped off). Also,
there are certain times when you shouldn't wax: when skin is
sunburned and the three days before and first three days of
your period (since you're retaining water and skin is more
sensitive). Women using any topical medications or other
drying oral medications should also avoid waxing. |
Waxing is easy to do at home.
Just make sure your hair in about one-quarter inch long so
the wax can grip it.
Popular products:
One
Touch® Deluxe Cordless Home Waxing System
Nad's® Natural
Water-soluble Hair Removal Kit
Touchme® Sugaring
Hair Removal Kit
|
Estimated price for in-salon waxing
range from $10 for brows to $50 for legs. At home, try sugar-base
waxs since they're water-soluble and won't leave you sticky. |
| Epilation
|
Face
Legs
Bikini
Underarms |
Epilation is hair removal at the
root. A row of precisely placed tweezers gently removes the
hairs (even those extremely short hairs of 0.5 mm). One single
session will leave your legs smooth and beautiful for up to
4 weeks, instead of days. Long lasting smoothness. |
Like waxing, the pain factor is
relatively high. |
If you are epilating for the first
time or if you haven't epilated for a longer period of time,
it is a good idea to shave or pre-cut the longer hairs first
(with the shaver head). The ideal length of hair for epilating
is between 2 and 5 mm. Make sure that your skin is completely
dry and free from any grease or creams.
Popular products:
Emjoi
Hair Removal System
Emjoi
Optima Dual Opposed Tweezer System
|
affordable ($30 - $90 per set) |
| Depilatories
|
Face
Legs
Bikini
Underarms |
Completely painless and easy to
do at home. These creams work by breaking down the structure
of the hair, dissolving the right below the skin's surface. Depilatory
creams should keep you hair-free for several days. |
Not for supersensitive skin. Always
do a patch test first: apply a nickle-size amount of cream,
wait 15 minutes before washing off, then check for any redness
or bumps before proceeding to a larger area like legs, face,
underarms, or bikini line. |
Use cream formula for areas like
bikini line or underarms, because it's thicker and won't drip,
whereas a spreadable lotion is best for legs since you're covering
a broader area.For mustache, use a depilatory that's specifically
made for the face since it will contain gentler ingredients.
Popular products:
Andrea
Bikini Line Hair Remover
Andre
Extra Strength Hair Remover for Men
Hair
No More Advanced Hair Vanishing Creme
|
Very affordable. |
| Lasers
|
Face
Legs
Bikini
Arms
Underarms
|
Once an area is lasered four to
six times, the area will be about 80% hair-free for at least
one year and up to 10 year. Less painful than electrolysis.
What is Laser Hair Removal and common questions answered. |
The less contrast there is between
your skin tone and the color of your hair, the harder it is
for the light beam to seek out the follicle and zap it. Translation:
Pale-skinned women with blonde hair and dark-skinned women
with black hair may need more sessions to notice reduced hair
growth. For optimum results, you have to stick to strict four-week
schedule, since hair grows in monthly cycles. |
You'll need to do some maintenance work at home between
laser sessions to keep yourself fuzz-free. The options are
either shaving or using a depilatory - if you remove hair
at the root via waxing, the laser won't be able to find and
zap the follicles during your next treatment.
|
One session costs between $150
and $250 for 15 to 20 minutes - enough time to cover your bikini
or underarms but only half the time needed to do your legs. |
| Threading
|
Face |
Removes unwanted facial hair from
skin that's too sensitive for laser or waxing. "Threading is
Middle Eastern technique that plucks hair at the root by using
a twisted piece of thread," says Michelle Ornstein, owner of
Enessa Wellness Spa in L.A. Since no chemicals are used, there's
no way you'll have a reaction, and it only takes about 15 minutes
to get both brows done. |
Threading only works on flat surfaces
- it's too difficult to maneuver around areas like your bikini
line and knees. It also can't be done on anyone with bad acne.
Since the string is basically dragged over the skin, it could
irritate severe acne, causing it to rupture. (For people with
serious acne, Ornstein recommends only electrolysis, sine it
can be done one hair follicle at a time.) |
While you're having your face
threaded, don't forget about those other small furry areas
like the line running from your belly button to your pubic
bone or those annoying sprouts on your big toes - threading
is ideal for those areas too. Also, don't attempt this at home
- it takes most threaders months to learn, and if it's done
incorrectly, you'll just pinch the skin. |
Approximately $40 for a full face
and $15 for the upper lip. |
| Pain Factor |
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| No Problem |
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Little to none |
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Ouch |
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OUCH! |
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YOWZER!! |
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