Shave, Wax, Epilate, IPL, Or Laser? We Review All The Ways To Stay Hairless

Your body, your business. So you do you, and decide for yourself whether you want to flaunt your body hair or get rid of it. That’s your call, and not the internet’s, with its beautiful models in skin-flaunting bikinis.

But, if you’re tired of unwanted hair growth in your underarms, legs, and bikini area, there are several ways to approach your problem. So let us break down for you all the ways to stay hairless, what to expect, and what are our recommendations if you plan to pursue it.

Shaving

Shaving is probably the most popular way to stay hairless because it’s cheap, painless, and something that you can do at home yourself. Shaving is all good and well, but there are things to consider when you’re shaving.

One: Shaving frequently tends to hurt the skin, leaving you with bumpy shaved areas and leaving you susceptible to ingrown hair. To remedy, make sure you apply moisturizer like aloe vera after shaving to prevent razor burn, and exfoliate your skin with a gentle exfoliator a couple of days after shaving to prevent ingrown.

Two: Are you using plastic, disposable shavers? According to a recent report by Statista, at least 163 million people in the US used disposable razors in 2018. So most probably, all 163 million of those disposable razors also ended up in the landfills.

If you’re the type of person who are concerned about the environmental effects of your actions (we hope you are!), then you’ll be pleased to know that there is actually a more sustainable way to shave. Instead of using disposable plastic shavers, you can instead use steel razors with replaceable blades.

Simula PH has a good set of steel razors, which comes with a one stainless steel razor and 10 spare blades. Compared to plastic ones which usually lasts you a week or two, the blades can last you as long as three months as long as you keep it dry. Cel Reyes, founder of Simula PH, also assures conscious consumers that the razor itself can technically last you a lifetime since it’s stainless steel.

Epilating

Another great way to remove unwanted hairs without leaving your home is epilating. Instead of the cutting the hair, an epilator pulls the hair from the root so you’re hair-free for longer. It also saves you the regular trips to the waxing salon, since you can do it at home, at your own time. Unlike waxing, you only need to grow your hair short, since epilating can already pick up hairs that are at least 1-mm long.

Unlike shaving, however, epilating can be painful, especially if you’re not used to having hair ripped out of your body. Here are some tips from Healthline to make your epilating more successful, especially if you’re attempting it for the first time:

There are many epilators online, but when choosing your first epilator, zero in on these two important factors: you want an epilator that you can clean and rinse, and one that is cordless.

Cleanliness is next to godliness so you don’t want to be stuck with an epilator that’s so hard to clean because you can’t clean it under running water. And having a cordless epilator is very important because you’ll have the freedom to choose the most comfortable place and position you epilate, without having to worry about sitting next to a socket. The Philips HP6420/00 Epilator ticks these two requirements and is a very good investment.

Waxing

When it comes to affordable long-lasting hairless results, waxing is one the most popular and effective ways to stay hairless. If you’re also the type of person who likes getting pampered, you can think of waxing as your “me time,” where you go to your favorite clinic, get some beauty regimen done, and then feel light as a feather afterwards.

If you’re curious to know which is more painful, epilating or waxing? In our experience, waxing is still more painful. But again, it depends on your pain level and how well your waxing is done. It’s also a bit hassle to commit to regular waxing since you have to grow your hair a bit longer before you can schedule for a waxing session.

One thing to consider about waxing is that regular waxing also comes with environmental and sustainable dilemmas. Regular waxing uses chemicals and additives that may be harmful to delicate skin and the environment upon disposal. To remedy this, you may want to consider waxing salons like Hey Sugar!

Unlike regular wax, Hey Sugar! uses a 100% natural hair removal process using sugar. This means there are no chemicals, additives, and harmful ingredients that can cause skin irritations, and is safe for sensitive skin. With sugar wax, there is less risk for burns as well because the wax only has to be warmed to body temperature. No burns and scars associated with hot wax.

Abby Sarte-Borja, marketing director at R2 Group of Companines, says: “Hey Sugar! is anchored on conscientious practices, including the use of locally produced all-natural and organic products. The organic process also helps minimize our waste produce on a daily basis since we don’t need to use a lot of paraphernalia and/or other chemical components. With all these, we are happy to be maintaining a sustainable ecosystem with services that are good for the skin, healthy, supporting local, and good for the environment.”

