7 Hair Removal Methods - Pros and Cons

Here are some hair removal methods and their pros and cons so you can figure which one might suit you best or which method you may want to mix things up with and try something new.

Shaving

The most popular and easiest hair removal technique is shaving. This is a cheap, quick and cheerful but very temporary method of hair removal because all it does is cut the hair off the surface of the skin.

All it does it cut the part of the hair that you can see poking out of your skin. As it continues to grow, the hair will have a blunt rather than tapered tip, which is why it looks more noticeable.

Some people say shaving makes your hair grow thicker or darker, but that's just not true.

The very visible downside to shaving is cuts and scrapes, and even razor bumps, but these can be avoided if you moisturise your skin properly prior to shaving, and as you are using a sharp object, take your time.

Waxing

If you really want to get to the root of your hair problem, Waxing, waxing is a good option because it rips the hair out from the root. This option involves spreading warm wax over an area of the skin in the direction of hair growth.

Then a strip of fabric peels away the wax along with the hair in quick motions. This method makes the hair grow slower since it has to start from the root.

While it takes longer for you to see hair, you have to wait until you have a good amount of hair in order to wax again. Wax can be quite difficult to work with and can also be pretty painful so it's best left to a professional.

Sugar Waxing

Similar to traditional waxing, sugar waxing also pulls the hair from the root. In this method, a natural, sugary substance mixed with a gooey consistency is applied to the skin.

Then, with a paper or cloth strip, it is pulled off. The unique aspect of the sugar wax is that it is made with natural ingredients that are nourishing to the skin.

Since it is water-soluble, it can be cleaned up with warm water while traditional wax can be much more difficult to take off any access left on the skin.

Depilatory Creams

Depilatory creams have alkaline chemicals that break down the proteins of the hair, thinning and dissolving the base of the hairs.

Some people love it while others get skin irritations because of the harsh chemicals in these creams. Usually, the cream is applied for 15 minutes on the hairy surface of the skin, the chemicals react with your body, and then you can easily wipe or wash it off.

Depilatories can be dangerous and abrasive to the skin. When trying one out for the first time, test it on a small area of the skin at least 48 hours before applying to a larger area.

Plucking

Plucking is used only for small areas, like the eyebrows and parts of the face, since it involves removing one or just a few hairs at a time.

It is very effective as it also removes the hair at the root. Plucking can be painful and if an area is plucked too many times, hair might not grow there anymore.

That is why we have so many people who lived through the pencil-thin eyebrow eras with barely any brows nowadays, so be careful and use sparingly.

There is a fantastic tutorial on the Holland & Barett website on how to pluck eybrows. The tutorial is laid out in six main steps to achieve the perfect shaped eyebrows - Mark out the edges of your brows, find your arch, decide how thick you want your brows to be, straighten out the hairs, pluck outside the markings, shape your brows.

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Threading

Similar to plucking, threading is also mostly used for the face and eyebrows. This method uses a thin doubled polyester or cotton thread that rolls over the unwanted hair plucking it.

The good thing about threading is, even though it is not pain-free, it is a quicker process than plucking because it removes rows of hair rather than one at a time.

There is a very helpful tutorial on how to thread eyebrows on the wikiHow website covering everything from supplies to technique and finishing. It's quite a long tutorial but by the end of it, you will be an eyebrow threading ninja.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is the most permanent hair removal method available. This method is a process where the laser targets the melanin in the skin and burns it.

Treatments need to be repeated over time for hair to no longer grow in that area. Because this treatment targets melanin, darker-skinned people are not recommended to do it as it would be too abrasive on them.

In the past you would have needed to go to a specialised salon for this treatment but with advancements in technology, hair removal at home is easy with the right gadget, although they can be quite expensive. We've found one of the cheapest IPL Hair Removal Devices on Amazon.co.uk for just £65.44. Other major brands such as Braun and Philips charge into the several hundreds.

There are so many hair removal options out there from the quick shave in the shower, the waxing, the creams, the plucking and threading, all the way to the most permanent, laser. It all depends on your lifestyle, pain tolerance, and comfort.

If you don't mind shaving, stick with it. If you've had enough of having to shave so often, opt for waxing or maybe even laser. The important part is that you are comfortable in your own skin and that you feel beautiful at the end of the day.