Popular ways to get rid of unwanted hair

Removing unwanted hair is like dirty personal hygiene dishes. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, they just keep piling up (or in this case... growing) until you can't look at them anymore. However, unlike dirty dishes, when it comes to hair removal, both long-term and short-term options are available. From shaving to waxing to laser hair removal, find out which options are best for you - and your hair removal needs - with our guide to ten popular ways to remove unwanted hair here.

Shaving

If you look in the beauty parlors, showers or dressing tables of most women and men, it will be hard not to find a razor hidden somewhere. This is because, for many of us, shaving is the introductory course to hair removal. A shave that requires a razor and a lubricated area (usually with water and shaving cream) can quickly remove visible unwanted hair from the surface of the skin. There are a few things to keep in mind when shaving. First, you never want to shave your skin when it's dry, or you're practically asking for irritation in the form of cuts and burns. Secondly, after shaving, you need to make sure that you moisturize your skin to make up for the lack of moisture. Want more tips to get the best shave ever? We share our detailed shaving guide here.

tweezers

Another popular form of hair removal (especially when we're talking about eyebrows) is plucking! Whether you're trying to remove one pesky—read: stubborn—unwanted hair, or patiently shaping your eyebrows, tweezing can be a great way to more accurately remove visible unwanted hair. When it comes to plucking unwanted hair, there is a top rule of thumb you should follow. Plucking stray hairs between and below the eyebrows is normal, but bringing tweezers to the skin to remove ingrown hairs is not. This can lead to what certified dermatologist and Skincare.com consultant Dr. Dhawal Bhanusali calls "post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation" as well as scarring. Learn more about the consequences of plucking (the wrong way) here.

Epilation

Another incredibly popular method of removing unwanted hair from the face and body is waxing. In fact, this technique is often used for the eyebrows, upper lip, and bikini area. Unlike shaving, waxing can leave you with silky-smooth—read: hairless—skin for a longer period of time, but like shaving, this is only a temporary fix. For many, waxing can be uncomfortable on the skin, so it's important to follow the tips we've outlined here for post-wax skin care. The other downside to waxing is that you have to let your hair grow out before each treatment… which is why many women (and men!) are turning to the next hair removal method on our list: laser hair removal. 

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

If you are looking for a hair removal method with longer lasting results, consider laser hair removal! Laser hair removal is a method that uses specially designed lasers tuned to specific colors to get rid of unwanted hair. “Hair absorbs laser energy, and so do the pigment cells in that hair,” explains Dr. Michael Kaminer, board-certified dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon and Skincare.com consultant. "The heat builds up and absorbs the hair follicle or hair root, [and] the heat kills the follicle."

Laser hair removal isn't just a one-time procedure and you're all set (although it would be nice, wouldn't it?). The hair removal technique requires about 10 laser treatments and subsequent sessions as needed. And while this hair removal method isn't permanent, let's just say it can give you longer lasting results than shaving, waxing, threading, and so on.

NITI

If eyebrow wax isn't your thing, try flossing! This ancient hair removal technique uses, you guessed it, a thread to pluck out rows of unwanted hair. So how exactly does it work? The cutter usually uses a thin cotton or polyester thread that is double-twisted, then twisted and wound over the area of ​​unwanted hair.

EPILATION

Another form of hair removal similar to plucking plus is epilation. This method of hair removal uses a device called an epilator to remove unwanted hair from the surface of the skin. The device itself is like a set of tweezer heads on a spinning wheel that pluck unwanted hair with each rotation. The results can often be similar to those of waxing: skin looks soft, smooth, hairless for weeks, but many will admit that this form of hair removal can be a bit painful - literally!

DEPILATION CREAM

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just smear shaving cream on our legs, wait a few minutes, and then wipe it off to reveal soft, smooth, hairless legs? And this dream becomes a reality thanks to depilatory creams. Depilatory cream is similar in texture to shaving cream (only with the ability to remove unwanted hair), depilatory cream is a highly alkaline formula that contains ingredients that act on the protein structure of unwanted hair to dissolve or break it down, resulting in a smooth, hairless surface.

dermaplaning

When it comes to removing unwanted hair from the surface of your skin, we go to great lengths to achieve soft, smooth, hair-free skin. Is it a point? Dermaplaning. According to board certified dermatologist and Skincare.com expert Dr. Dandy Engelman, “Dermaplaning is the process of exfoliating and shaving the surface of the skin using a sharp surgical scalpel, comparable to shaving a human with a blade.” While it may sound a bit intimidating when done right (by a licensed professional), dermaplaning can be very gentle. What else? In addition to removing unwanted hair, dermaplaning can remove dead skin cells, resulting in smoother, softer, and more radiant skin.

SHUKHARENIE

The technique is similar to waxing - only the "wax" used is not wax at all - sugaring is a hair removal method that uses a heated sugar mixture to create a thick paste or gel that can remove unwanted hair. Result? The appearance of a softer, smoother - not to mention hairless - skin surface.

ELECTROLYSIS

Looking for something more permanent? Consider electrolysis. Electrolysis is the only hair removal method that the FDA considers irreversible. So how does it work? According to the FDA, "Medical electrolysis devices destroy hair growth using shortwave radio frequency after a thin probe is placed in the hair follicle." Similar to laser hair removal, electrolysis requires a series of sessions over a period of time to achieve the best results.