The topic of hair removal is always a bit of a touchy subject, especially when going into all the gory details! However, I thought it would be interesting for me to share with you my thoughts on various hair removal methods, and which I find the most effective.
Although I must be honest and say that I am extremely lazy when it comes to removing hair, and the only area I am quite attentive to is my underarms - the rest I would happily leave for weeks (*cough* months...)! Luckily I am naturally blonde (well that's how I was born, sadly the hair on my head has since gone darker!) so my leg hair is quite fine and barely visible from a distance, which is pretty good!
Although I must be honest and say that I am extremely lazy when it comes to removing hair, and the only area I am quite attentive to is my underarms - the rest I would happily leave for weeks (*cough* months...)! Luckily I am naturally blonde (well that's how I was born, sadly the hair on my head has since gone darker!) so my leg hair is quite fine and barely visible from a distance, which is pretty good!
Shaving
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This is probably the most traditional method where most girls start off their hair removing journey! It can be done with a disposable razor which is done wet or an electric one which can be done wet or dry depending on your shaver. When I first started out, my parents got me an electric razor from Argos for my birthday or Christmas which I still have and use to this day! Electric razors are the best way to start off I think, they are pretty effective for underarms and legs, and they are harder to cut yourself with than bladed razors. I do think that you get closer shave with a blade, but the cuts are pretty horrendous if you're new to it or not careful! I don't find it lasts very long and you need to be willing to do it regularly to keep up the results.
Personally now I only use my electric razor in emergency situations, like if the hair is too long to epilate (more on this later, and yes gross haha) or if I need a quick painless method, especially for underarms. I would also never use it on my bikini area - I tried it once and it was awful!
Hair Removal Cream
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Hair removal creams are pretty simple to use but they often stink, and if you have course, dark hair then sometimes they aren't strong enough to dissolve it. For the most part I would use hair removal cream down there and occasionally on my legs. It's definitely the least painful method, unless you leave it on too long or are allergic! I haven't used hair removal cream in ages as I found it hard to find a cruelty free one, and they are probably not the best thing to use on your skin anyway with the number of chemicals they contain!
Epilating
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If you don't know what an epilator is then it is basically a contraption which looks similar to an electric razor but instead of blades it contains loads of tiny tweezers (this is starting to sound like something out of Saw) and when you turn it on they start to pluck and rotate very quickly. Yes, this sounds horrendous but I promise you it's not as bad as it sounds! It goes so fast that you only feel little pinches, it is similar to waxing/sugaring but as it's slower it is more painful.
I love using mine on my underarms, it lasts for about week. It is a bit sore when you first run it over the skin but after that initial 'ouch' it is totally bearable and worth the results. I recommend taking a deep breathe, apply quite a good amount of pressure and don't go too fast (or too slow!). For the legs I do a quick once over as that is the most painful part, and then you can concentrate on getting as many hairs away as possible. Unfortunately I haven't found epilating has made my legs particularly smooth as there are often quite a few hairs missed out. It also isn't as effective if the hair is too long, as I mentioned above, as the tweezers won't be able to grip it properly so you may need to shave, leave it a few days and then epilate.
Waxing
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Waxing is usually carried out at beautician's as it is a bit more tricky to conquer yourself, especially the bikini area! Waxing is great method for removing hair anywhere, the only downsides being the cost and possibly the pain. I have had my legs waxed, which I found virtually painless except for a sort of tickly, stingy sensation around the ankles and backs of knees. Also I've had my bikini area waxed which is definitely painful! Not unbearable though and if it's only every month or so then it's not too bad. I've heard that taking a couple of ibuprofen an hour can help with the pain if you are particularly sensitive!
Sugaring
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Sugaring is almost identical to waxing except for the formula of the product. Instead of wax, it is made up of sugar, water and usually some other soothing ingredients such as lemon, tea tree and camomile. Sugar is better than wax in that it is totally soluble so no sticky missed bits, and it grabs onto only the hair rather than the skin so it is much more gentle and less painful. The only method I've used of sugaring is Moom Organic which I used on my stomach - literally felt no pain; bikini line - a bit painful but less than waxing, I found that I couldn't get the area right underneath (sorry :D) I'm not sure if the hair needed to be shorter to give a better grip so I'll keep trying...; and legs - it did work but I used up all the pieces of cloth after only doing half of one leg!!!
Moom is kind of pricey, the kit pictured contains a 6oz jar, 18 cotton strips, 4 applicator sticks and instructions and it costs £14.99. The strips are reusable so you only need to buy this kit once and then you just buy refills of the jars which are £9.99 for 6oz or £14.99 for 12oz. I have nearly finished my first pot and I am planning on repurchasing as I like it for my stomach and bikini area.
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What is your most used/favourite hair removal method?
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