Hair Removal Quiz: Solutions for Unwanted Hair

Because there are so many of them, it may seem like eyebrow hairs grow fast. But they don't.

Tweeze carefully and sparingly so you get the right ones, because each individual hair takes weeks to grow back. At any given time, most of your eyebrow hairs are in the resting (telogen) phase of their growth cycle. They spend about three times longer in this phase than the hair on your head.

That's because threading works best on relatively flat surfaces. The practitioner twists a looped piece of thread to capture hairs and pull them out at the root.

It’s been used for centuries as a quick, relatively painless, and chemical-free way to remove unwanted hair from the upper lip, hairline, brows, and other parts of the face.

Shaving blunts the end of each hair (from its normal tapered end), which can make the area feel or look coarser when hairs grow back. But this is illusion. It's the same kind of hair you had before you shaved.

"Razor bumps" are usually caused by ingrown hairs. Blame sensitive skin that's shaved closely and often, like the beard or bikini area. Anyone can develop razor bumps. African-American hair is especially prone.

Exfoliating helps remove the top layer of dead skin, allowing hair to grow out more easily. More ways to prevent ingrown hairs: Use glycolic body washes and a moisturizing shave cream or gel, change razors frequently, and shave in the direction hair grows.

The FDA warns against waxing the nipples, as well as genital areas, eyelashes, nose, or ears -- basically any very sensitive skin. Risks range from temporary inflammation to infection and scarring. It is safe to tweeze these hairs.

Now, on your legs? Wax away!

If you have lots of moles, warts, or varicose veins in the area you want to wax, you may want to find another way to get rid of hair. Waxing can remove a layer of skin, causing scars or infection. Taking some antibiotics and acne medications may put waxing off limits, too, because they cause your skin to be thinner and more sensitive.

You actually have two types of hair: The fine, soft "peach fuzz" covering most of your body helps maintain body temperature. The darker, coarser stuff on your head and genitals and under your arms helps protect sensitive areas.

Depilatories react with the protein in hair, dissolving it into a jellylike substance on your skin that can be wiped away.

While inexpensive and painless, depilatory products can be smelly and messy. They may not work on thick coarse hair, and may burn the skin if not used carefully.

They're not meant for eyebrows, areas near the eyes, or irritated skin.

Traditional razor blades shave right next to the skin for smoother results.

Electric shavers shave slightly less close, but get points for letting you shave without soap or water, and for producing fewer nicks. But they can cause ingrown hairs and irritate underarm skin.

Electrolysis kills the hair follicle using an electrical current. But because hair cycles, it requires a series of sessions over time to destroy the actively growing hairs.

Laser hair removal also destroys follicles, using light that converts to heat. But like electrolysis, you may still need touch-ups every six months to a year until the treatment destroys the actively  growing hairs.

Laser hair removal uses concentrated beams or "pulses" of light to destroy hair follicles. The light is absorbed by melanin, the pigment that gives skin and hair its color, so it works best on people with light skin and dark hair.

That's why lasers won't work at all on white hair and don’t work well on blond hair. (It's also wise to avoid tanning for 6 weeks beforehand.)

For dark skin, laser hair removal is best done using a device with longer light wavelengths, to reduce the risk of burns and discoloration to skin around the hair follicles.

That's because the skin is thinner here, and thin skin is more responsive to the laser. You can apply a lotion or gel to numb the skin before the treatment. Avoid the sun afterwards.

Epilators, which use hundreds of tiny, rotating tweezers to pluck hairs, last longer than shaving because they remove hair at the root. They work best on legs and underarms. Some manufacturers say they can be used on any body hair, including bikini area and face.