The ensuing screams may have discouraged many a man from seeking out hair removal, instead deciding to just live with it. But is it really as bad as all that?

Waxing and its alternatives

Any woman who regularly waxes will tell you it doesn't tickle, and yet, they still go through the procedure every 6 to 8 weeks. Eyebrows, bikini lines, underarms – they all go under the waxer.

The trick to waxing is to get it done regularly. As with all waxing, it hurts more the first time, because the roots of the hair follicles are stronger. Over time, waxing, unlike shaving, weakens the hair follicles, and so waxing becomes easier and less painful.

However, it will never be a permanent form of hair removal, and that back will have to be re-done every few weeks. Depending on the salon, back waxing can cost between $30 and $60, so it’s also not cheap.

If permanency is what you’re after, then hair removal by electrolysis or laser may be a better option.

Electrolysis has been used for over 125 years, and is the only form of hair removal still considered to be completely permanent for all hair types, although this may not be true for everyone.

A hair-thin metal probe is used deliver electricity to a hair follicle, causing localised damage the hair. If the probe is slid into the hair follicle properly, it does not puncture the skin.

The down side to electrolysis is that, because it targets one hair at a time, it can be a drawn out, tedious process. Also, while some people may not find it uncomfortable at all, others may find the short, small bursts of electricity unsettling. For large areas, such as back hair, it’s even more challenging.

Some newer alternatives

SPL (Square Intense Pulsed Light) is a relatively new form of hair-reduction, highly effective on large areas of hair. For this reason it is ideal for removing back hair. Although sometimes it is called laser hair-removal, it’s not actually a laser that is used.

SPL uses focused, broad-spectrum light, which is applied to the skin with a hand-held wand. The light is attracted to darker colours, so once it is shone on the skin, it travels down the hair shaft to the bulb of the hair, where the most melanin is located. When the light hits the melanin, it’s converted to heat, destroying the papilla, which produces hair, or sometimes the entire follicle.

The advantage of SPL is that it treats thousands of hair follicles at the one time, rather than one-by-one. The downside is that it is less effective on people with lighter hair or darker skin. Because it targets dark colours, it’s ideal for people with fair skin and coarse, dark hair.

While some people may have very effective results from SPL, other may need a yearly follow up treatment. Results vary due to wide ranging hair growth patterns or hormonal influences. In most cases, hair that does grow back will be lighter and thinner. A treatment can be as little as $99, but a few treatments will be required.