To shave or not to shave? That is the question. Of course, hair removal is all a matter of personal preference. It's up to you whether you want to de-fluff in the first place. And if you do, it's your call which method you favour to become a smooth operator.
In the latter camp? The best way to decide how to go about hair removal is to arm yourself with the pros and cons of each option, whether you're shaping your brows or nixing leg hair. That way, you can work out which suits you best in terms of convenience, ouch factor, longevity, and end result. We've put together the ultimate guide on every different hair removal method to choose from in case you're in the market to switch things up.
Threading
This involves looping a thread of string around each tiny hair, effectively lassoing it, then pulling the loop taut to catch and pull each hair out from the root.
Pros: It gives an ultra neat and tidy finish and it's a more gentle option than waxing for sensitive, thin or redness-prone skin.
Cons: It’s tricky to do yourself at home so it may mean you'll need to visit a professional each time. The technique pulls the hair out from the root so it's a bit painful. Since you can only remove a few hairs at a time, it's not great for covering wide surface areas.
Waxing
This involves using strips of hot or cold wax, spread over hairs (in the direction of growth), then ripped off in the opposite direction to remove both the hair and the root.
Pros: It removes hair from the root, so it can give a longer-lasting smoothness than razors or hair removal cream. Over time, waxing hair repeatedly can weaken the hairs making them finer and less painful to remove and less stubbly if left for longer periods. Therefore, you may find you need to wax less frequently over time.
Cons: It can hurt (especially for thicker haired gals), it's messier than shaving, and it takes some nerves of steel.
Best for: Legs, lips, brows, pits and bits (aka bikini lines).
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Hair removal cream
Also known as depilatory creams, hair removal creams work by breaking down the keratin structure within hair, effectively dissolving the bonds that hold the hair together, so that when you wipe the cream away, it takes the hair with it.
Pros: It’s painless and speedy. It can be less irritating on skin than the friction that's caused by waxing and shaving. Since the end of the hair isn't squared off at the tip (as it is in shaving), it'll feel softer when it grows back through.
Cons: The smooth feeling is short-lived as this only removes hair above the skin (rather than from the root), which means regrowth will come through more quickly. Hair removal creams can be messy to use, lots have a whiffy scent and they can feel itchy during the three to ten minutes they take to work.
Best for: Upper lip, legs, bikini lines and armpits.
Shaving
This involves skimming off the layer of hair above your skin with a razor blade.
Pros: It's quick, easy and gives an ultra smooth finish. It's also pain-free (provided you don't knick yourself).
Cons: It doesn't remove hair from the roots, so hair can grow back faster than other methods. The razor, squares the tips of hairs off meaning they can feel sharp or appear thick when they grow back through (though they won't actually make hairs grow back thicker). The friction involved can causes irritation like razor rash if you're not gentle. That's why it's important to shave while your legs are wet and use a shower gel that has slip to help the razor glide more easily.
Best for: Armpits, legs and bikini lines
Dermaplaning
This involves using a single blade to remove the hair and dead skin cells from the surface of your skin (similar to shaving). It mainly targets peach fuzz (the soft, ultra fine baby hairs that offer appear along the upper lip.
Pros: It's precise, pain-free and simple to do. Since it removes dead skin cells as well, it leaves skin feeling much smoother and creates an even base for makeup.
Cons: Hair grows back fairly quickly as this doesn't remove them from the roots. If you're too rough you can aggravate the skin creating or exacerbating irritation and acne.
Best for: The upper lip and baby hair on cheeks.
Sugaring
This involves pulling hair out of the roots using a thick gel made from sugar, lemon and hot water, much like a wax.
Pros: You can make the concoction at home using ingredients from your kitchen cupboard, it removes hairs from the root and it uses natural ingredients, plus it's more earth-friendly and sustainable than other methods. It's gentler and slightly less painful than waxing as the mixture only sticks to hair (rather than your skin as well) and it can be applied at room temperature rather than hot which can be less irritating for sensitive skin.
Cons: It can be messy and (since you're still pulling out hairs) still painful. Plus, it doesn't work as well on thick hairs as waxing and you may find there are hairs that are too stubborn to remove with this method.
Best for: Armpits, legs, bikini lines, upper lips and brows.
IPL
This stands for Intense Pulse Light and involves using light therapy to target the melanin in hair follicles and damage the root in a way that inhibits it from producing new hairs.
Pros: This used to be a salon-only treatment but laser hair removal at home means you can now use it yourself. It's not very painful to use and the results can be permanent. Different sized nozzles enable you to target both small and large areas.
Cons: This takes longer to see results than other methods and to see the longer-term benefits, you'll need to use it several times. It works best on contrast (the ideal candidate would have dark hair and pale skin) and so can be less effective for those with dark skin and dark hair or light skin and light hair. And, though technological advancements are tackling this issue, it's still not perfect. It can also be patchy – permanently reducing the amount of hair you have in some places, rather than eliminating it altogether.
Best for: Legs, bikini lines, armpits and upper lips.
Epilating
This involves using a handheld device that has a rotating head with tiny mechanical tweezers that catch, pull and pluck hairs out from the root.
Pros: It removes hairs from the roots so will last much longer. Over time, it weakens hairs so that they grow back finer and softer (or not at all).
Cons: It can take longer than shaving or waxing to remove all the hairs, it's painful and it can be slightly more patchy than other methods.
Best for: Legs, armpits and bikini lines.
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
