Hair Removal at Home – What Works, What Doesn’t

Hair removal at home can be done for many reasons. You may be a tad embarrassed at the prospect of going to a professional (though this is something you should reconsider); you may be perpetually crunched for time and can only fit it in during hours not amenable to that of a pro; or you may simply want or need to save the money you’d otherwise hand over to someone trained and licensed to remove hair. For whatever reason, you want to remove your own hair in your own home. Here are some ways to do it with commentary added.

Shaving 

By far the most popular method of hair removal at home, shaving is also the safest way to do. No, it’s not permanent, and yes, you can hurt yourself doing it if you’re not careful. But by and large, simply buying an inexpensive razor and shaving off unwanted hair is the least painful, most efficient, and least expensive way of getting rid of hair.

Waxing

There’s no getting around it – hair removal at home by waxing is painful. It does work, however, and it lasts a good while, too. But it’s up to the individual as to whether or not the pain of stripping off cooled wax and pulling hair out by its roots is actually worth it. It’s unlikely you can do real, physical damage by waxing, but the psychological trauma might make hair removal using this method a last resort for many people.

Depilatories

Hair removal at home using depilatories works great – for some people. But many people, often fair-haired people like blondes or redheads, discover that any chemical that’s strong enough to remove hair also irritates the heck out of skin. Some people have also found, after the fact, that they have an allergic reaction to chemical depilatories, breaking out into an itchy or painful rash after use. So that makes the use of depilatories another method that’s pretty much up to the individual as to whether or not it’s harmful.

Electrolysis

This is one method of hair removal at home best left untried. People who do this for a living are trained and licensed. But if you must give it a try, go with a tool like the Inverness One-Touch kit that comes with a one-year warranty and complete instructions for performing this time-consuming, but lasting, grooming chore at home. Don’t use this or any type of at-home electrolysis product if you have diabetes, lupus, hepatitis, or any kind of blood or chronic skin disorder and don’t use on sunburned, tattooed, or infected skin.

Other methods of hair removal at home include tweezing, friction, sugaring, and threading. These methods are too time-consuming and/or painful or less-than-successful to be seriously considered, so the best thing is to stick with the three methods mentioned above: shaving, depilatories, waxing, or electrolysis.

Whichever way you select, hair removal at home can be a chore, but for those not wanting to go to a professional for one reason or another, it’s either that or – letting it all grow! So, take your pick.