You won't be happy with the following information, but it's probably best if you know the truth before you go spending a hundred bucks or more and end up getting ripped off. Worse: spending a hundred bucks or more and damaging your skin.
Most of the products sold for home hair removal are crap. Consumer response seems to indicate that:
1) "Radio frequency" products which supposedly remove hair by sending radio waves through the hair to the follicle are NOT a permanent solution even though the manufacturers claim they are. There are certainly many of these products available -- the most hyped product is sold under the name of "Finally Free." It costs about $100 and requires additional purchases in the form of certain accessories needed to use the kit over time. There are numerous consumer complaints about this product. The main selling point is that it is non-invasive -- an electrically wired tweezer is used to hold the hair and sends a radio wave pulse through the hair shaft to the follicle, which is then supposedly killed so that no new hair will grow. Sounds like a load of shit to me...
2) "TRUE" electrolysis products involve the use of a stylus consisting of a wire which is inserted INTO the follicle. Pressing a button sends electric current (NOT radio waves) into the follicle, which kills it. This is how actual electrolysis works, as you know. The problems with these type of products include: low-power which often fails to kill the follicle; risk of skin damage, especially in sensitive areas; EXTREMELY difficult to use -- directing the wire stylus INTO the hair follicle isn't easy and practically impossible to do on areas of the body that are hard to reach; re-growth is common; the process is physically uncomfortable.
I'll provide some links for you at the end of this post, but first:
Dude, I won't bother telling you NOT to worry about a few hairs that naturally occur with aging. While this is perfectly NORMAL and the VAST MAJORITY of men out there do not concern themselves with this, it's unfair to say that YOU should be content to live with it if it indeed bothers you. At the very least, however, it is often a wise idea to give some thought to bodily modifications of ANY sort before you rush into something. This advice goes for cosmetic surgery, tattoos, piercings, hair removal, etc. It's imperative that you personally research your options and take a little time to weigh the risks and the benefits of each.
While a few stray hairs may be unsettling for you at the present moment, you may realize that they are just not as important as you once thought if you wait a while before taking action.
But, assuming you have made up your mind and that taking care of this "problem" will make you feel better about yourself -- then by all means, you should go for it!
Yet I would STRONGLY recommend that you have this professionally done and NOT bother wasting your time and money with "at home" products.
Sorry... I know you don't want to hear that.
Here's the deal, dude:
Save up some money over time for professional treatments. Understand that even professional electrolysis sometimes requires repeated sessions. The less hair you want to remove, the better luck you will have. But also consider that as you get older you will almost certainly get NEW hairs in NEW places. So this is something you'll be doing for a LONG time.
TEMPORARY measures for "at home" hair removal are another great option -- and you can easily afford these kinds of techniques and use them WHILE you are waiting and saving up the money for professional treatments. There's nothing shameful or wrong about waxing a few stray hairs or using depilatory creams when you feel it is necessary. At least it is SOMETHING, right?
You mentioned concerns regarding laser treatments for hair removal. I cannot address those concerns in great detail as I have never had laser hair removal, but I HAVE been using lasers for cosmetic purposes since the age of twelve. I am quite sure I probably know more about cosmetic applications for lasers than anyone in these forums.
Dude... lasers ROCK! GO FOR IT! It is WELL worth the money and EXTREMELY SAFE.
In fact, my friend... I am here in Buffalo staying longer than I anticipated because I am going to go get zapped by a laser again while I am here. I've got a birthmark on my face and have decided I feel like taking another crack at laser treatment. Now, this birthmark doesn't bother me at all -- in fact, I kind of dig it in some ways. Yet at the same time... I just want a CHANGE. I get my dick sucked ALL THE TIME and have NO problems with my sex life or attracting willing male partners. And if anything was going to be an issue for me, it would be that! To be perfectly honest, I think some guys think I got into a bar-fight or something. I think that until they see me several times and realize it is NOT a black-eye, they probably think I'm a tough little fucker and are consequently turned on by that.
Now, as I said, I've been having off and on laser treatments since I was twelve. I stopped at first because way back when I was a kid, the technology just wasn't as good as it could be. I was advised by my doc to wait until I was an adult and my face was no longer growing and changing with adolescence. He was right. Lasers have changed A LOT. I was, in fact, one of the FIRST guys in the United States to try laser for cosmetic purposes. My doc was a pioneer in the field.
When I decided to try it again, laser technology had come a long way. I found a new doc in Florida and as it turns out, he was trained by my old doc! The first laser was argon and it literally just BURNED the layers of skin BENEATH the surface. This was horrible and painful and required local anesthetic as well as a two-week recovery. Initial results were minimal, but there was some notable change. The NEXT laser was a pulse-dye laser. What a difference! This thing requires NO anesthetic. A cold pack is placed on the skin for ten minutes before treatment and again for an hour or two after. Results are MUCH better and much faster, too.
