Intimate area hair removal: shaving, cream, waxing or laser?

The methods at a glance

¹ Permanent hair reduction requires several treatments, depending on the body area and the individual hair and skin type. Success cannot be guaranteed, even when the treatment is carried out professionally. On light, red, grey or white hair, the treatment is ineffective or only partially effective.

Shaving

Shaving is quick, cheap and doesn't hurt – which is why it's the most common method. The downside: the hair is only cut off at the surface, and after one to three days the stubble is back. In the intimate area in particular, razor burn and ingrown hairs develop easily, because the blade glides over sensitive skin and the short, cut hairs can grow back into the skin.

How to be gentle on your skin:

• use a sharp, clean blade and change it regularly
• take a warm shower first so that your skin and hair soften
• use shaving gel instead of soap, shave in the direction of hair growth and don't go over the same spot several times
• afterwards, apply a mild skincare product without fragrance or alcohol

By the way, the idea that hair grows back thicker after shaving is a myth – it just feels more stubbly because it has been cut off bluntly.

Hair removal cream

Hair removal creams dissolve the hair chemically just below the surface of the skin. The result lasts a little longer than shaving, usually a few days to about a week, and applying the cream doesn't hurt. But because the active ingredients attack the hair, they can also irritate the skin – especially in the intimate area.

What to look out for:

• only use creams that the manufacturer explicitly intends for the bikini or intimate area, and stick exactly to the application time
• never apply to mucous membranes, only to the outer skin
• test on a small area first and wait 24 hours
• don't use on irritated, freshly shaved or broken skin

If the cream burns noticeably, wash it off immediately.

Epilating

An epilator pulls hairs out by the root. The result lasts two to four weeks. In the intimate area, however, epilating is very unpleasant, and ingrown hairs are common. If you epilate, gently exfoliate your skin beforehand and keep the skin pulled taut as you guide the epilator.

Waxing and sugaring

In waxing, warm wax is applied and pulled off together with the hairs; in sugaring, a sugar paste is used, usually pulled off in the direction of hair growth. Both last about three to four weeks. The hairs need to be a few millimetres long for this – which means no shaving between appointments. Many people find sugaring slightly gentler, but in the intimate area you will clearly feel both. Waxing belongs in experienced hands, in a studio with proper hygiene.

Laser hair removal in the intimate area

The laser targets the hair root. After several sessions, considerably fewer, finer and lighter hairs grow back – a permanent^¹ reduction, not a one-off result. In the intimate area, more sessions are often needed than in other areas, because the hair there is particularly dense and often hormonally influenced.

¹ Permanent hair reduction requires several treatments, depending on the body area and the individual hair and skin type. Success cannot be guaranteed, even when the treatment is carried out professionally. On light, red, grey or white hair, the treatment is ineffective or only partially effective.

What you should know:

• Only shave between sessions, don't epilate or wax – the laser needs the hair root. It's best to avoid hair removal cream, as it can irritate the skin further
• Mucous membranes are not treated, only the hair-bearing outer skin
• You can feel it, more clearly in the intimate area than on the legs or underarms; cooling and the gliding technique make it more comfortable
• It doesn't work on light, red or grey hair

For many people, the reason isn't appearance but razor burn and ingrown hairs: less hair means fewer hairs that can become ingrown, and shaving less often means irritating the skin less often. We don't laser inflamed or irritated skin – in that case, the appointment is postponed.

Bikini line, intimate area, Brazilian – what's what?

• Bikini line (classic): the area along the bikini or underwear line – everything that shows at the sides of your briefs
• Intimate area (string): bikini line plus the mons pubis and the area inside the string line, excluding the outer labia and the buttock crease
• Full intimate area ("Brazilian"): bikini line, mons pubis, outer labia and buttock crease. Mucous membranes are never treated

At MOOD Beauty, you'll find details of each level on the Bikini line and Intimate area pages.

And for men?

Men, too, most often shave the intimate area – with the same problems: razor burn and ingrown hairs. The same shaving tips as above apply. Only use hair removal creams if they are explicitly intended for men and for this area, and never on mucous membranes or genital skin that the manufacturer excludes. At MOOD Beauty, we treat the bikini line on men with the laser; more on the Laser hair removal for men page.

Which method suits me?

• Quick and spontaneous: shaving
• Doesn't hurt, lasts a little longer: hair removal cream, if your skin tolerates it
• A few weeks of peace: waxing or sugaring
• Less effort and less razor burn in the long run: laser, if your hair is dark enough

FAQ

Sources

1. Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz: Dauerhafte Haarentfernung (Epilation). bfs.de/DE/themen/opt/anwendung-medizin-wellness/epilation/epilation.html
2. Vaidya T, Hohman MH, Kumar DD: Laser Hair Removal. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507861
3. American Academy of Dermatology: How to shave. aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/hair/how-to-shave

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