Armpit hair removal is a matter of personal taste; many European women forgo this particular beauty routine in favor of a more natural appearance. In North America, the majority of women choose to remove their underarm hair. The options for hair removal are many; the costs and level of discomfort vary.
Step 1
Lather up your underarms in the shower with soap or shaving cream. Pull the skin under your arms taut to get a smoother surface and use a sharp razor to remove the hair. The warm water in the shower softens your armpit hair and makes it easier to get a close shave. Shaving is an easy and inexpensive method of underarm hair removal but you'll need to repeat the process almost every day.
Step 2
Remove underarm hair for a little longer period of time--up to two weeks in some cases-- by using a depilatory, a cream-based chemical agent that dissolves the hair. Depilatories are available over the counter at drugstores and supermarkets, but they can irritate your skin easily. Test a small, fingertip-sized area of hair before applying liberally to your underarms. Wait several minutes--the exact time will depend on the product you use--and wipe your armpits with a washcloth to remove the hair.
Step 3
Wax under your arms to achieve a long-lasting hair removal. TeensHealth from Nemours estimates that waxing can remove hair for three to six weeks at a time, but the process can be painful as the individual hairs are ripped out from the root. Apply wax strips to your armpits and press firmly. Take hold of one end of the strip and quickly pull it off; the hair will stick to the wax.
Waxing may not be a solution if your skin is sensitive, as your underarms are already a sensitive area of your body.
Step 4
Pluck stray hairs that you may have missed through shaving, depilatory use or waxing with tweezers. Tweezing can neaten up your underarms but is a painful and very time-consuming method of hair removal.
Step 5
Remove armpit hair through laser treatments. Laser hair removal is not permanent, according to the Government of South Australia's Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, but lasts significantly longer than home hair removal methods. Laser hair removal is expensive, is not always covered by insurance and can cause permanent darkening of your skin.
Things You'll Need
- Soap
- Shaving cream
- Razor
- Depilatory
- Washcloth
- Wax strips
- Tweezers
- Laser treatments
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