Treatment (for me, because it is a relatively small area) takes about twenty minutes, max. The laser feels like rubber bands being snapped against the skin, or maybe like having sand blown through a thin straw. It stings and is uncomfortable, but... to be honest, I don't even wince. The doc can stop at any time and let the patient rest for a minute if you just ask. It's no big deal.
After, the cold pack keeps the skin refreshed. You can ditch it after an hour or two. The area will be sore for a couple more hours and then... NOTHING.
No pain, very little or NO swelling at all, no burns, no wounds, no blood, no NOTHING.
In my case, the area of skin treated gets lighter and lighter over the next six month to one year. A second treatment is possible one month after the first, but then it's necessary to wait about a year for more if more are needed.
Also in my case... this is a STUBBORN birthmark to treat. It could take a dozen zaps. Maybe less. But there is NO damage to the skin.
I got IMMEDIATE results the first time I tried the pulse-dye laser. Fading continued for a year.
I stopped ONLY because of the cost -- I could not afford to do it over and over. This will NOT be anywhere NEAR as big of an issue for laser hair removal, trust me.
But now... I've got some cash to try it again and my Dad offered out of the blue to pitch in some cash, too. So why the hell not?
I want you to consider something, though, just as I am considering it:
I don't want to change myself COMPLETELY. At least right now, that is my thinking. I kind of WANT something to be there on my face. It's part of ME. It's never been a problem, never caused me psychological distress and in my entire life I've only encountered TWO individuals who were ever rude or nasty to me because of it. Maybe once I see the results of this next zap session I will decide I want more done or that I like how I look as it fades. Or maybe not. The good news for me is that I know in my case I won't get FULL results instantly next time around. So I can stop and leave it be if I desire.
I'm kind of looking forward to it -- but at the same time, I LIKE myself as I am and I'm happy with my face. It's a good conversation starter, too! LOL.
The point is -- YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE. I am CERTAIN I would NOT be the guy I am today if I had not been born with a birthmark. Yet mine is small and not a big deal. I've seen people with HUGE birthmarks covering half of their upper body. I can see why these folks would have some issues. I guess I'm lucky in many ways.
I thought it was important to share that story with you so you can give it all some thought. I also understand that a few stray hairs are NOT a big deal, whether they are there are NOT there. It's NOT the same thing as a birthmark. YOUR CHOICE is easier to make, so good for you!
Laser hair removal is safe and effective. BELIEVE IT. Additionally, there are LIGHT TREATMENTS that are also safe and effective. These are NOT actual lasers. They are cheaper and less powerful and do not always require a physician. HOWEVER, my personal recommendation would be to have a COSMETIC DERMATOLOGIST perform any procedure you select.
Dude, an initial consultation with a doc will run you about $100. MOST of these docs will allow for this fee to be deducted from the price of treatment.
MY laser surgery is only going to cost $410. This is a great price. I'm going to do it a second time, after the first thirty day waiting period has ended from the first treatment, so $820 total. Then I've got a year to decide if I want or need to do it again. Maybe, maybe not.
I think this cost is very reasonable. The only problem for ME is that a dozen treatments totals six grand. Maybe I'll need six, seven, eight -- or just this one time. No way to know. I've got all the time in the world, though.
BUT... laser hair removal will not cost anywhere near this amount. Two or three treatments for a few stray hairs and that's IT. Price will vary according to the size of the area you wish to treat. If new hairs appear in new places, you can deal with them later.
Laser or light-based hair removal is done in a doc's office and you leave immediately after. Whether you chose laser or light, you can expect: minor discomfort during the procedure and for a VERY short time after (couple hours); MAYBE some redness and tenderness for a day; MAYBE some VERY MINOR swelling, but this is not likely. You will be required to use sunscreen so that hyper-pigmentation does not result (also rare).
And that's about it. Electrolysis, should you go for that instead, will yield almost identical effects after treatment, but hyper-pigmentation is not a concern as far as I know.
I'm guessing $500 should take care of this for you. All three are viable options. Doing this by yourself at home is NOT a good idea, and you'd probably just waste $200 on equipment and supplies that don't work. Better to spend an extra three bills and get ACTUAL results, no?
Lasers are fabulous. Don't fear them.
Here's some links regarding at-home hair removal so you can read some information for yourself:
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...s&ref=tgt_adv_
(Product for sale, with a few customer reviews)
http://www.hairfacts.com/index.html
(Maybe start here. This site isn't selling anything. There are some forums here that will be of use to you.)
http://www.nevershaveagain.com/
(Site selling the product that I believe you should NOT purchase, but included anyway because you asked.)
Now, remember: laser for hair removal is NOT the same thing as laser for skin discoloration, though many lasers DO have multiple uses. I provided MY personal information just as a basis to help you make a decision. Overall, however, you can expect great results if you let a professional do this for you.
Good luck.