For Women Only: Best Choices for Hair Removal

When hair removal is part of your regular beauty routine, you might use several methods on different parts of your face and body. You might even be thinking about permanent removal methods so you have fewer things to do in the morning. You have many choices, so you can try different ways to make your skin smooth.

Tweezing

How it works: You pull out individual hairs by the root with tweezers.

Best for: Small areas of the face

How long it lasts: 3-8 weeks

Tips: Clean tweezers with rubbing alcohol before and after each use to lower your chance of infection.

Possible side effects: If the hair breaks off, it could grow back under the skin, causing an ingrown hair.

Shaving

How it works: Using a razor or electric shaver, you cut the hair very close to the skin. "There's a popular myth that shaving causes hair to grow back coarser," says dermatologist David Pariser, MD. "But that's not true. An unshaved hair has a tip that is tapered and soft. When you shave it, you shave off the soft tip, so it feels coarser."

Tips: If you use disposable razors or blades, wet your skin and use soap or shaving cream. Shave in the direction the hair grows. Replace your razor often -- you can cut yourself with a dull one.