Just because you care about the world around you, doesn’t mean you have to be a hairy hippy, right? Unless you want to of course, but you wouldn’t be here if that was the case.
These days there are a variety of zero waste hair removal methods available at our fingertips.
The fact is, hair removal these days comes wrapped up in so much plastic packaging, not to mention that the products themselves are designed to be throw-away.
Armed with a bit more information than what you’ll find in the Woolworths aisle, there are a range of ways to tackle hair removal while being a bit more eco-friendly.
Regardless of current trends and societal expectations, if you’re keen to remove hair without producing a pile of waste and rubbish in the process, then read on.
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Zero Waste Hair Removal
Safety Razor
Let’s start with the simplest zero waste hair removal method around – shaving with a safety razor.
Most people just run a disposable razor over their skin every few days to stay on top of the hair growth.
The problem with plastic razors is that they just end up in landfill. Think about how many razors you go through a year, then expand that out to half the adult population across the world. That’s a lot of plastic razors being buried in giant holes!
The alternative is a metal safety razor. All you need to do is replace the metal blade every so often (which can be recycled), instead of throwing out the whole device.
A good quality safety razor will set you back about $45, then a pack of metal blades is about $5 for a 5-pack or $23 for a 50-pack.
You can certainly set yourself up with a safety razor for cheaper than that by shopping on eBay or Amazon if you’re not so fussed about quality.
After your initial outlay, the annual cost of a safety razor is far cheaper than disposables. Plus, you’ll get a much closer shave as well.
~ NOTE: safety razors are sharp, so work carefully when you’re first getting used to them.
| PRICE (eBay) | |
|---|---|
| Safety Razor | From: $12.99 AUD → |
| Blades | From: $4.50 AUD → |
Sugar Wax
Some people prefer to wax, and that’s cool.
You can definitely go longer between treatments, but the downside is that you have to let the hair grow long enough for the wax to have something to grip. That’s less cool in summer when you’ve got semi-hairy legs because you’re waiting for your next wax!
The reality is that modern-day waxing comes with rubbish and synthetics. Yep, even salon-quality wax can be bulked up with synthetic materials.
The at-home wax kits are full of packaging, definitely not making them an eco-friendly or zero waste option.
In comes sugar waxing.
Sugaring is a natural, organic hair removal wax that’s been around since 1900 BC according to Wikipedia. It’s said to be a gentler and nicer option for those with sensitive skin.
Sugaring Facts:
- Wax sticks to the hairs, not the skin – making it less painful than waxing
- Applied at lukewarm or room temperature, so no risk of burns like with hot wax
- Can use sugar waxing every 8 – 10 days instead of waiting three to four weeks with regular waxing
- Ingredients: water + sugar + lemon juice
Making the sugar wax yourself at home is super easy, but it can take a few tries to get the knack of it without burning the sugar.
DIY Sugar Waxing:
- Don’t shave for about 10 – 14 days (1/4 inch of hair growth is recommended)
- Add 1 cup white sugar + 1/8 cup lemon juice + 1/8 cup water to a pot and bring to the boil over high heat (stir frequently)
- As soon as it starts to bubble, reduce to medium heat (keep stirring)
- As soon as it turns a honey colour, remove from heat
- Pour into a bowl and let it sit for 30 mins
- Use a paddle pop stick or butter knife to apply some sugar wax to your skin in the same direction as the hair growth
- Hold your skin tight and quickly pull the wax off in the opposite direction to the hair growth
- Spare wax can be stored in the fridge for next time. Just warm it a little before use
| PRICE | |
|---|---|
| Sugar Waxing | < $5 AUD |
Epilator
An epilator will give you the same desired result as waxing. It works by plucking each hair from the root as you move the device over your skin.
You can get an electric Dry Epilator, which is to be used without water. Or you can get a battery-operated Wet & Dry Epilator, which can be used in the bath or shower.
How to use an epilator:
- Hold the device at a 90-degree angle to the skin (holding it loosely to the skin)
- Pull your skin taut
- Move the epilator in the direction of the hair growth, so it can remove them from the roots
- Moisturise your skin afterwards
Do epilators hurt?
