Review - Hair Removal Techniques and Comparison

It's not glamorous but most girls like to remove their body hair, and there are loads of methods you could use to achieve this; so with the summer months coming up I thought I'd give my review on hair removal techniques.


1. Shaving

Shaving is the traditional method of removing hair and most people use it.

Pro's     - Quick, painless and efficient

              - Removes hair thoroughly and easily

Con's   - Hair grows back very quickly and stubbly sharp

             - Environmental issues?

             - Need water and shaving foam

            - Some people get razor burn or bumps which aren't attractive.


2. Waxing



Waxing is in my opinion one of the best ways to remove hair thoroughly and for a long time. Obviously it's more sore than shaving which feels like nothing, but to say it's painful it a bit of an overstatement I think! If you're ok with plucking your eyebrows then you'll be ok with waxing. My tip is to get it done professionally a couple of times and watch closely what they do, then buy a Veet wax pot and do it yourself!

Pro's     - Gets rid of hair thoroughly and no shadows of hairs under the surface

              - Long lasting result 

Con's   - Can be expensive if you have it done professionally and a wax pot is around £8 and would only do 2x half legs

             - Some people claim it hurts, depends on your threshold

             - Takes a long time to do yourself


3. Epilation



Epilation is my number one hair removal choice. I was lucky enough to be given the Braun Silk-epil Xpressive Pro Wet & Dry Body & Face Rechargeable Epilator by my boyfriend and I'd never go back to shaving afterwards. It gives the same result as wax (so still leaves a few finer hairs like waxing does) and lasts just as long, but you can do it at home.

My epilator is the basic model and comes with a vibrating head to reduce pain, a flat head for when you want close-up results (and to achieve hair removal the size of a grain of sand as the advert claims) and also a narrow cap for armpits and bikini lines.

The pain - to be honest when you first do your legs it is an odd sensation, especially with the vibrating cap but it isn't too painful and gets better every time you do it. The armpits are more painful but the result is really worth it - no dark shadows!

As with waxing you will get ingrown hairs, but I find a scrub with scrubby gloves in the shower stops them from developing. I'd advise for the first few weeks to epilate twice a week to catch every hair and give the best result.

Pro's     - Gets rid of hair thoroughly and no shadows of hairs under the surface

              - Long lasting result 

              - Expensive start up cost but you never have to buy another razor!

Con's   - does hurt a little when you first do it, depends on your threshold

             - Takes a longer amount of time than shaving


4. Misc

     -   Hair Removal Creams

  

 Hair removal creams are simple and popular. They're easy to apply, you just slap it on, wait, scrape it off and wash the area. Perfect for all over the body. However I think they're quite expensive and I probably apply it wrong but it doesn't go very far.

Pro's     - Easy to use like shaving

              - Hair grows back softer

Con's   - Can irritate your skin if sensitive

             - Expensive and only lasts as long as shaving


    -   Silkymit



You can get these mitts for cheap in loads of places like pound shops and Home Bargains. They're like a fine sandpaper that you rub 4 times clockwise and then 4 times anti-clockwise and it removes the hair.

The verdict:

Pro's     - it's good for legs and areas of skin which are large and flat (um... so only your legs then)

               - it removes hair quickly without water and leaves a smooth effect

Con's    - It makes your legs really irritated and itchy if you have sensitive or dry skin like me

             - It strips your fake tan off in the process!

Remember click the polaroid for the rest of the holiday series!