Getting rid of unwanted hair for the women is probably just as arduous and painful a task as having it put back for the balding men.
But fortunately for the former, there are proven hair removal products aplenty on the market to help you perform the task at home. The main question is which suits you personally better - and its safety.
In a test, the Consumer Council has focused on two types of these products - electric lady shavers and epilators.
Among the eight samples were two shavers ($138 to $258), two epilators ($478 to $678), and four 2-in-1 shavers-epilators ($498 to $668).
The test, conducted in association with the ICRT (International Consumer Research and Testing), enlisted the help of a panel of 75 lady trial users of different ages, skin and hair conditions. The panelists used the products on the legs, the armpits or the bikini zone, and rated the performance and convenience.
In general, electric shavers are usually quick, relatively cheap and quite painless (unless you cut yourself!) to shave. It can be done either wet or dry.
The drawback with shaving is that the result of hair removal does not last long because the hair will soon grow back within a few days.
However, contrary to what some people believe, shaving does not make hair regrow thicker or faster. There is absolutely no medical support to this belief.
Regrowth simply feels coarse and bristly after shaving, because the razor has cut the thin, naturally tapering end of the hair.
Electric epilators, on the other hand, have rapidly rotating discs which pluck hairs from their roots like multiple tweezers. Epilation is more long-lasting than shaving, and gives the skin a smoother feel because the hair has been removed completely.
But yanking out hair like this can be painful especially when used on armpits and bikini zone. Indeed many panelists were reluctant to attempt these parts of the body in the trial test.
Overall, a 2-in-1 model scored the top award on a five-point rating. Another 2-in-1 model received 4? points while the remainder six samples were rated at 4 points.
The overall score was based on a combination of factors: performance (40%), ease of use (35%), versatility (10%), user recommendation (5%), clarity of instructions (5%), power convenience (5%).
For the environmentally-conscious, they may also consider the use of rechargeable battery or mains-operated shaver or epilator in an effort to minimize the creation and disposal of battery waste.
Last but not least, the electrical safety of these devices, the assessment (in reference to BS EN 60335 standards) found all samples to be satisfactory. But remember always to follow the instructions and use with due care.
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