Free and Low Cost Hair Removal Methods

Temporary methods of hair removal
Temporary hair removal can be accomplished by removing part of the hair above the skin or removing the entire hair.  Temporary methods are quite acceptable. 


Hair removal above the skin lasts from several hours to days and is accomplished by shaving, creams, or friction.

• shaving or trimming - this is the most common hair removal method, it's inexpensive, quick, safe and has least side effects.  You can do it in the privacy of your home and is available most anywhere.
• shaving creams that dissolve hair - It's inexpensive, fast, can be done at home, and is readily available.  Some have found it causes skin irritation or chemical burns.
• buffing away hair with friction - Found to be useful for fine hair on legs.  A mitt with rough strips or smoothing surface coated directly onto the mitt buffs away hair at the skin's surface. This method is inexpensive, fast, essentially painless.  It can be done at home, is widely available, and also exfoliates and smooths the skin at the same time. 

Removing the entire hair lasts from several days to weeks and is accomplished by tweezing, waxing, sugaring, threading, and rotary epilators.

• Tweezing or Plucking - forceps are used to manually pull hairs by the root one at a time, very useful for eyebrows or stray hairs on face.
• Waxing - An old method still commonly performed professionally.  Hot wax is applied to the skin, a strip of cloth or paper is pressed into the preparation.  Then the strip is quickly pulled away, taking hairs with it.  This can be done at home and is fast and inexpensive.
• Sugaring - Another old method of hair removal similar to waxing.  A sticky paste is applied to the skin, and a cloth strip is pressed into the preparation. The strip is then quickly pulled away, taking the hairs with it.  This can also be done at home and is inexpensive.
• Thread Rolling - called khite in Arabic and fatlah in Egyptian.  Less common in the West and is used primarily for facial hair. Rows of stray hairs are pulled out with twists of cotton thread.  One end of the cotton thread is held between the practitioner's teeth and the other in the left hand.  The middle is looped through the index and middle fingers of the other hand.  Then the practitioner  loops a series of unwanted hairs and pull them from the skin. Devices have been made to hold the thread during this procedure.  It is inexpensive, fast, neat, and less painful than plucking, recommended for eyebrows and facial hair. Results last up to two to four weeks.
• Rotary epilators - Similar to electric razors except instead of a rotary cutting blade, they have rows of tweezers that pull hairs out by the root.  Great for legs and arms and can last from several days to several weeks.

 Permanent hair removal:

Most permanent hair removal isn't really permanent. Hair eventually grows back  For the purposes of hair removal, permanent is being able to go at least a year before another method of hair removal is necessary.  The only clinically proven permanent method is electrolysis.  Some lasers and flash lamps have been able to achieve permanent hair removal.

Electrolysis - Permanent hair removal if performed correctly requiring considerable training and skill.  A hair-thin metal probe is properly slid into a hair follicle so as to not puncture the skin.  Electricity is applied to the follicle which causes localized damage to the areas that grow hairs.  This method has a long track record of results, clinically proven safe and effective for over 125 years.



Home electrolysis is not a recommended method of hair removal.  Most home hair removal systems have no proof of the permanent results they claim.  You use a unit where you insert a probe into the follicle if you want permanent results.  An instrument with a stylet similar to a mechanical pencil has a retractable probe on one end, with the other end connected by a cord to a 9-volt battery.  The probe is spring loaded so you won't insert it too deep and puncture the skin.  When the probe touches the moisture of the papilla, the circuit is completed and the instrument delivers a 5-second tone. You must continue to hold the probe in place for another 15 seconds for the galvanic current to work, then attempt to remove the hair with tweezers. 


Home electrolysis can save you money and is done in the privacy of your own home.  You can treat yourself at your convenience.  It may be an option for those who cannot find or travel to a competent electrologist.  The drawbacks are that many who have attempted to do their own electrolysis have failed.  It takes considerable commitment and dedication.  You have no experience and training and can cause permanent skin damage.  Improperly done yields poor results.  Redness and swelling may be worse and last longer than with professional treatment.  It is often more painful than professional electrolysis and may take much longer to treat your own face.  When you add in your time and additional supplies, it may even be more expensive than getting it done professionally.  Some areas are difficult to see and treat by yourself, especially areas requiring a mirror.
Our recommendation is not to try this at home.

 Long-term hair removal

Long-term hair removal is being able to go 6 months without having to use another method of hair removal.

 Semi-permanent hair removal
Semi-permanent hair removal means lasting a few weeks use to describe the results of Laser Hair Removal

 Hair reduction vs. hair removal

Permanent hair removal is the complete destruction of a hair follicle's ability to regenerate and grow hair.


Several lasers have demonstrated permanent hair reduction in clinical studies and are allowed to make this claim. Some lasers have demonstrated in clinical testing that they can reduce the hairs' size and lighten the color.  This reduction appears to be permanent.


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