There comes a time in every girl’s life when she has to wonder if it’s worth it. All the tweezing, shaving and waxing. All the experimenting with smelly depilatory concoctions. Who needs the hassle or the razor burn? Eventually, many women – and some men – look to a more permanent solution for banishing unwanted hair.

If you’ve had it with high maintenance and the natural look isn’t for you, laser hair removal is a safe and fairly effective if expensive option. Last year 887,000 men and women flocked to laser clinics to zap hair off their chins, upper lips, eyebrows, underarms, legs, bikini lines and other hirsuit body parts. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons laser hair removal is the third most popular in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. (It’s been bypassed by Botox® and chemical peels.)

If you stick with it, laser hair removal can accomplish the seemingly impossible: smooth skin in place of unsightly stubble without the eye-watering sting of electrolysis. But it requires commitment – and bucks.

At around $400 a treatment with multiple sessions required, that smooth, touchable skin comes with a slick price tag. (There are discount clinics, but tread carefully here. If the one you have in mind is not staffed by board-certified professionals , get customer testimonials.)

Here’s how it works: Each small area – say your chin – requires three to six separate treatments, sometimes more, scheduled every four to six weeks. After each treatment, hair grows back more slowly and less densely. At the six-month mark hair should be very light, if not entirely gone. However, to keep it that way you’ll need maintenance pick-me-ups in later years or you’ll be throwing away your investment. In other words, laser hair removal is not a lifetime guarantee. You may very well never cross tweezers with a particular hair again, but more than likely it will come back, lighter and less coarse at first, then just as dark as before. The official word from the FDA is that the best lasers on the market typically reduce hair in the target area by 80 to 90%. Notice the word is reduce and not remove? The key point is that no matter what the ads say, laser hair removal is not permanent. No matter how many times you zap them, most follicles eventually recover and live to sprout again.

One last lowdown: there’s a short list of people who should not look into the light. Avoid the laser if you have a history of a skin disorder (like dermatitis or cystic acne), are taking photosensitive drugs (like Retin-A or Accutane) or are with child, pacemaker, or metal screws or plates.

• Shave 2-3 days before your appointment
• Stay out of the sun for 4 weeks prior
• Skip the waxes and depilatories before and between treatments
• Ask your doctor about any meds you’re taking
• Stop eating carrots

Thought we were kidding about that last one, didn’t you? It’s no joke. Foods rich in beta-carotene like carrots, sweet potatoes, oranges, yellow peppers and winter squash can make your skin appear a little orangey. It’s rarely dramatic enough to clash with your wardrobe, but that added glow will absorb more laser rays, which can cause temporary skin discoloration. So unless you’re into the pale and splotchy look, stay away from your favorite orange vegetables for a few weeks before each treatment.

The procedure itself is nothing to worry about. After you settle into the big, comfy reclining chair, your doctor will apply a numbing lotion to the targeted area and lend you some glam goggles to protect your eyes. Then it’s time for some follicle-zapping action. Each pulse of the laser treats a dime- to quarter-sized area and destroys the hair follicles without damaging the surrounding skin. Oh, and never mind about the sulfery smell of burning hair - that means the laser is working its magic.

Most people liken the sensation to the feel of a rubber band snapping against the skin. Others report a deeper, if momentary, ache. Compared to several months’ worth of plucking and tweezing, it’s not a bad trade, and it definitely beats the painstaking follicle-by-follicle process of electrolysis. If you’re up to a double session (one usually lasts 15 minutes), it’s possible to squeeze an entire body part into a long lunch. You’re usually in and out in an hour or two.

You can head right back to work after this one. You might want to skip the gym, though. Exercise, sun-tanning and the Jacuzzi are off limits for twenty-four hours.

You shouldn’t expect a lot of pain, but keep some Tylenol or cold compresses on hand for minimal swelling and discomfort—a little like a sunburn—that can last from a few hours to a week after your treatment. Your doctor might give you a soothing topical lotion, or you can pick up your own over-the-counter variety with her okay.

Aside from a little sensitivity at the site, you should be up for most normal activities the minute you walk out the door. If your skin starts changing colors, don’t be alarmed. That’s the hyperpigmentation that’s most common in darker-skinned patients, and in most cases you’ll be the appropriate shade of you again in less than a month.

Now for the really pleasant stuff: red or white bumps or scabs mean something is up and you should call your doctor. Blisters, burns, infection, and allergic reaction are also possible but rare. Treat them with medicated ointments or antibiotics and a half gallon of Rocky Road.

Home laser hair removal kits such as the Rio Laser Hair Removal, Epila Personal Laser Hair Removal and Palomar's StarLux Laser Hair Removal started appearing last year, but reviews have been mixed. Though cheap at $100 to $200, they typically work on one hair at a time, and each hair needs multiple applications, so treating one small area is painstaking. Also, some users have complained of burning their skin with these kits, or the hairs growing back in looking frizzy.

Professional laser hair removal is pretty effective in the long haul. Even expensive professional treatments are not a guarantee or a one-trip fix, though, and there are lots of less hairy roads to travel.

The good news is hair removal is old news. If the laser is not for you, there is no shortage of other options. Here’s a quick recap.

• Shaving
     Pro: Cheap and easy. Only painful when you’re clumsy.
     Con: Can cause irritation. Repeat, repeat, repeat.


• Tweezing/waxing
     Pro: Inexpensive at home. Reasonably priced at the salon.
     Con: Some regrowth is necessary between waxes. Requires upkeep every few weeks.


• Depilatory creams and foams
     Pro: Effective, inexpensive and non-invasive. Unlike shaving, it dissolves the entire hair.
     Con: Gives off “distinctive” aroma. May cause rash or irritation. Products past expiration date may burn skin.


• Bleaching
     Pro: Painless and inexpensive. Large areas can be targeted at once.
     Con: Does not remove hair. Not effective on thick or long hair.


• Electrolysis
     Pro: Permanent if done correctly.
     Con: Expensive ($200-$3000). Extremely time-consuming (each follicle is removed individually). Risk of burns, irritation.


• Oral drugs (Spironolactone, Finasteride, etc.):
     Pro: Non-invasive. No risk of rash or irritation.
     Con: Somewhat costly. Prescribed only for significant amounts of unwanted body hair. Possible side effects: frequent urination, breast enlargement and changes in libido.

Still looking for options? One herbal remedy prescribes two cups of spearmint tea, twice a day, for all-natural hair reduction. (And don’t worry—it doesn’t affect the hair you want to keep, on your head.)

If you’re a sucker for ambient music and cucumber water, spa waxes make sense (and cents) for small target areas. For the $1200 to $3000 you’re likely to shell out for the laser, that’s a lot of Enya.

And if none of this sounds appealing? There’s always the natural look. Come on, hair is good. We celebrate full, thick tresses in some places and shun stubble in others? Talk about arbitrary. We all have it. The men in our lives wish they could keep more of theirs. There’s certainly no shame in keeping yours to yourself.

-- A. K. Boyle