In today’s world, the majority of people, both male, and female are body hair removers. But the jury is still out about what method the majority of these people use. Because today, there are actually quite a few from which to choose.

Two Women Who Have Been Using Body Hair Removers

Body Hair Removal Doesn’t Last Forever

Some body hair removers, like electrolysis and laser results, may last 6 months to a year, which is a pretty long time. But contrary to anything else you may have seen or read, none of these methods last forever.

If any one of the methods of body hair removers is used most often, it would probably be the razor. It’s the tool that’s been around, in one form or another, the longest, beginning with the caveman who sharpened rock and scraped it across his face (It’s rumored this is when man first started cussing …).

A Brief History of Razors as Body Hair Removers

Razors of sharpened bronze were found in Egyptian tombs dating back 3,000 years ago. Since then, there have been some pretty fancy, “improvements”, but if you think about it, it’s still just a sharp object scraping across your skin.

But razors can do the job for many people and they’re convenient, easy to use, and the least expensive of all other forms of body hair removers.

You Know This Lady Uses a Body Hair Remover

A Depilatory is the Most Expensive Body Hair Removal Procedure

The next least expensive method is a depilatory, which basically melts the hair. It’s been around for quite some time as well. In the time of the Egyptians, depilatory concoctions included using a paste made of either beeswax, resin, pitch, ivy gum extracts, bat’s blood or powdered viper.

Later, in Europe during the early Eighteenth Century, one of the most used homemade depilatories consisted of a mixture of cat’s dung and vinegar. The most extreme of these body hair removers was a paste made of “quick lime”, a caustic substance from limestone or shells that develops active, burning properties when mixed with water. So basically, burning the hair off. And in North America, women were using poultices of caustic lye.

Since then, there have been some pretty fancy, “improvements”, but if you think about it, a depilatory is still just a harsh substance designed to melt your hair.

Waxing to Remove Body Hair

The next of the body hair removers is waxing, which basically yanks hair out by its roots. In the form of sugaring, made of water, lemon juice and sugar, this method was one of the body hair removers favored by the ancient Egyptians.

Since then, there have been some pretty fancy, “improvements”, but if you think about it, waxing is still just a process of yanking your hairs out.

Electrolysis

One of the more modern body hair removers is electrolysis, which involves sticking a fine needle into each hair follicle, (the skin depression from which hairs grow), and basically shocking it with electricity or chemicals or both. This process originates from the late 1800s when physicians inserted and twisted a barbed needle with sulfuric acid into the hair follicle to try to kill the hair root.

Since then, there have been some pretty fancy, “improvements”, but if you think about it, electrolysis is still just a process of shocking your hair’s root.

Laser Hair Removal

The most modern method is laser hair removal, which involves a hot laser light being absorbed by the pigment in dark hair to disable the follicle to at least slow down the growth of the hair.

Because this is the newest of the body hair removers, there’s not much to say about its history or any, “improvements”, although it is true that there are a variety of laser devices that work better on different people. But if you think about it, laser hair removal is still just a process of zapping your hair’s root.