Using an epilator hurts about as much as you’d expect hairs being plucked from your skin to hurt. The pain is said to lessen the more you use it.
| PRICE (eBay) | |
|---|---|
| Braun Epilator | From: $62.99 AUD → |
| No-name Epilators | From: $10.95 AUD → |
Tweezers
The easiest and most eco-friendly way to remove small amounts of hair (think stray eyebrow hairs or other randomly growing hairs on your body) is to pluck them with tweezers.
A pair of metal tweezers are only a few dollars and you’ll have them for years and years.
The great thing about plucking is that you remove the entire hair from its root, which means you’ve got about a month before that sucker grows back!
| PRICE (eBay) | |
|---|---|
| Tweezers | From $1.95 AUD → |
Laser Hair Removal
All of the zero waste hair removal techniques mentioned above are temporary fixes. The hair without a doubt will continue to grow back.
If you’re sick of body hair and just want to get rid of it forever, then laser hair removal is the way to go! This is my personal fave way to remove hair.
Laser hair removal works by emitting a light, which is absorbed by the hair’s pigment (melanin). The light turns to heat, which basically damages the hair follicles, inhibiting (or reducing) future hair growth.
Here are some common questions around laser hair removal.
▶︎ Does laser hair removal hurt?
I’m not going to lie and say laser is completely pain-free, because it’s not.
Each pulse of light will feel like a rubber band ‘flick’ per section (not per hair). Within the same second of the light being emitted, out comes a cold puff of air that immediately counteracts the flick and cools the skin.
I’m highly sensitive and was almost having a panic attack before my first Brazilian laser treatment, for fear of the pain in such a tender region. But honestly, my actual reaction was, “Is that it?”
The therapist will always start on the lowest setting, then turn it up one for each treatment after that. The thing is, the less hair you’ve got there, the less you’re going to feel it and vice-versa. So, as time goes on and your hair growth reduces, the sessions just get easier and easier.
▶︎ Does laser hair removal work on light or grey hair?
No, laser hair removal does not work on grey hairs or light hairs.
Being that it attacks the dark pigment in the hair, people with darker hairs have the best results. So, if you want to do it, get it done before you start sprouting greys!
▶︎ Can you get laser hair removal over tattoos?
No, they can’t laser over tattoos as the light pulse will inevitably scar the tattoo and ruin it.
If you want to get laser hair removal and tattoos, I’d recommend getting all of your laser treatments done first, then go for the arm or leg tat.
▶︎ How many laser treatments until you’re completely hair-free?
The average number of treatments to reach the goal of being completely hair-free is at least 12. This largely depends on your hair and body.
You’ll start out by having one treatment per month, then you can drop back to once every 6 weeks or so. By the time you get to the end of 12 treatments, you should be pretty well done besides the odd maintenance treatment.
▶︎ Do you need maintenance treatments?
Depending on your hair growth, you may need a once-over maintenance treatment annually, just to hit any odd hairs that have decided to come back through.
▶︎ How much does laser hair removal cost?
Laser isn’t particularly cheap for the larger portions of your body, but if you’re after the end result of being hair-free, it’s worth every red cent!
Below is a sample price list for Laser Clinics Australia, just to give you an idea. Keep in mind that they have 50% off sales all the time. I pre-booked all of my treatments in bulk whenever there was a sale on, meaning I never had to pay full price.
You can have whatever you want lasered – face, arms, legs, back, feet, chest, Brazilian etc.
| LASER PRICES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full Price | with 50% Off Sale | |
| Underarms | $15 | (underarms don’t go on sale) |
| Female Brazilian | $64 | $38.40 – single treatment $25.60 each – 6 or more treatments |
| 1/2 Arms | $125 | $75 – single treatment $50 each – 6 or more treatments |
| Full Legs | $210 | $126 – single treatment $84 each – 6 or more treatments |
▶️ VIDEO: Eco-friendly Hair Removal (5 Options)
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