Hey Sugar! has now reopened their clinics for those who want to drop by for their regular waxing sessions, and they are implementing an advanced booking system to avoid waiting time and lessen contact at the clinics. They also use disposable linens, sanitize everything frequently, and encourage cashless transactions. Book an appointment here.

At-home IPL

Did you know that you can now also purchase IPL devices for home use? These at-home IPL hair removal gadgets promise a lifetime of hairlessness, without having to go to the clinic for laser treatments or waxing. So, how does it work?

IPL uses intense pulsed light, which targets the pigments in the hair follicle to kill it and stop hair growth. But hair grows in cycles, which means that you need regular ongoing home sessions, usually weeks apart, to complete stop hair from regrowing.

Since it’s an at-home device, it comes with both pros and cons. One of its benefits is that it’s a one-time investment so you don’t have to keep paying to go to the clinic for an IPL or waxing session. It’s also much less painful than waxing or epilating, so it’s gentle enough even for targeting facial hair (just don’t use it too close to your eyes) and the bikini area (but not the genital area for Brazilian).

However, know that it’s a least potent version of the one that’s used in clinics, so you will need more passes through your skin, and more time to see actual results. Remember that it also targets the melanin in your hair to kill the hair follicle, so that means it won’t work for those with super dark skin because the device might tend to burn or singe your skin. And since you’re doing it yourself, you might find hard-to-reach areas challenging.

Nevertheless, if you’re ready to try it for yourself, Sknslk offers an at-home IPL hair removal device that has gained dozens of happy and satisfied customers, who has seen their hair growth reduce dramatically just weeks into using the device.

Take note that an at-home device may not completely rid your body of hair, since it’s gentler and built to be used at home. But it’s definitely a good maintenance product to lessen your visits to the clinic.

Laser

Laser is definitely the queen of skinvestments when it comes to staying hairless. It is the most effective and safest way to permanently reduce hair growth on any part of your body, from head to toe. Unlike IPL, laser promises more effective hair removal for a longer period of time. In fact, after the initial 6-8 sessions, which is spaced out every 4 weeks, you’ll rarely need to go back for another session because the hair growth has dramatically decreased.

Unlike IPL which can be ineffective for those with darker skin, laser is also much safer for darker Asian skin, since it has a longer wavelength that offers deep but safe skin penetration. Skin House Laser, one of the most trusted skin clinics in the metro, has an array of laser treatments suitable depending on your skin and hair type.

For the most painless, affordable, and efficient way to get laser removal, Skin House Laser clinic offers GentleMax Pro, which is touted as the gold standard in today’s field of laser hair removal.

Instead of a cooling gel, which most IPL clinics use, GentleMax Pro uses a DCD cooling spray to numb the skin during the procedure. It also requires one pass compared to other devices that require multiple passes. This means it’s fast, quick and efficient. Did you know that an underarm session with the GentleMax will just take you not even 5 minutes to finish? That’s how efficient the whole session is.

After the first two sessions, you’ll notice that hair will grow up to 1 to 2-mm, but then fall off. These are the starting stages where you know that the laser is working. Eventually, after the designated number of sessions, the hair will stop growing altogether.

In terms of pain, GentleMax lives up to its name: it’s very gentle. It’s much less painful than waxing and epilating. Unlike manual hair removal that causes repeated trauma to the skin, which can exacerbate uneven color and texture, GentleMax may even improve your skin overtime. In fact, we were surprised that it was also able to get rid of ingrown hair!

Laser has many benefits, but the downside, of course, is it can be a bit costly in the beginning. However, if you’re ready to make the investment, you’ll appreciate how much money and effort you’ll save in the long run. Booking an underarm hair removal session, for example, just costs P2,500. And you don’t have to pay the full 6-8 sessions up front. You can just pay one session at a time.

You’re also assured that you’re in the best hands at Skin House Laser. Skin House co-founder, Joanne Yu, says: “Skin House Laser only uses top-of-the-line laser machines. Most of our nurses have international experience which they share, to help us improve our results and patient experience. We pride ourselves for our knowledge and experience above all else. So when making your skinvestment, go with the one with the most experience to get the best results.”