Latest ways to get rid of unwanted hair

No wonder we're always looking for cheaper and quicker ways to fight the fuzz. With women in the UK spending an estimated average of £3,618 - and 60 days of their lives - removing unwanted hair over a lifetime, budget and time-friendly advances on the depilatory front are always welcome. The latest crop of hair removers do what every woman wants - make solving an age-old problem easier and more affordable.

Shaving

More than 50 per cent of us still opt for shaving over any other hair removal system - according to the latest research, that's because it's quick, easy and convenient. With the new Wilkinson Quattro For Women Bikini, £8.99, (available nationwide) shaving just got even more convenient as this traditional razor comes with a built-in battery operated bikini trimmer that can be used in the shower. It has adjustable settlings so you can get a closer trim, plus the pack comes with its own wall mount for easy access. You can pick up replacement Quattro blades from £4.89 for three.

When shaving, you can now save time by moisturising with the no-rinse Marks & Spencer Formula Lovely Legs Shave Butter, £7.50 for 200ml (0845 302 1234 or visit www.marksandspencer.com). With nourishing shea butter, simply smooth on, shave and massage any remaining butter in to leave skin silky smooth. Perfect for legs, underarms and the bikini area.

Creams

There's no pain involved and hair regrowth is softer and smoother than with shaving. But using hair removal creams can be messy - and they've never been known for their fantastic fragrance. Things have become a lot easier - and less pongy - with the advent of Veet Spray On Hair Removal Cream (£6.99 for 150ml, 0845 769 7079), which ensures a thin layer of cream is evenly distributed on skin, even in hard to reach areas. The advanced spray mechanism means it works even when the can's upside down - simply spray on and remove with a spatula three to five minutes later, depending on your skin type.

If you need something with a bit more oomph, try Nair Tough Hair Removal, £5.49 for 200ml (Boots and Superdrug). Specially designed to tackle coarse and/or dark hair, it has rice oil and grape seed extract to leave you with radiant, silky-smooth skin. It smells a lot better than the creams of the past, too.

Epilation

It can leave you fuzz-free for weeks, but it can also be a painful process - thank goodness, then, that the latest epilators keep the hurt to a minimum. The Braun Silk-epil Xpressive Wet & Dry, £99.99 (0800 783 7010), is designed for use in the bath or shower - which can make hair removal less painful. It also has a massaging system that works to stimulate the skin before and soothe it after removal so you should feel even less pain. Claiming to remove up to four times more short strands than wax in one stroke - and working on hairs as short as 2mm - it comes with a special light attachment that shows up the finest of unwanted hairs, even underwater.

The two-in-one Remington Bodycurve Dual Head Epilator (EP5000), £49.99 (0800 212 438 or visit www.remington.co.uk) comes with a shaving head - perfect for those sensitive areas that can't take the pain of epilation. Plus the unique curved design allows the epilator to glide around the body's contours, making it easier to capture every single hair.

Waxing

It can rid of you of unwanted hair for up to four weeks, but waxing has been known to irritate more sensitive skins. That's why the new Elegant Touch Advanced Wax Strips (available nationwide) are hypoallergenic and fragrance free making them the best choice for skins that find it difficult to tolerate normal waxing. Also new are the Elegant Touch Advanced Mini Wax Strips, £3.28 (available nationwide), which are perfect for minor touch ups in hard to reach places - you can even use them on your face.

Permanent professional treatments

80 per cent of women would opt for permanent hair removal if they had the chance, according to Boots (research conducted by Redshift among 1003 consumers). There are plenty of laser and intense pulse light systems that promise just that, but not all are suitable for all skin and hair types and colours.

Unlike most, the Lightsheer Diode Laser, from £75 per session (from The Private Clinic, 0800 599 9916, www.theprivateclinic.co.uk) can be used on darker skin. It also has a 'ChillTip' cooling lens, which means that higher doses of laser energy can be used safely and effectively without discomfort, making it easier to tolerate on more sensitive parts of the body, including the face. The number of sessions needed will depend on your skin and hair type.

Top tip

Don't expect miracles if you're thinking about having laser or intense pulse light permanent hair removal. On average, these treatments tend to kill off up to 80 per cent of hair, but it can begin to grow back at a later date - although it tends to grow back much finer.

DIY light treatments

If you're thinking of having professional light treatment to remove hair from your legs, underarms and bikini line, you can expect to fork out anything from £3,000 upwards for a full course of treatments. With the latest DIY treatments systems you can kill off those unwanted strands at home - and save a fortune on salon treatments.

The Tria Laser Hair Removal System, £675 (0845 5552121, www.tria.co.uk) was the first of its kind and has now been updated so it takes half the time to give yourself a hair-zapping treatment. And, as you only need to use the device once a month for about six months, it's a pretty hassle-free way to rid yourself of unwanted fuzz.

Laser energy targets the dark pigment in the hair, where it is transformed into heat that disables the follicle, causing the hair to gradually fall out and stop growing back. It will work well if you have naturally medium brown, dark brown, or black hair, and your skin is white, ivory, beige, or light brown, but it isn't suitable for darker skins.

Much cheaper is the brand new Boots Smooth Skin, £299 (from larger Boots stores and on www.boots.com), which brings iPulse Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology into the home for the first time. It's virtually pain-free, but like the Tria, is not suitable for dark brown or black skin tones. Use it weekly for six to 12 weeks for best results.

Aftercare

Soothe skin and get softer regrowth after shaving, waxing or epilation with Skin Doctors Hair No More Inhibitor Spray £9.95 for 50ml (0845 612 2070, www.skindoctors.co.uk). Packed with healing ingredients, there's also salicylic acid that works as an antiseptic and helps to dissolve the keratin in the hair. Use two to four times a week for softer, finer regrowth.

Fight those ingrown hairs with Nads Ingrow Solution, £9.99 for 125ml (from Boots and Sainsbury's). Use it after defuzzing sessions to help prevent unsightly bumps appearing.

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