For many teens going through puberty, seemingly overnight, they go from mild grooming to the tedious and painful removal of unsightly hair. Humanity has battled for centuries with chafing, ingrown hairs, razor burns, and those nasty nicks. Whether you’re doing it for aesthetic or hygienic reasons, hair removal is frustrating for all genders. Luckily, a swath of methods exists to suit your needs from the comfort of home:

1. Razors
By and large, razors are the quintessential device for tackling unwanted hair. Decidedly not for the clumsy, razors have been known to draw blood at the slightest shake. However, there’s a lot to be said about their straightforwardness and affordability. Every store with toiletries sells disposable razors. With a little practice, they’re even easy to use. There’s no wait time or skin type consideration necessary. Simply apply shaving cream and have at it. Since razors only tackle external hair, not the root, you do have to shave more often to stay smooth. Although there are ways of mitigating the negatives, haphazardly using a razor commonly leads to undesirable consequences like ingrown hairs and razor burns.

2. Waxing kits
Everyone serious about removing hair has probably tried wax. Waxing is either via the hard wax or soft wax methods. The soft technique is the stereotypical wax/strip configuration. In effect, it uses hot wax to rip undesirable hair from the root. With hard waxing, there are no strips. Instead, the wax is allowed to cool before peeling it away. Hard waxing is gaining in popularity as it is the gentler procedure. Both routines are available in the form of waxing home kits. Outside of the perceived pain, the other issue to consider with wax is its messiness.

3. Hair removal creams
Hair removal creams, or depilatory creams, provide a happy medium between the silky smooth finish left by wax with the relative painlessness of razors. Essentially, creams use chemicals to disintegrate hair follicles. While sensitive creams are on the market, leaving any version of the product on the skin for too long could cause mild chemical burns. With the wide variety of creams out there, odds are you’ll find one that works with your skin type. Additionally, creams remove the hair at the root and frequently thin out the follicles. One use can leave a person smooth for up to a month.

4. Sugaring
Sugaring, also known as Persian waxing or sugar waxing, is an ancient method recently returned to fashion. Sugaring has several benefits over traditional wax. Generally, sugar tends to be less abrasive or painful than other waxes. Rather than sticking to your skin, sugar wax only attaches to the hair follicles. It’s hypoallergenic and less likely to cause breakage. Thus, it leaves your skin smoother and less irritated. Unlike regular wax, you can apply sugar as low as room temperature and avoid burns altogether.

5. At-home lasers
As exciting as new gadgets are, most people can’t help but feel skittish at the thought of lasers. Truthfully, while laser hair removal is an effective treatment, it isn’t for everyone. This method employs concentrated light beams designed to target the melanin present in hair follicles. Fellow melanin-enriched persons should quickly see the issue. Lasers can’t readily distinguish between darker skin and hair. As a result, they can cause mild burns.