It’s that time of year again where your mother deems it acceptable for you to have the legs out.

If you’ve never heard the words “Won’t you be perishing going out dressed like that?” you obviously don’t have an Irish mammy. But now that it’s warm (some days!) we can wear shorts without catching phenomena and having the mammy’s disapproval. Yay!

But with that comes the dreaded task of hair removal. Although the struggle is very real for a lot of us gals throughout the year, summer can definitely add more to the task.

Here are all the different ways you can remove unwanted hair and which method we would recommend for each area.

Shaving

The Low Down

Shaving is probably the most common hair removal method. But it’s kinda soul-destroying how quickly your hair regrows after shaving. It’s also not the best hair removal option depending on the type of hair. Shaving your bikini line can result in sore spots as the hair can become trapped.

Pros:

• Cost effective
• Quick

Cons:

• Not suitable for all areas.
• It can irritate your skin
• Does not last long

Best For: Underarms

Waxing

The Low Down

Waxing seems to intimidate a lot of people, especially if they have never tried it out before.

Yes, you can buy at-home waxing kits, but we are hesitant to recommend using them. Our Editor, Dani, had a disaster with wax strips at home when she was teen that left her bruised because she pulled the strip the wrong way. Ouch! So, maybe it’s best to leave it to the professionals, especially if it’s your bikini area!

Depending on the salon Bikini waxes start from €15 for a basic bikini and a full leg wax will set you back about €30-40. In terms of wax we really recommend finding a salon that uses Waxperts Wax because we’re convinced that it hurts less and gives better results. It’s also an Irish brand!

Pros:

• Long-lasting results.
• Someone else can do it for you.

Cons:

• Expensive – it’s recommended that you get waxed very 4-6 weeks.
• Can be painful in certain areas.

Best For: Bikini Area.

Hair Removal Cream

The Low Down

Hair Removal Cream dissolves the hair just below the surface of the skin, unlike shaving, which slices through the hair just above the level of the skin. This means that you can remain stubble free for up to four days. Although it lasts slightly longer than shaving it doesn’t remove the hair from the root, which means it will regrow within a few days depending on your growth cycle.

There are a number of versions available depending on which area you are looking to target. They nuclide, leg, face and more stubborn hair such as underarms and bikini line.

Pros:

• You won’t cut yourself as there are no razors involved.
• Quick and easy to use

Cons:

• We don’t care what fragrances they try to add to this, it stinks terribly!
• It might not be suitable for those with sensitive skin. Always make sure that you test it out at least 24 hours before you use it!

Best for: when you’ve lost the will to do hair removal and you just want it all over and down with quickly.

Epilator

The Low Down

When it comes to at home hair removal for legs Missy.ie favours an epilator. Think of it as a tweezers that rapidly pulls hair from the root. And because you are removing the hair from the root you can expect more long-lasting results.

Pros:

• Very cost-effective. An epilator should last you for years.
• As it plucks the hair from the root it gives similar, long-lasting results to waxing.

Cons:

• Similar to waxing, using an epilator can be a little uncomfortable. It can be hard to motivate yourself to get through doing both legs.

Best For: Legs and under arms

Tweezing

The Low Down

We’re sure you all have a tweezers because they are pretty much essential. From revoking pesky hairs to apply flash eyelashes. But we recommend invest in a great tweezers which will last you years. The cheap ones in Penneys are handy for traveling, but believe us when we say that they just don’t compare to Tweezerman. They are smaller and more slanted, meaning they will grab even the tiniest of hairs from the root. Cheaper ones have the bad habit of snapping the hair so that some of it remains.

Pros:

• A good tweezers should last you years
• Great for perfecting small years like your brows

Cons:

• Only suitable for removing a small amount of hairs as you have to pluck each hair individually

Best For: Getting rid of rogue hairs.

Treading

The Low Down

Threading is something that has literally been around for hundreds of years but it’s become super popular in the past few years for shaping eyebrows and reviving facial hairs. The treads are used to pull hairs from the root similar to tweezing but more hair can be picked up at once. It’s ideal for those who feel the need to remove facial hair but are worried about using wax or hair removal cream.

If you have facial hair that bothers you we recommend learning how to thread hair. It’s actually so simple. Now if you want to give threading your eyebrows a go, God Bless, but we consider our eyebrows a work of art, so we leave it to the professionals. For facial hair you don’t need to be precise. And all you need is ordinary  sewing thread. This video is a great way to learn. It’s just about getting a knack for moving the knots along to pull the hair. Once you get that down it’s a skill you will have for life.

Pros:

• Great for perfecting your brows (did you know that wax can take the collagen out of the skin around your brows if you wax a lot over time?)
• Free if you teach yourself how to do it

Cons:

• Depending on how sensitive you are certain areas can be uncomfortable

Best For: Eyebrows (get this done professionally!) and Facial Hair.

Always remember that hair removal is a personal decision. If you’re cool with your fuzz, that’s totally fine. It’s all about personal choice and preference.

What’s your hair removal method of choice?