If you're bothered by unsightly hair, you'll find many hair removal methods available. Your task is to select the right one.

Before making a decision, you'll need to (a) research the treatment options available, and (b) answer a few questions about yourself.

Which Area Do You Want To Treat?

The area of the body you want hair-free will determine the method of hair removal you select. Is the unwanted hair on your face or elsewhere? You'll need to narrow it down even more. Do you want hair removed from your arms, legs, eyebrows, back, chest, pubic area, knuckles or where?

When you're clear about which precise area of the body you want to focus on, next you'll need to determine whether your hair problem is hereditary. Some people are simply more prone to growing darker, coarser hair. If that's in your genetic makeup, no amount of treatment is going to completely solve your situation. You will have to settle for improvement rather than cure.

How Much Can You Afford To Spend?

The next step is to determine your budget. It's important to be clear on the available money, because that will eliminate some methods. Also, be aware that most methods will require multiple treatments at various intervals. Costs for hair removal treatments can range from a few dollars a month to several thousand dollars per treatment. On average 5 or more treatments are required to do the job. Your goal is to face up to whether you can afford it, and, if so, whether it will be the best use of your money.

How Much Pain Can You Tolerate?

The next cut on which method to choose is to assess your level of pain tolerance. Seriously. Your selection of hair removal methods will depend in part on how much pain you can handle. A number of hair removal methods are uncomfortable to painful. Although the pain is temporary, only you can judge your ability to tolerate it. Waxing and electrolysis are considered the most painful, so if you can't tolerate pain, these methods will not do.

Hair Removal: Temporary Or Permanent?

You still have 1 more decision to make: do you want a permanent or a temporary hair removal method? Be aware that most methods are, unfortunately, temporary.

To permanently stop hair growth you must damage the hair germination structure within the hair follicle. To date, electrolysis is the only method that has been proven to achieve this goal. Laser therapy comes close, but more experimentation is needed for conclusive proof.

These 2 semi-permanent methods are the most expensive of all the options, so your budget may make this decision for you. A temporary method may be your only option.

Last, but certainly not least, it's very important that you make sure you're undergoing the hair removal process because you want to. It's not wise to let somebody else pressure you into this.