Hair Removal Methods Comparison
In modern society, there are already many methods to free yourself from annoying hair growth:
Shaving, epilating, sugaring, waxing, IPL (hair removal with pulsed light), laser hair removal.
Depending on the method, the costs, efficiency and actual results vary. Often you don’t really know how all these methods differ and which procedure to choose.
Here, Laser ONE tries to describe all methods for hair removal in more detail and to determine exactly how they differ.
EXPLANATION OF THE METHOD: Shaving is probably the most widespread method of hair removal. With a disposable razor, a gel razor or an electric device, you can superficially shorten the hair with blades. A distinction is made between wet and dry shaving: Wet shaving takes place in the shower with shower gel or shaving foam. A disposable or gel razor is used to quickly and easily remove hair. Only an electric razor is suitable for dry shaving. The method is popular especially for the legs and under the armpits, and the intimate area can also be shaved carefully. However, you should be careful with the latter: If you make the hair too short, this can lead to skin irritation on the one hand, and ingrown hairs and razor bumps easily develop. Overall, shaving irritates the skin.
FOR WHOM: Not suitable for women with sensitive skin. The blades scrape along the skin and irritate it. What works like a cleansing peel for one woman can cause itching and sore spots for another.
DURABILITY OF THE RESULT: Unfortunately only a few days, then stubble comes after. However, these become a little less and softer over time.
HOW EXPENSIVE: You can buy disposable razors in a pack for a few euros, a gel razor, for example from ****, costs around 10 to 15 euros. Electric razors, on the other hand, are a bit more expensive, everything is included between 25 and 80 euros – A cheaper device usually does not work sufficiently.
IS THAT PAINFUL? No, shaving itself does not hurt. But if the skin reacts sensitively, this can lead to itching and burning.
BUY? Disposable razor from 3.90 for 10 pieces, gel razor from around 9 euros, shaver from around 45 euros and shaving foam from 2 pieces for about 6 euros.
TIP: Those who shower or bathe warmly before shaving warm the hairs and hair roots. This makes them softer and finer and easier to shave without irritating the skin too much. After shaving, a nourishing lotion is a must.
EXPLANATION OF THE METHOD: The epilator plucks the hairs with the root with small rotating tweezers. The device is guided over the entire legs and the hairs are removed piece by piece. However, they must have a certain length of a few millimeters, otherwise they will not be detected by the epilator. Afterwards, small red dots can appear, but they usually disappear after a few hours, at the latest the next day. The skin should be tightened during epilation and the device must be applied at the correct angle – This requires a little practice and patience at the beginning. If you are not careful, you can quickly pinch a little skin.
FOR WHOM: Epilating also irritates the skin and is therefore not necessarily suitable for sensitive skin. The success also depends on the individual person and their individual hair structure: In some women, the hairs grow back after only a few days, so they may have to resort to another method.
DURABILITY OF THE RESULT: Depending on the thoroughness and, as already mentioned, depending on the person, up to four weeks.
HOW EXPENSIVE: Epilators are available between 20 and 120 euros. As always, very cheap devices do not produce good results.
IS THAT PAINFUL?: That depends on the pain sensitivity and the quality of the device. In itself, you only feel a slight tug, but some women also describe the procedure as extremely painful. On the other hand, high-quality devices offer massage attachments and cooling packs that are supposed to relieve the pain.
However, there is also waxing for at home. Cold wax is the easiest, you buy the cold wax strips in the drugstore, press them between the palms of your hands until they are warm, and then press them on a spot that needs to be depilated. After a short exposure time, the strip is torn off against the direction of hair growth. The hairs are removed with roots.
Warm wax can also be used at home, but this requires practice, especially when assessing the temperature. You buy the wax in pellets, which are then heated at home in a pot or microwave and then applied to the body. However, there are also so-called roll-on devices, inside which the wax is heated and then simply applied directly from the device. In both cases, the wax is then covered with a piece of fabric, waited briefly and then the hairs are torn out against the direction of growth.
Even if the warm wax requires more practice, you should deal with it if you are looking for a permanent solution for at home. Because the warm wax has the advantage that it widens the pores and the hair is easier to remove, on the other hand, unlike the cold wax, it only adheres to the hairs and not to the skin, and thus leads less often to irritated skin.
FOR WHOM: Suitable for any woman who is willing to accept the pain for a relatively long-lasting hair removal.
