Laser Treatment

Laser hair removal may be one reason more men are talking to their doctors about hair removal. With laser treatment, heat from lasers are used to kill hair follicles. Side effects of this treatment include:

• Blistering
• Skin discoloration
• Swelling
• Redness
• Scarring.

Laser treatment may be costly, and several sessions may be needed to see results. Those who consider this treatment should avoid sunlight during the healing process following the treatment.

Electrolysis

For those with light hair or dark skin, electrolysis may work. Electrolysis involves inserting a needle into one hair follicle at a time, destroying each with an electrical current. After treatment, 25%-50% of a person's hair may grow back.

Christine Sabick is a certified cosmetic therapist with over 20 years of experience in the field. Laser treatment, according to Sabick, is a better choice for men's back and facial hair, but electrolysis can also be done. The latter procedure is more time consuming, though. For example, Sabick sees a lot of men for facial hair removal. Even this process can demand one appointment a week for 1 to 1-½ years.

What about the pain factor? While laser treatments can create the sensation of a rubber band snapping the skin, people have still rated lasers less painful than electrolysis needles. And scarring is a potential risk with electrolysis.

Electrolysis session can run between $50 and $100 and complete hair removal can require 50 to 100 or more sessions.

Waxing

For the man whose threshold for pain is higher than his bank balance, waxing is always an option.

Waxing sessions at a salon can cost from $30-$60, and home waxing kits cost anywhere from $6-$9. Waxing can tweak a unibrow and remove back and facial hair. The effects can last up to six weeks.

However, even men who rip off bandages with gusto should think twice before waxing, in which a sheet of hot wax is ripped off of the skin, taking the hair along with it. If you choose to wax at home, be careful not to wax over moles or warts, and do not put the wax on so hot that you burn your skin.

Depilatories

If none of these procedures appeal, a man can always purchase a depilatory (like Nair or Neet), which dissolves hair, for less than $10 at the drugstore.

Depilatories can be used on chests and backs, but they do not compare to a good shave for facial hair. Several days may pass before you need to reapply a depilatory.

To prevent an allergic reaction, apply some to the underside of your wrist, before applying it to your body. Also, follow the instructions on the bottle closely if you leave a depilatory on too long it may leave your skin with a chemical burn.

Depilatories may leave your skin feeling itchy and tingly, and may also require more than one application, but re-applying may lead to chemical burn.