With the plethora of different approaches for hair removal today, choosing the method that will work best for you can feel daunting. Shaving becomes tiresome and time-consuming day after day; depilatory creams, epilators and waxing have longer lasting effects but still aren’t permanent.

The one permanent method readily available today is laser hair removal, but this costs more upfront than any other method of hair removal. Is the investment in permanent laser hair removal worth the price?

Time

First, one aspect of expense that is often unconsidered is the investment of time. To compare apples to apples, we are exploring removing hair from the lower legs (ankle to knee).

For most people, five to six laser sessions would be needed to achieve permanent hair removal. Each visit takes an average of 30 minutes, so total time investment in laser hair removal is 3 to 4 hours.

Shaving takes an average of 5 minutes a day and has to be performed at least every other day for acceptable results, consuming 20-30 hours a year.

If you choose to use depilatories, the process takes about 20 minutes and has to be repeated about once a week, resulting in about 17 hours per year spent removing hair. Waxing takes about half an hour per session, with the need to repeat once a month, for 6 hours spent each year.

Money

So what does hair removal cost, on average? The price of laser hair removal from the lower legs averages about $200 per session, for a total of $1000 to $1200 dollars in a lifetime.

A year’s worth of disposable razors and shaving cream costs approximately the same as a single visit to the laser spa, so after 5 to 6 years, the financial investment is similar to laser removal.

Epilators cost about $40 to $45, and depilatories cost about $60 per year. Waxing costs $35 for a single session and needs to be repeated monthly, for $420 spent per year on a non-permanent solution.

With the investment in both time and money, it becomes apparent that there is no cheap and easy method for permanent hair removal. However, when one considers the fact that within just a few years, the cost of shaving outweighs the up-front cost of laser hair removal, the arguments against laser seem drastically outweighed.

Waxing costs more within two to three years, takes at least as much time, and is not a permanent solution. Depilatories cost less, but often burn the skin and the smell can be incredibly offensive. Overall, laser is definitely worth the time and investment required when compared to other options available.