If there is one thing all girls can agree on, it's that they wish hair could remove itself. Shaving, tweezing, waxing—what they say really is true, beauty is pain.
And sometimes, going to the salon hurts your wallet too. Removing hair at home can be easy, painless and a whole lot cheaper. It is especially time efficient for those days you just can't get out to the salon or spa. In fact, you may never venture out again after you see these techniques!
Shaving
It's a timeless method that every woman knows like the back of her hand. Shaving is probably the most common type of hair removal at home. There are ways, however, that you can fully optimize your shaving experience.
We recommend shaving in the shower, and saving it for last. If the water is hot enough, the hairs will soften after several minutes and will be way easier to remove.
Out of shaving cream? Hair conditioner works just as well. It will leave your legs feeling smoother and more moisturized than usual. We also recommend exfoliating to reduce those in-grown hairs that frequently come with shaving.
The only downside to shaving is that those hairs manage to come back within a day or two. Boo!
Schick Quattro For Women, $9.49
Waxing
Waxing hurts, but the pay-off is often worth it. It's especially great for covering large areas of skin, such as your legs. It also has a more lasting effect than shaving and will keep the hair at bay a little longer, since it reaches under the surface of skin as well.
The most effective way to wax is to apply it in the direction of hair growth, and remove it in the opposite direction. Do not wax the same area more than once—if you have stray hairs, you can tweeze them. And be sure check the temperature of the wax before applying it. (Too cold, won't work; too hot = ouch!)
We also strongly advise you to exfoliate and moisturize, as this method can be quite painful.
Bliss Poetic Waxing At-Home Hair Removal Kit, $48
Tweezing
Have a couple of hairs here and there? Tweezing is the best way to go for the precision you need. It is also the best way to maintain those eyebrows in between waxing or threading. Do your own brows? Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to great eyebrows.
Tweezerman Stainless Steel Slant Tweezer, $22
Lasers
The pros of using at-home laser treatment? It's in the privacy of your own home, and nearly pain free.
The cons? It's more expensive than most other at-home options (but still cheaper than getting it done professionally). Plus, the cost may be worth it, as laser treatments have been provden to reduce hair growth after just a couple of treatments. Hair will grow back finer, lighter, and easier to remove. Eventually, it will not grow back at all and you can ditch the razor. How great does that sound?
TRIA Hair Removal Laser 4X, $449
Hair removal creams
If you've never tried Nair, just know that it's as close to magic as it gets. You put the cream on, and the hair comes off! We especially recommend this product for your upper lip and chin areas. It's affordable, quick, and easy. What more could you want? That being said, take caution with depilatory creams such as this one. Leaving them on for more than 5 to 10 minutes can result in some serious burning!
Nair Moisturizing Face Cream Hair Remover, $5.49
Have you tried any of these products? Which method works best for you? Let us know!
