Hair Removal Showdown: Comparing the Top 3 Hair Removal Methods
Curious how your preferred hair removal routine stacks up against the other methods? In this article, we take the 3 most common, popular, and effective hair removal methods and put them head-to-head-to-head to clearly showcase how they really compare to each other.
With so many different hair removal methods to choose from, you may find it difficult to narrow down the list of choices to the ones that make the most sense for your lifestyle and hair removal goals. For some people, shaving may offer the best combination of benefits to suit their day to day life, whereas other people may be better off choosing something that offers permanent hair removal results. So, how do you look at these different approaches to hair removal objectively to determine the best method for you?
We’re here to help simplify the process with a concise summary of the top three hair removal methods available, including a breakdown of how they work. We’ve selected three distinct methods based on a combination of factors including popularity, ease of use, convenience, cost, effectiveness, and results duration. Based on these factors, we have considered Shaving, Waxing/Sugaring, and Intense Pulsed Light to be the top 3 hair removal methods for most people.
Of course, opinions on this particular subject will vary widely, however, for all intents and purposes, this article should give you a solid basis with which to objectively evaluate the top hair removal methods and determine what method is going to work best for you and your lifestyle.
Let’s get started by looking at the most popular and ubiquitous hair removal method: Shaving.
Shaving
Shaving is typically the first method that most of us are introduced to as we grow into the age where we pay more attention to getting rid of unwanted hair, and it’s easy to see why. Shaving is very simple, the products needed are commonplace, inexpensive and easy to use, and it takes very little time to do. These advantages, mainly in terms of low cost, simplicity, and convenience, are what makes shaving so widely popular as a method of hair removal. However, when you take a step back and see the bigger picture, shaving begins to look a little different over the long run.
You see, as inexpensive as shaving is to get started with, the products needed generally have a short useful life. Razors wear out after several uses and shaving cream gets used up. Electric razors need replacement trimmer heads from time to time, most run on batteries will inevitably need to be replaced, and the devices themselves never last as long as we’d like. These costs can really add up year after year, stretching into hundreds and even thousands of dollars over long periods of time. Plus, as easy as shaving is to do, there is always the fun side effects of cuts, scrapes, irritation, razor burn, and ingrown hairs to consider.
Shaving is also a fairly fast way to remove unwanted hair. A few minutes in the shower is generally all it takes to get your legs or underarms smooth and looking the way you want them to. However, the results really don’t last very long because the hair is simply cut off close to the surface of the skin, leaving behind a fully intact root that just keeps growing. Even after just one day, regrowth can become very noticeable. Rough stubble and dark hairs will inevitably start to make their appearance known, and then you need to start the process all over again. So, as fast as shaving is, this benefit comes at the cost of needing to re-shave frequently in order to maintain the desired look and feel. Any time savings you may feel you’re getting from shaving quickly disappears when you think about how many times you need to do it in a week, in a month, or in a year. Those minutes really add up fast!
Our next method offers many advantages over shaving, however is it the perfect method of hair removal? Let’s take a closer look at waxing & sugaring to see if that’s the case.
Waxing/Sugaring
Once the hassles associated with shaving become too much to bear, many people who are looking for a better option choose waxing or sugaring as their new hair removal method. These methods certainly offer benefits that shaving can’t provide, with the biggest advantage being the longevity of the results. After a single waxing or sugaring treatment, the skin can remain smooth and hair-free for as long as 3 weeks for some people. This is because waxing and sugaring pulls out the entire hair right down to the root, which takes significantly longer to grow back. In fact, even when the hair does start to grow back, it will grow back with a fine, tapered tip instead of the rough cut-off edge that happens with shaving.
Waxing is a relatively quick process. While not quite as fast as a single shaving session, it can still be done in a fairly short period of time, 30-60 mins for legs and underarms, depending on your pain tolerance. Waxing and sugaring can be done at home, or you can have it done at a salon or aesthetic clinic by a trained professional. This means you can do it yourself if you’re short on time, or you can book an appointment at your local salon for the professional touch.
Waxing and sugaring, however, are not without their downsides. Since they work by physically pulling the entirety of the hair from the follicles, many people find the experience to be uncomfortable or sometimes even painful. This can be especially true on more sensitive areas such as the bikini zone. Furthermore, in some cases people can experience the potential for irritation or redness on the treated areas from the chemicals and ingredients used in the waxing material & products. These effects can generally be alleviated by a post-waxing cream or lotion and will go away over time.