DURABILITY OF THE RESULT: The good news: After waxing, the hair is gone for several weeks and grows back finer and less.
HOW EXPENSIVE: The cold wax strips are available for under 10 euros in every drugstore. Warm wax for at home costs up to 20 euros, depending on whether you only buy wax, or also a roll-on device. In the cosmetic studio, the price depends on the body part. From about 20 euros for the bikini zone to 150 for the whole body, there are various offers.
IS THAT PAINFUL?: Clearly: Yes. And quite a bit. Of course, there are also women who swear that it only tugs a little – They are probably just lucky. However, the pain becomes weaker over time as the hair grows back finer and less.
BUY: Cold wax strips from ****, Warmwax Roll-On from ****.
TIP: Before waxing, the hair should be trimmed to a uniform length of about 5 millimeters. In order to be able to correctly assess the wax temperature, test the warm wax first on the back of your hand.
EXPLANATION OF THE METHOD: The IPL method is similar to the normal laser method. However, laser always works with the same wavelength, while this is not the case with an IPL device, as the wavelength of the light varies. The application is, if carried out properly, unproblematic and effective. But the problem: It does not have to be carried out by a doctor, but is also offered in all possible cosmetic studios – Often by people who are not very familiar with it. Then, in the worst case, you can suffer burns and the procedure becomes painful.
The IPL device must be adapted to the skin tone and hair color so that it can work optimally. Meanwhile, there are also devices with which you can use the IPL technology at home. However, the intensity is not as high as with a device that a doctor would use. As with the laser, you need several applications until all hairs, including those in the resting phase (telogen phase), have been removed.
The IPL device must be adapted to the skin tone and hair color so that it can work optimally. Meanwhile, there are also devices with which you can use the IPL technology at home. However, the intensity is not as high as with a device that a doctor would use. As with the laser, you need several applications until all hairs, including those in the resting phase (telogen phase), have been removed.
The method belongs to the area of permanent hair removal. This means that the result should guarantee smooth, hair-free skin for several years to forever if used properly.
EXPLANATION OF THE METHOD: Treatment with laser is becoming more and more in demand. The professional devices are not freely available and can therefore only be used by experts. With the help of light, the melanin (dye) in the hairs is attacked and the hair root is destroyed – No new hairs are formed. The procedure is relatively time-consuming, as the area to be depilated is treated piece by piece and the laser device only covers small areas. In addition, the laser only removes active (in the growth phase) hairs; Those that are in the resting state still grow back. That’s why you need several sessions at intervals of several weeks to achieve a permanent result.
FOR WHOM: Lasering works best for dark hair, but blonde and red hair can also be removed in the meantime. Only with completely white hairs is there not enough melanin for the procedure.
DURABILITY OF THE RESULT: For several years you can rely on smooth skin, but then it can happen that individual hairs come through again.
HOW EXPENSIVE: Since you need several treatments and the application is complex, a full body hair removal costs several hundred euros. Small areas, such as the face or intimate area, also come to up to 100 euros. But after completion of the treatment therapy then for years peace.
IS THAT PAINFUL?: No, but you feel the treatment like very slight needle sticks. In addition, the highly sensitive skin can become red and swell slightly – But since only specialists are allowed to perform the procedure, they will draw attention to it and react to problems if in doubt.
EXPLANATION OF THE METHOD: This technique is considered the most permanent – but also the most unpleasant method of permanent hair removal. It is only suitable for small to medium areas, as each hair is removed individually here. With an ultra-fine needle, you drive into the hair canal and give the hair root a small electric shock, so that it is sclerosed and no more hair grows back. If used improperly, it can lead to swelling, redness, inflammation or even scars. You notice right at the first appointment how competent the specialist is: an introductory consultation should include a more detailed explanation of the treatment and the risks, epilation should not be started immediately under any circumstances.
FOR WHOM: This type of permanent hair removal is not intended for larger areas. The face, armpits, intimate area or areas with few hairs can be treated
DURABILITY OF THE RESULT: This technique is one of the few that really guarantees permanent hair removal.
HOW EXPENSIVE: This varies greatly, depending on the type of hair, size of the area and type of device. You need several sessions and should make a consultation appointment for a price offer. However, it can be said that a treatment is not cheaper than the one with laser.
IS THAT PAINFUL?: That depends on which device is used and how sensitive you are. Nowadays, there are very safe needle epilation devices with which pain is hardly noticeable anymore.
