- Shaving is one of the best-known methods of depilation. A handheld blade shaves off the hair at the level of the skin. Disposable plastic razors are commonly used by men and women, along with canned shaving foam. Electric razors provide powered blades, while some men shave their faces using old-fashioned straight razors. Shaving is cheap and effective, but the effects don't last very long and there is always the danger of cutting the skin.
- Chemical depilatories are a popular method of depilation among women. They're mainly used to dissolve hair on the legs. Chemical depilatories contain a chemical that breaks down keratin, a main component of hair. The hair melts away and washes off with water. Popular chemical depilatories such as Veet and Nair are easy to find and inexpensive to purchase, but they can irritate skin. Like razors, the effect is short-lived.
- Unlike shaving and chemical hair removal, waxing and sugaring pull out hair by the root. During waxing, specially formulated wax is smeared along the body part, then quickly pulled off using a cloth stuck to the wax. The hair comes away with the wax. Sugaring is similar to waxing, except instead of wax a sugar paste is used to remove the hair. Waxing can be done at home, with a kit bought at a pharmacy, or can be done by a professional at a salon for a higher cost. Waxing can be done almost anywhere on the body and the hairless effect lasts longer than shaving or chemical hair removal. However, it can hurt, especially the first time it's done.
- Plucking methods use tweezers or similar tools to capture hair and pull it out by the root. Tweezers are popularly used to shape eyebrows, but they can only pull out one hair at a time. Threading, during which the practitioner captures stray hairs by pulling tight a loop of thread, can take out multiple hairs at once. A device called an epilator is similar to an electric razor in structure but is really more like a set of tweezers. Tweezers are set in an epilator head, which is then run across the body just as if it was a razor. The tweezers pull out the hair at the root. All plucking methods can be painful, but hair may be finer and grow back more slowly after it is frequently plucked.
- Laser treatment and electrolysis are options for people who don't mind spending money to achieve long-term hair removal. During laser treatment, a laser is aimed at body hair. This laser heats dark objects, such as dark hair, but doesn't affect lighter objects. It can be done on any part of the body except near the eyes, but it's most effective on darker hair and lighter skin. Electrolysis destroys hair with electricity, using a hair-width probe that's positioned next to the hair follicle. It can be more permanent than laser treatment, but it can be painful and leave scars.
