{SCA}The desire to remove excess or dark hair usually begins in adolescence and seems to continue until the day we die. Whether it is hair on the face, armpits, legs, bikini line, or other body parts, many women and men are intent upon having the hair on their scalp be the only visible hair on their bodies. With the emphasis on smooth, hairless skin, it is interesting to note that excess hair, especially in women, is still a taboo subject.

There are many options available to remove unwanted hair, but few options to get rid of hair permanently. The different methods of hair removal from the old stand-by, shaving, to the new treatments, lasers and vaniqa, are discussed here. Each person should chose a method or combination of methods that works best for them depending on cost, time available, skin type, and the desired hair-free area.

Six Hair Removal Methods for Women:

1. Men’s hair removal products work better and are more affordable: Men’s shaving creams are richer, and better for the skin and are usually at least $1 cheaper than products designed for women. You’ll get a closer shave and have softer legs if you use these. Men’s razors are less expensive than women’s.
2. Chemical hair removers are trickier than you think: Do an allergy test before you use these. And if you are using them on the upper lip or bikini area, please make sure you test them on a less sensitive area of skin before putting them on your face or bikini area. Any chemical can cause a severe skin irritation. Also, if your bathroom doesn’t have a window, find somewhere else to apply the product, because they have a very strong odor.
3. At home waxing can work: Most people have a hard time inflicting pain on themselves. And if you don’t rip off the wax fast enough, the hair and the wax will stay on you and it will hurt anyway. It’s best to limit home waxing to legs and arms. Be sure always to use heated wax products. There are ones that don’t require heating, but the simple fact is, they just don’t work as well. And that’s if you can stand the pain of waxing in the first place.
4. Consider bleaching, but not where you think: Sometimes you have dark hair in places you don’t want, but the area could look odd if it were totally hairless, for example your arms. Consider bleaching products for these areas. When it comes to the face though, bleached facial hair may not be visible, but it will make your lipstick look imperfect.
5. Tweezing isn’t just for eyebrows: With the help of a trusty pair of tweezers, (the sharper, the better), pluck away at the hairs you want to eliminate. In fact, it can be used for cleanup anywhere. That is if you have the time to individually puck each hair.
6. Skincare: Applications of olive oil or talc, (not both), can also soothe women’s skin irritated from hair removal. Be sure not to apply alcohol based perfumes to recently shaved areas. It will irritate them and cause redness, swelling and bumps. Shaving back and forth both against and towards the hair growth direction provides a closer shave and helps to exfoliate, allowing for fewer ingrown hairs.