Finally, waxing can be somewhat costly, especially for professional waxing or sugaring treatments. At-home waxing kits can range from about $30 to $100 or more. Salon treatments can cost anywhere from $40 for a small area, up to $150 for a larger area or more detailed waxing treatment. Even if you only get waxed every few weeks, the cost for keeping it up for many months or years can get quite steep. After all, waxing and sugaring are still only temporary hair removal methods, and can’t offer permanent control over unwanted hair.
So, if waxing, sugaring and shaving aren’t perfect, then what other hair removal methods are better? We’re glad you asked! Time to talk about one of the best permanent hair removal methods - IPL technology.
Intense Pulsed Light Hair Removal (IPL)
Unlike temporary methods such as waxing, sugaring, and shaving, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) hair removal is able to permanently reduce and remove unwanted hair. It’s able to achieve this by affecting the actual follicles, not just the individual hairs. As the IPL device moves over the treatment area, focused bursts of intense light are emitted on to the skin. These light beams are absorbed by the hairs and converted into heat energy, which then travels deep into the follicle to the root of the hair. At this point, the heat energy is transferred to the surrounding cells that are responsible for the growth and regeneration of hair. This process inhibits the ability of these cells to function, gradually slowing the production of new hair, and eventually leading to a permanent cessation of hair growth on the treatment area. IPL is suitable for nearly all areas of the body, such as the arms, legs, back, abdomen, chin, cheeks, and bikini zone.
Because IPL uses light energy to achieve permanent hair removal, you won’t need to worry about painful waxing strips, irritating chemicals, or the potential of ingrown hairs, nicks, and scrapes common with shaving. IPL is a gentle, yet amazingly effective, way to get rid of unwanted hair and ensure that it stays gone, forever. This makes it particularly beneficial for individuals who have sensitive skin or experience frequent irritation with other hair removal methods.
IPL can be done professionally in a salon or clinical environment, but these treatments can be time consuming and potentially expensive. Fortunately, there are convenient and effective at home IPL hair removal devices available that offer all the benefits and permanent results at a more affordable cost, with the added advantage of being small and easy enough to use that you can perform treatment sessions right in the comfort of your own home.
A typical IPL treatment cycle follows a schedule of two-week intervals, with each successive treatment offering more noticeable and profound results. Expect the full treatment process to last about 8-10 weeks, to be followed up with regular maintenance sessions every other week. At the conclusion of the IPL treatment cycle, you will have the permanently smooth, hair-free skin you’ve always wanted!
Read the How to Use the Infinity IPL Hair Removal Device article for detailed how to instructions.
As you can probably guess, we are firm believers in IPL technology and the amazing results that it has been proven to deliver to countless people around the world. In fact, Silk’n is the leading authority on IPL technology, with our line of at-home hair removal devices receiving rave reviews from all corners of the globe. Recently, our engineers have taken at-home IPL technology to a whole new level of comfort and effectiveness with the innovation of the Silk’n Infinity.
The Silk’n Infinity IPL Hair Removal Device
The Silk’n Infinity is the pinnacle of at-home hair removal technology. We have combined our world-famous Flash&Go IPL design with added features and new functionality to produce a hair removal device that is able to provide better results than ever before, in less time. The tip of the Infinity contains a specialized electrode that emits galvanic energy on to the skin during treatment. This warming energy stimulates the skin, encouraging the pores to open and allowing the light pulsed to penetrate deeper down into the follicles for greater efficiency. In addition, the galvanic energy accelerates the skin's natural repair and rejuvenation processes, leaving your skin feeling softer, smoother, and more resilient with each treatment.
If you’re in search of a new way of dealing with unwanted hair, and hope to avoid the hassles of shaving and the pain of waxing, then the Silk’n Infinity is the answer you’ve been waiting for. We’re confident that you’ll love the results you can achieve with the Silk’n Infinity and the speed at which you will obtain permanent hair removal.
Don’t waste another minute dealing with costly salon waxing appointments or the effects of irritating razors. Give IPL a try and experience the difference for yourself.
