What is the most Effective Hair Removal Option?

Getting rid of unwanted body hair can be a frustrating problem but a wide range of methods now exist to suit everyone. With regards to quick fix solutions, perhaps the easiest and cheapest methods are shaving and depilatory creams. While these do offer quite effective, immediate results it must be highlighted that they are not very long lasting – indeed, some people find hair re-growth occurs within 24 hours.In addition, shaving can leave the skin with rashes and cuts whilst the chemical smell from depilatory creams is undeniably strong.

For a longer lasting finish, many people find waxing an effective solution. As the procedure removes the hair from the root rather than the surface, the skin generally remains hairless for around 3 weeks (although up to 8 has been reported). In addition, waxing avoids the stubble associated with shaving and it is often the case that hair re-growth is finer than with shaving. This technique can be painful however and many find that, as a certain level of hair growth is needed before waxing can occur, it can also be inconvenient.

Using an epilator is another popular hair removal method. These devices work by gripping and pulling out the hair and can result in hairless skin for around 2-4 weeks. As with waxing however, many people find epilators extremely painful and once again, hair must be allowed to grow before use.

In terms of more high tech methods of hair removal, electrolysis and laser hair removal are often viewed as effective ways to reduce and remove unwanted body hair. Unsurprisingly, the high success rates of these techniques are reflected in the price and for some these options are simply not affordable. It cannot be denied however, that for many people electrolysis and laser hair removal will offer a practical alternative to constantly removing hair.

Arguably the more effective of the two is electrolysis which uses metal probes to discharge electricity into the hair follicle and destroy it. The biggest advantage of this procedure is that many clients find that hair removal by electrolysis is permanent. However, it must be stressed that results do vary and cannot be predicted.  It must also be noted that most patients find electrolysis very painful and, as it tackles each hair individually, it is also quite time consuming. Furthermore, multiple treatments are required to achieve best results

Another technique which promises to deliver long term, hairless skin is laser hair removal. The benefits of this procedure over electrolysis are that it is usually regarded as much less painful and invasive and greater areas of hair can be targeted at once. As with electrolysis, multiple procedures are required to achieve hairless skin – the exact number varies but generally 6-12 is around average. In addition, many patients find that annual top-ups are also needed to maintain hairless skin. The major disadvantage of laser hair removal is that each skin and hair type reacts differently to the procedure. Those with light hair may find the treatment with less effective whilst people with Black or Afro-Caribbean skin need to be particularly careful about being burned. As laser technology advances, this is becoming less of an issue but it is something to bear in mind.

As we have seen then, there clearly exists a wide variety of methods available to deal with unwanted body hair and the trick is to find the solution that suits your needs best.

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