There are many methods of hair removal out there. Some are better for some areas than others; here, I will share what I know, and as with any other topic on these pages, if a reader has more or better information, by all means, let me hear about it!! I will begin adding good reader tips at the end of every page -- if only I can get some.

Shaving

First of all, get yourself a good shaving cream.The ones made for women are much gentler than those made for a man's beard. When I was in college, I used Barbisol, cause I liked the price and the different scents. I usually went with lemon-lime or menthol. Now, however, I use Skintastic for Sensitive Skin; Skintastic makes several different kinds, and they certainly aren't the only ones out there making shaving cream just for women. If you can find an antibiotic one, get it.

Run a hot bubble bath or shower and soak in it as long as you can. Shampoo, whatever....do the shaving last so that the steam and hot water plump up the follicles and make it easier to do your job.Always try to use a fresh razor every time on your legs. When you finally shave, they say to shave in the direction the hair grows....but if you do that, there's still plenty of stubble. I shave against the direction it grows. On the other hand, I am Ingrown Hair Queen. So take that with a grain of salt. Again, we see they dichotomy of beauty and pain.

When you're done, pat the shaved areas dry very gently and let them go. No talc, no lotion. You don't want a nasty infection -- but there's nothing wrong with a little stypic pencil on cuts. And if you're shaving your bikini area, trim first, shave in the direction the hair grows second, and if you're really feeling brave, then shave in the opposite direction last.

Depilatories

Otherwise known as Neet, Nair, Sally Hansen, etc.

First, read the packaging of several different brands and find the one that best suits your hair removal needs.

Take it home and do a patch test. Really. See if over the next three days or so you have any resultant skin problems. Remember, this is strong stuff. Not 24 hours like they say, but several days.

If all is well, then swipe it on and leave it on for about five minutes. Wipe off a patch, a small one, after five minutes, and see if it's working. If not, reapply and go for ten minutes. Repeat (in a different spot, of course) and if no results, shoot for fifteen. Regardless, between fifteen-twenty minutes, remove it. Don't leave it on any longer than that.

The bottles all say not to use in ....certain areas, but we shall see, we shall see. I am conducting certain.....tests.

And don't use this stuff on your eyebrows! Good Lord! A slow-acting chemical that burns off hair, that close to your eyeballs??? EEE!!!

Waxing

I've had my eyebrows waxed, but nothing else. Any readers wanna wire in with their experiences? Barbara Walas-Fahey did:

"On the subjects of hair removal and money spent: one expenditure that I find well worth every penny is eyebrow waxing. In western Massachusetts, where I live, it generally costs between $6.00-$10.00. Yeah, it's a little painful, but it is quick and my brows stay nice and tidy for almost 3 weeks. They always look better than when I tweeze them myself, and I can't stand messy, shaggy brows (at least on me). "

On me either, girlfriend. One mistake I've learned not to make is not to bleach my eyebrows along with the rest of my hair. Not for safety reasons. Because if you normally have dark eyebrows and you bleach them, you look like a space alien. On top of that, I compounded my mistake by plucking them. A lot. It was very very bad. Especially as I'd just trimmed my bangs the day before, so I couldn't hide my funny looking forehead underneath them.

There's cold wax and hot wax treatments, available both at salons and over the counter. Cold wax is on strips you apply and rip off; hot wax you heat first, then apply, placing a strip over it. After it hardens, you remove the strip.

I've heard it's painful the first few times, but that you get used to it quickly. The hair does not grow back for weeks, as this method removes hair from the follicles. This method can be used on eyebrows, facial hair, underarms, bikini area, and legs.

Electrolysis

I know nothing about it from a pratical standpoint. Any help here?

Sugaring

Lemons, honey and water make up a paste that you heat, apply reusable fabric strips over, and pull off after the mixture hardens.It's like waxing but the strips are reusable, the ingredients are all natural, and I hear it's gentler. I haven't tried it. Again, as it removes hair from the root, it won't come back for weeks.

This is what Barbara Walas-Fahey said about her own sugaring experience:

" Just wanted to share my sugaring experience with you. In a word, OUCH!!! I tried the Sweet Simplicity sugaring kit. I found it very difficult to get the mixture/mess to the proper consistency, and when I finally did manage to get it right, the stuff was way too hot for my skin. It is also very sticky and strands of it go everywhere when you attempt to lift it from the jar with the plastic applicator. It hurts when you pull the strips off, too. I was left with really attractive red bumps all over my legs. Not quite the way it was portrayed on television!! I had seen the kit advertised on television, but I purchased it at WalMart for less money than I would have paid had I ordered it through the TV ad. It sounded like an interesting concept. Oh well, live and learn! If you decide to brave a sugaring adventure, let me know if your experience was similar to mine."

Thanks Barbara, for cluing us all in -- I for one, after seeing two infomercials about it, was standing by the tv, Visa card in hand, ready to take the plunge. If not for your email, I probably would have.

Bleach

This is used mainly to lighten facial hair so that it becomes invisible. Jolen, Sally Hansen, and others make bleach.

Anyone got any experience?

I use it to give my dishwater blonde hair chunk highlights. I got this tip from Kirstie Alley in the Dec. 1997 Allure magazine. She's right, it works. Mix some up, coat it on your hair thickly where you want highlights, and let it sit for a few hours, then rinse. Works like a charm!

Again, any experience or knowledge about these subjects that anyone would like to share would be vastly appreciated!!