Which Hair Removal Method is Best?

If you’re looking for silky smooth skin, all day, every day, then you’ve come to the right place. At Luminus Co, we’ve made it our mission to provide you with the most effective and most affordable hair removal technologies so that you never have to worry about unwanted hair again. We know how frustrating it can be to manage unwanted hair and it can be exceptionally confusing when you’re faced with so many options nowadays, but fret no more because we’ve got you covered!

As hair removal experts, we’ve done the research for you and put together the pros and cons of the most common hair removal methods so that you can decide what works for you and what doesn’t. 

Shaving

It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s a short-term solution! For those who have dark, thick, or coarse body hair, shaving can lead to strawberry legs, ingrown hair, and painful pimples. When you shave, the razor cuts the hair very close to the skin’s surface while the root is still intact so the hair grows back fairly quickly. We all know what it’s like to shave one day and feel prickly the next. Ugh! In order to maintain that silky smooth feeling you probably have to shave every couple of days and that can get tedious very quickly. For women whose hair grows back faster, shaving is probably the least preferred method of hair removal because it does nothing to help reduce hair re-growth and you’ll likely find yourself needing to shave every. single. day. Who has time for that?! It may seem like an affordable hair removal method but here’s the hairy truth: the average woman will shave 7,718 times in her life and spend $10,000 on products related to shaving. That’s over 21 years of daily shaving! That’s $10,000 that could go toward a dream vacation, or a car, or a really fancy bag!

Moving on… 

Depilatory Creams

Much like shaving, depilatory creams are affordable, painless, and short-term. All you have to do is apply the cream, leave it on for 5 minutes, and then wash it off. The chemicals in the cream break down the Keratin in the hair causing it to weaken and dissolve. It only works above skin level so the follicle is fully in-tact and new hair will begin to appear within 2-3 days. Similar to shaving, it’s a very short-term solution that will leave you feeling prickly again very quickly. Many opt for shaving over depilatory creams because of the chemicals found in these creams and the very strong odors once applied. They can also leave you with ingrown hair, irritation, and other skin reactions to the chemicals. For more sensitive areas, you can find creams that are specifically designed for the face or bikini that are generally more gentle on the skin. Depilatory creams cost an average of $10, making it an affordable but very short-term hair removal solution.

Waxing

It lasts longer, it’s moderately priced, and it’s painful! Waxing works by pulling the entire hair out, causing damage to the follicle but not destroying the root. So, although hair re-growth takes a little longer, the follicle eventually recovers and the hair grows back within a couple of weeks. Waxing is usually done at the beauty salon because it takes a lot of courage to pull that strip off yourself once you know what to expect. This means waiting for an appointment, lying in some pretty awkward positions, and paying up once a month to get rid of that unwanted hair. Although you get to feel smooth for longer, up to two weeks usually, you also have to deal with a couple of weeks of hair growing back because it has to be at least ¼ inch long before you can wax it again. If you don’t wait long enough you may very well find hair growing within a few days of your last wax because it was at a different growth stage in the cycle. Unfortunately, waxing can still leave you with ingrown hair and strawberry skin. Now, waxing is definitely more expensive than shaving but still moderately priced in comparison to other hair removal methods. Studies have shown that the average woman will spend over a whopping $25,000 in a lifetime on waxing (more than double that of shaving) which again, we’d much rather see you spend on something more substantial than unwanted hair. 

Epilating

Not for the faint of heart! Epilating is very similar to waxing except that it plucks the hairs one at a time but at a really quick pace. It pulls the hair out causing damage to the follicle which will eventually recover and allow hair to re-grow. It’s more painful than waxing and best for larger areas with less sensitive skin like the arms and legs. It’s not ideal for those with sensitive skin because you’d need quite a high pain tolerance to epilate more sensitive areas like the face and bikini and it can leave you with redness, irritation, and ingrown hair. Unlike waxing, you don’t have to wait for the hair to grow out before you can epilate again so you will probably feel smoother and you can always have a quick touch-up in between sessions for little hairs that sprout at different stages. An epilator will cost you $60 on average and will last 3-5 years if it’s of high quality.

Clinical Laser

It’s a long-term solution, it’s expensive, and it’s painful! There is no 100% life-long permanent hair removal method so when companies claim this, watch out! Whenever you hear ‘permanent’ hair removal this usually means up to 6 months of no hair re-growth after which touch-ups are usually required. Laser works by releasing light energy that targets the melanin in the hair which then converts into heat energy to destroy the follicle so that hair re-growth is significantly delayed. For this reason, it is not as effective on blonde or grey hair. There may be follicles that are completely destroyed and will not grow hair again and there may be ones that eventually recover and re-grow. Results vary from one individual to another. It’s one of the most painful hair removal methods, with many opting for numbing gel 30-60 minutes before each session so that the treatment is tolerable and you still have to deal with some pretty awkward positions on the table depending on which parts you’re getting done. Clinical laser is a long-term hair removal solution which can leave you hair-free for months but it’s also the most expensive option. Smaller areas like the chin average $250 per session whereas larger areas like legs average $600 per session. You need approximately 8-12 sessions to begin with and then touch-up sessions every 3-6 months as needed. So if we add it all up, for full-body hair removal, we’re talking the equivalent of just about a small fortune plus a Berken.

IPL

It’s easy, it’s affordable, and it’s PAIN-FREE! Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is quickly becoming the most popular method of hair removal because it has all the benefits of clinical laser but at only a fraction of the price. Oh and did we mention, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. It doesn’t get any better than that! Rather than using one concentrated wavelength like laser, IPL uses multiple wavelengths and targets the pigment in the hair to destroy the follicle thus reducing hair re-growth. Similar to laser, it is not as effective on blonde and grey hair. It’s gentle enough for even the most sensitive body parts like the face and bikini and it’s suitable for full-body hair removal. Luminus Co IPL handsets come with a choice of 5 intensity levels so that you can select the one that suits your skin and hair type best. It is recommended that you complete 8-12 weekly sessions and then use your handset for touch-ups every 4-8 weeks, or as necessary. It’s a one-time investment, with no re-fills necessary, with over 500,000 flashes per handset, and with a 20 year lifespan. Luminus Co IPL handsets have been proven to work on unwanted hair with many calling it ‘life-changing’ and with results showing after just a few sessions. And best of all, you can get the results of clinical laser without breaking the bank.

Life has its challenges but unwanted hair shouldn’t be one of them. We hope that with this article we’ve shed some light on how to shed that hair.

Happy hair removal J