Summer's here and if you're someone that likes to hack off your body hair, you might be contemplating less painful hair removal methods. It's worth noting that the majority of humankind's body hair exists for a reason and it's supposed to grow where it does. With this in mind, during my time on the planet I've yet to encounter a totally painless hair removal method. Although, I'm hoping there's a magical, Death Becomes Her style hair removal potion, somewhere in the world – minus the side effects of course!
We've also got to take into account that different people have different pain thresholds. If you've not experienced a lot of physical pain in your life, it can be really tricky to know how high or low your particular threshold is. But, as the old saying goes, there's only one way to find out, so you might just have to suck it up and see which method suits you best. You might have tried some of these before, or you may be as clueless as Cher Horowitz when it comes to de-fuzzing your bod, but the important thing to remember is, make sure you're becoming a hairless empress because you want to, not because society dictates it. If you're feeling pressured to get rid of your body hair, put an end to shaving – or whatever hair removal method you use – but, if you like feeling as sleek as a sea lion, read on!
1. Plucking
Although plucking can sometimes make your eyes water, I'd take an educated guess that it's nothing compared to the Daddy of all painful hair removal methods: Laser hair removal. Fellow Bustler Christine Stoddard, who underwent no less than nine laser hair removal sessions, explained that laser hair removal, "...hurts like a $%^&*." From my own experience, I've found that the pain of plucking lessens over time. That being said, I wouldn't want to try it on anything other than my eyebrow hairs, especially not my short and curlies!
2. Hair Removal Creams
Veet Hair Removal Cream Normal Skin with Lotus Milk & Jasmine, $6, Amazon
Veet hair removal creams are my personal favorite method to rid myself of pubic hairs, or groom them into a desired shape. For me, this stuff really works, but I would 100 percent recommend you follow the instructions on the box before applying it to your body, especially your vaginal area. Many hair removal creams recommended you complete a skin test to make sure they don't disagree with you. Obviously, you're not supposed to leave it on past a certain time either and there are body areas which should definitely be avoided.
One unfortunate experience of mine ended up in me accidentally getting some of this stuff in a place where you really wouldn't want it to go and golly, did it burn. Luckily I managed to wash it off right away, so there was no lasting damage. In my experience, aside from my little mishap, I have never experienced pain from using hair removal creams.
3. The no!no!®
The no!no!® sounds like a truly nifty invention. It doesn't use chemicals to remove hairs from your skin, nor is it a razor. The no!no!® uses Thermicon® heat technology to crystallize and remove hairs. According to the no!no!® company website, "no!no! instantly removes hair with virtually no pain, no mess and no chemicals." Sounds like a dream come true, right? I'm definitely putting the no!no!® on my beauty wish list.
4. Good Old Fashioned Shaving
There's nothing wrong with a spot of good old fashioned shaving. If you're careful not to scratch yourself and you're using a sharp enough razor, you'll hopefully be pain free. Educate yourself with shaving hacks and learn from your shaving mistakes.
5. Waxing + Numbing Spray
GiGi Honee Anesthetic Numbing Spray, $9, Amazon
Even if you're a wax virgin, you're likely still aware that waxing is probably among the most painful hair removal methods of all time. However, there is a product that may help to ease your pain if you enjoy waxing: Numbing spray. This particular product by GiGi promises to take the sting out of waxing by temporarily numbing the skin's surface. This is a fantastic option for folks who like the appearance of freshly waxed skin, but hate the pain that comes with it.
6. Threading
If you've never tried threading before, but can't bear to get another wax, you might find that threading could be perfect for you. According to Cosmopolitan getting your eyebrows threaded will include, "Bearable pain. Depending on the therapist/your tolerance/the time of the month threading feels like tweezing multiple hairs at at once." If you're okay with that level of pain, it may be time to get yourself booked in for a threading session. Cosmopolitan also said, "Depending on where you have your brows threaded, you may get a little Indian-style head massage of joy afterwards making any pain you felt previously melt away," which IMO, sounds glorious!
7. Sugaring
According to The Huffington Post, who spoke to salon founder and brow expert Hibba Kapil about the benefits of sugaring versus waxing, sugaring is, "...by far one of the most gentle and ancient techniques that’s a natural alternative to lasers, and one that lasts longer than traditional waxing." Kapil said, "So rather than a wax that adheres to your skin and pulls your skin when you are removing the hair, sugar just binds to your hair and only pulls the hair." If you're a seasoned waxer, why not try sugaring for yourself and see if it's a better, less painful method for you?
Beauty and pain needn't be one and the same, so try out a different hair removal method that's bound to be less painful than lasering or waxing alone!
Images: Courtesy Brands; Getty Images (5)
