Shaving is the form of temporary hair removal that most guys are first aware of. Beginning in our early teens is when we are introduced to the repetitive world of shaving.
As we get older and we start developing hair in other places, guys often start researching to figure out how to remove unwanted hair. Back, shoulders, chest, legs, arms. These are a few of the places where guys try to remove hair either for personal reasons (aesthetics) or maybe for practical reasons (you’re a competitive swimmer).
Here are the most common choices for shaveless hair removal for men that can reduce and possibly permanently eliminate unwanted hair.
Shaving
We’ll mention shaving for completeness but won’t spend much time on it since the entire website basically covers it. Shaving is very temporary, lasts several days at best and hair grows back the same way as it did before you shaved. Hair doesn’t grow back thicker, thinner, darker, lighter, coarser or softer. Hair growth is due to genetics and your style of shaving has no impact on it.
Pros: Shaving products are widely available. Generally quick to do and becomes a routine.
Cons: Temporary results. Time-consuming when you think about doing it daily.
Depilatories
Think Veet and other chemical products that are applied to the skin, left on the skin according to product instructions and then wiped or rinsed off. I’ve tried these products in the past but wouldn’t use them again. Too smelly, messy and acidic in my experience.
Pros: Quickly removes hair at the skin level. Can be done at home by yourself.
Cons: Can burn skin. Some products give off a strong smell. Can be messy. Results only last a day or two and hair starts growing back again.
Waxing or Sugaring
Involves using hot or cold wax or sugar to pull hairs by the root. Common methods are wax strips or wax applied directly to the area to be treated and pulled off in the opposite direction of hair growth. Waxing and sugaring pulls hairs out from the hair follicle and since hair comes out from the root, results can last for several weeks.
Waxing in my experience can be painful but you do tend to get used to it. Newer wax strips aren’t messy like the old tubs of wax that you had to heat and then risk burning your skin and/or dripping on the floor and counter not to mention on your body.
Pros: Relatively cheap. Widely available. You can do it yourself at home or get a professional or friend to do it for you. Gives you several weeks of hair free skin in most cases.
Cons: Can be somewhat messy. Can hurt especially in sensitive areas. You’ll need help when waxing your back, shoulders, legs, etc. A temporary form of hair removal that needs to be continuously done to remain hair free. Can lead to ingrown hairs and temporary acne since hair is removed by the root from below the skin.
Epilators
Think electrolysis, needles, electric tweezers. It involves using a needle or other device to zap each hair one at a time with an electric current, killing the hair and hair follicle so that it can’t grow back again.
Electrolysis is the only form of hair removal considered permanent by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Even electrolysis requires multiple visits before you may achieve true 100% hair free status.
Pros: Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal option.
Cons: Expensive if multiple visits are required. Time-consuming: electrolysis involves treating hairs one at a time. Tends to be good for small areas without much hair otherwise it’s too time-consuming and expensive.
Laser Hair Removal and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
I have experience with both options for back and shoulder hair removal. Laser hair removal and IPL typically involve a wand used on the skin with the aid of a cooling agent like a gel that is first applied to the area to be treated. The wand is then placed onto the gel and a button is depressed to zap a small section of your skin with a flash of laser or light. The flash of energy destroys the hair follicles with the heat. Thus, larger sections of hair can be covered than electrolysis since the wand can be quite large ie. the size of a large fist.
My IPL practitioner used a product that promised “permanent hair reduction.” In other words, with multiple visits the total amount of hair would be reduced over time. With multiple visits it’s possible you could get permanent hair removal but since hair grows in cycles, hair might be dormant and then grow in the future, requiring additional treatments.
The pain from IPL was described by the practitioner and marketing materials as similar to a rubber band being flicked against the skin. I would say this is accurate in general but I did have occasions where the pain was greater and on the day of the treatment, I could feel heat on my back post treatment.
Pros: Offers permanent hair reduction (ie. less hair will grow in the area over time). Can cover larger sections of hair like back, shoulders, legs, arms in a shorter period of time. Results tended to last several months before a follow up treatment was required in my experience (3-4 visits per year from memory).
Cons: Costly, as multiple visits are generally required for lasting, noticeable results. Can result in skin burning if the settings are not adjusted correctly. Hurts more when there is more hair to be removed and areas near bones. Darker skin might not produce successful results as the laser/light tends to be better at picking up lighter hairs. I was also warned not to tan shortly before treatments.
Conclusion: Shaveless Hair Removal For Men
- What is shaveless hair removal for men? Any hair removal choices that aren’t shaving that many men aren’t aware of: depilatories, waxing, electrolysis, IPL, laser.
- Shaving offers very temporary hair removal but products are widely available.
- Depilatories like Veet are chemical products applied to the skin that dissolves hair at skin level. Very temporary results and can burn the skin.
- Waxing offers hair removal for several weeks typically. Can produce temporary ingrown hairs.
- Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal option as approved by the FDA. Time-consuming and tends to be good for small areas of hair removal with multiple visits.
- Laser and IPL tend to offer permanent hair reduction when done correctly. Costly as multiple visits are typically required.
- I’d be careful with home laser and other similar hair removal options as they’re unlikely to be proven to offer permanent hair removal.
What hair removal options have you used? What was your experience with them? Let us know in the comments below.
