underarms have always been my issue. i’m always limited with my choice of clothing because of the not so smooth look of my underarms. i only either shave or tweeze my underarms. i tried waxing, but it burned them badly that they were dark for weeks. never did waxing again. i dont know how most average women (at least my colleagues at work) make their underarms look so smooth as if they’ve never had underarm hair. they could wear sleeveless clothing anytime they want.
any advice?
Laser is cheap and quick and permanent, if you’re interested in something like that. I always hate shaving because it leaves black dots no matter how good of a job I do. Just the burden of having black hair and white skin I guess.
If you have dense, coarse, dark hair, investing about $600 in LASER hair reduction is worth it! You will be left, perhaps, with a variable amount of whispy hair after a prescribed 4? 6? 8? treatments that have been spread out over a year’s time. Those hairs can be knocked out with good old steady friend - electrolysis.
If you have medium hair structures that are dark and the density is less, a skilled, speedy electrologist using MicroFlash or PicoFlash thermolysis can do it all and I would not bother with LASER. Actually, a skilled electrologist can even handle what can be done with LASER. LASER takes less time on the table if you have dense, dark, coarse hair structures, so that is why I recommend LASER first to my clients. It offers a good start in cases like that. Free yourself now and consider LASER, but line up a good electrologist to bring you home to permanent total hair removal. I see many, many women who do it this way and they end up very happy.
For any laser specialists who may be reading this, please tell your underarm clients that there will still be an unknown percentage of finer hairs left after treatments are over. Clients come to me dissatisfied with LASER because they were assured that all the hair would be affected and it was not in most cases. These clients could easily shave those finer hairs that remain and still be good for weeks, but they want total removal. By the time I see them, true, they still have some hair, but I assure them that all looks so wonderful. I think 90% reduction is pretty darn good. I don’t know why they complain and are all bent out of shape.
People forget pretty soon how much hair they had and what they had to do to remove it. I used to shave my underarms every day and still be left with dark stubble and usually light rashes because every follicle seemed to be upraised. My first laser session cured that because I no longer had to shave every day. Subsequent laser sessions will reduce the hair so I only have the shave every few weeks. I’m pretty happy with the result so far!
On the other hand, there are a combination of factors that make laser a viable choice. Finding a good clinic, with the right machine, at the right cost for you is a start. Check out the laser forum, and take a look at all the “sticky” topics which let you know how to go about finding a laser clinic, making sure they are right for you, and making sure the settings they use on you are good.
Or if you’re lucky enough to live near a great electrologist you could get the same result 
You could always try sugaring your armpits too. You wont burn yourself and the reaction is usually lesser, and you can be hair free for two to four weeks at a time. But waxing or sugaring all need hair growth so that you are able to rip the hairs out properly, so you need to remember that you do have to plan for that.
thanks for the replies. im wondering though how regular teens, who most probably cant afford more sophisticated measures such as laser and electrolysis, can have very smooth underarms. probably by waxing, but then again, i cant do waxing.
Ah! A teenager here. Teenagers are powerless because they don’t have money quite yet for such things. I vote for waxing, but go to a professional. If you are old enough to get a job, then save about $1,000 and go for LASER and find a skilled, modernly equipped electrologist if the remaining fuzzies bother you.
Electrolysis on the underarms is so easy and inexpensive that even a teenager could afford to do it, and get full clearances with a good practitioner who has a little speed.
True James, but it is not like those kinds of electrologists have offices on every corner in the USA or elsewhere. The consumer is faced with very little choice, depending on where they live, and to boot, we electrologists all have our own way of removing hair, with varying set ups.
Laser shouldn’t cost $600. Good treatments are as cheap as $60 each (and you may need as little as 4). $60 every 3 months is nothing. A $5/week allowance could pay for that!
But if it’s still out of budget, then you can try a rotary epilator. I like to use one instead of shaving. It works well on armpits because the hair is too thick to break, it rips out cleanly. And you can do it as often as a touch up is needed, without waiting until it’s really long (like with waxing).
It will hurt the first time or two (like waxing/plucking), but then you literally won’t even feel it anymore.
Ask your parents to pay for it for your birthday or something?
It does in my locale. It’s the law of supply and demand that dictates price. It really shouldn’t cost more than $600, no matter where you live, so prepare as if you are paying top price.
Is that assuming 6 treatments at $100? $100 per treatment isn’t that bad I suppose. I still think it’s doable for a teenager. When I was 16 I had a full time job and about ten grand in my bank account from saving up years of birthday and Christmas money and paychecks (I never was a frivolous spender). I didn’t get an allowance, but I still could have afforded hair removal if I had known about it back then.
I ended up getting ripped off and lost all of my money and had to start saving it up from scratch when I turned 18. That was harder because so much of my paychecks went to rent and then a mortgage.
As a teenager with no major bills (aside from gas/car bills), it is actually EASIER to save money in my opinion. So if our poster here can manage it, I suggest doing it now and not waiting until she is a broke college student.
^good points MPK.
And done right, it shouldn’t require more than 6 treatments. That is, 6 treatments should give you enough reduction and leave only fine hairs that a 7th wouldn’t be worth the money.
One can finish off with electrolysis later in life.
I’m 18. I use an epilator a couple of times a month and shave in between. I am so much happier with the combination than shaving alone. They look perfectly smooth, no black dots.
You also may try getting a professional wax and then maintaining with an epilator.
Be warned though, epilators are tricky and you have to really know how to use them and how to take care of your skin.