Approximately 80% of women and 50% of men have unwanted hair somewhere on their body. In most cases, this unwanted hair is simply a part of your genetic makeup, but in some cases, it can be the direct result of a treatment of some sort, such as testosterone treatments. Regardless of why the hair is there, most people are concerned with removing the unwanted hair. To remove the unwanted hair you need to choose a hair removal method.

Here is a look at the three different types of hair removal and the methods that fall under each type.

• Temporary - the method that you choose will have to be used repeatedly because the hair will grow back after a certain period. How long it takes the hair to grow back depends on the method that you choose.
• Tweezing - this can keep hair away for about three weeks. It is one of the cheaper methods because a pair of tweezers costs on average $3.00. However, you can purchase tweezers that are more expensive, they can cost up to $22. With tweezing, you grab hold of the unwanted hair with the tweezers and pull the hair out. This method can be quite painful, but it can also lead to skin irritation.
• Shaving - how long this method lasts depends on the area that you are shaving. For men who shave their facial hair the new hair usually starts to reappear in one day. If you are shaving body hair, the hair will usually not start reappearing for about four days. Aside from tweezing shaving is the cheapest method for removing unwanted hair, it is also the least painful way of removing that unwanted hair. However, with shaving you need to take into consideration that body shaving is harder than facial shaving because of the skin being tenderer in certain areas of the body. The tender areas can get irritated quickly and if you shave while the areas are, irritated you can get an infection. You can use a shaving gel to help reduce the chances of cutting or irritating your skin. Razors on average cost about $4.00 for the razor and then about $3.50 for the replacement blades, which last for 20 shaves. On average, shaving gel costs about $2.00 for 10 ounces, this lasts about two months.
• Mechanical Epilators - this method uses an electric rubber roller or coiled spring to catch the hair and then pulls them out. This method can be quite painful and it does miss hair, and it does not always work. In order for the epilators to work properly, the hair must be about ¼" to 1/3" long. This method is only good for shaving certain parts of the body; it should not be used on areas that are considered sensitive, such as the face, genitals, or armpits. How much you pay for one of these is going to depend on the brand you buy and its features. You can get the Epi-Lady for as low as $39 for the most basic model. You can also pay up to $100 for a top of the line Braun model that offers 2 speeds, 2 tweezers strengths, and an electric razor attachment for the areas of skin that are too sensitive for the epilator. This method works longer than other temporary methods because the hair is being pulled from the root.

• Chemical Depilatories - these are creams, gels, lotions, aerosols, or roll-ons that you apply to the unwanted hair to remove it. These creams contain an alkaline chemical, which most of the time is calcium thioglycolate, which dissolves the protein structure of the hair, which causes it to separate from the skin. You simply rub the creams onto the areas, wait a certain length of time, and then wipe off the cream. As you wipe or wash of the cream the hair comes off with it. The cream should only be on the skin for 4 to 15 minutes, depending on how coarse your hair is. The unwanted hair should not start to reappear for about seven days. Aside from shaving, this is the least painful method of removing unwanted hair and costs about $4.00 per bottle, which will last about three weeks.
  
  • Less Hair Eventually - it has been said that through repeated use of waxing the hair will stop growing back, which makes it the most effective temporary hair removal method available.
  • Waxing - this method is the lowest cost method, but it is also the most effective method for temporary hair removal. It is the most effective method because rather than just removing the hair at the skin surface, it removes the hair along with its root. Since the root is removed along with the hair, it can take between three and eight weeks for the hair to grow back, how long it takes depends on your genetic makeup. When the new hair does come back, it is softer, lighter in color, and not as thick. The reason that waxing results in a permanently removing some of your unwanted hair is each time you wax you permanently destroy some hair roots so the space between the hairs increases. This results in less hair returning and the returning hair becoming finer. Waxing can be done at home or in a salon. If you choose to do, waxing at home you will pay about $5 for a 3-ounce wax kit. If you go to a salon, you will pay more depending on the area that you want to have waxed. For the best waxing results you will need:
  • Special hair removal waxes
  • Cloth patches
  • Moist towel
  • Wax heating unit
  • Mixing and applying spatula
  • Pain reducing gel
  • Skin repair cream
  • Permanent - regardless of which method you choose you will never have to worry about getting rid of unwanted hair again. It can take a few treatments to achieve your desired results, but after that, you are done.
  • Electrolysis - this method uses different techniques to achieve permanent hair removal. Some machines require three to five minutes per hair and use multiple needle machines, where other machines use a combination of electricity and heat to destroy the hair follicle. However, this method of hair removal is quite painful. The pain can be reduced or even eliminated by using a pain-reducing gel 30 to 60 minutes in advance. There are currently two types of electrolysis in use:
  • Tweezers epilators - this method uses an electric current to remove the hair. The tweezers are used to grab the hair shaft close to the skin. After grabbing the hair, an applied electric current travels down the hair shaft to the root. This is designed to destroy the root so that new hair cannot grow back. Companies who make this product can only claim their product works if the can provide supporting data to the FDA.

•     Needle epilators - this method uses a very fine sterile wire that is ran alongside the hair into the hair follicle. An electric current is run through the wire to destroy the hair root at the bottom of the follicle. This succeeds in loosening the hair and once it is loosened, it is removed with tweezers. This method requires only one hair be treated at a time so it can be rather time consuming.
•     Laser hair removal - this is the newest method when it comes to removing unwanted hair. This method has a fast treatment time, but it is also less painful than electrolysis. However, this method of hair removal is the most expensive; the cost depends on the area that is to be treated. For example, removal of facial hair can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,200, whereas hair removal on legs can cost about $3,000. There are two types of lasers that can are used to remove unwanted hair.
•     Nd:YAG laser - requires the skin to be waxed first, helps remove hair and open the hair follicles so that the laser light can reach them effectively. A carbon-based, light-absorbing lotion is rubbed into the skin. Afterwards a laser is passed over the skin, the laser heats the carbon left in the follicles, which damages them but leaves the skin components unharmed.
•     Long-pulse ruby lasers - these are designed to heat the follicle only, not the surrounding skin. The laser is pulsed onto the skin for a fraction of a second. The duration of each pulse is only long enough to allow the follicle to absorb the light and energy, which means less skin damage. The treatments can take between one to three hours. First, your skin is cleaned and any unwanted hair is trimmed. Next, your skin is scanned with the laser by the dermatologist or nurse, how it is scanned depends on the hair type, color, and skin color. Afterwards the treated area is covered to prevent infection during the healing period; you will also need to use a moist solution on the treated area for a specified period.