Hair removal comparison At-home methods
For some people, privacy is their utmost concern. For others
it's convenience of treating yourself when time is available.
Others do their own to save money. These are methods available
for those who want to remove hair on their own.
 How to read
this chart
Notes
Shaving is by far the most popular hair removal method.
The only proven permanent methods available for use at home are
the Inverness One Touch and General Medical's home electrolysis
kit. It's possible to buy a professional unit for home use, but
they are more expensive and more likely to cause skin damage in
untrained hands.
I do not recommend attempting your own electrolysis at home unless
you have only a very small number of hairs to remove, due to the
likelihood of causing permanent skin damage. Even then, you should
only attempt it if you have absolutely no other option financially,
because it is extremely difficult and time-consuming. The failure
rate for at-home electrolysis is very high.
Inverness One Touch is the most popular brand of needle-based
home units. It's available at most drug chains, some department
stores, and beauty supply stores. General Medical's Perma-Tweez
is the same type of device, but is not as widely available. They
cost around $30 and run on a 9-volt battery. Many people (myself
included) have found it excruciating and impossible, and wish
they hadn't even bothered trying. At least I was only out thirty
bucks, where a professional unit costs from hundreds (used) to
thousands (new). Remember, if the device doesn't have a needle,
it hasn't been proven permanent. A few have had success with this;
most have not.
See the section on do-it-yourself electrolysis
for details
To minimize the risk, go to a certified electrologist after getting
a recommendation from a client who is done and happy.
See choosing an electrologist
for details.
Beyond the at-home needle units, nothing here has been proven
to be especially lasting, so you end up making other trade-offs.
You must prioritize these according to your own needs. For instance,
waxing and electric tweezers last about the same amount of time,
so you have to decide if you'd rather endure pain in a quick waxing
session, or avoid pain in a longer, more expensive electric tweezer
session.
Charts in this section:
Comparison of
methods done at home
Comparison of
methods done professionally
Comparison of proven permanent hair removal
methods
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