Oh, summer time! The temperatures are rising and the tan and fabulous are ready to come out and play. But before you can don the season’s uniform–short shorts, bikinis, and tunics–part of your beauty regimen involves getting rid of unsightly hair. And with the bevy of available options, it’s easy to find yourself stuck in a hairy situation. Get the rundown on everything from shaving to laser hair removal, so you can find the alternative that’s best for you.


Shaving
Let's get back to basics. It's quick, it's easy, and when you're in a hurry, shaving is definitely your best option. While most razors come armed with a staple of three blades, Gillette's Venus Embrace comes equipped with five. And when you're looking to wipe out every strand of hair, more will surely leave you with less.


Available at Walgreens, or your nearest drugstore, for $12.49

For instantly smooth, beach-ready gams, allow warm water to soften your hair. Then lather up in Philosophy's extra rich Razor Sharp shaving gel. The aloe vera and silicone allows the razor to get as close as possible so that you can look your sharpest–and smoothest–sans any razor bumps or burns.


Available at Philosophy.com for $18


Depilatory Creams and Lotions
Since 4000 B.C., women have been concocting their own magical creams to combat the age-old beauty dilemma of unwanted hair. Modern day depilatory creams and lotions are just as potent as their archaic counterparts, with chemicals that weaken the hair so that it is removed at just below the surface and easily wiped off. Creams are ideal for fine to medium hair, when working with larger areas like legs and arms (due to their chemical nature, try to avoid facial application). For a clean look that lasts twice as long as shaving, opt for Gigi Hair Removal Cream. It gently rids your body of unwanted fuzz after just five to eight minutes and it includes a calming balm for a final soothing touch.


Available at Folica.com for $5.95

If you’re cursed with coarser hair, look for products that pack an extra punch, like Sally Hansen’s Extra Strength Hair Remover Lotion. The formula comes complete with special moisturizers and everything else needed to battle those harder-to-remove strands.




Waxing and Epilators
Waxing and Epilators–grouped together because they're a tad bit painful–work wonders, removing hair from the root so that it stays away for weeks. Let's admit it, beauty can be painful, but the sting is totally bearable. When you commit to the strip, waxing not only reduces long-term hair growth, but ultimately leaves hair magnificently thinner. Perfect for facial fuzz, the Poetic Cosmetic Waxing Kit will strip away unwelcomed shadows and the essential oils leave your skin feeling balmy. If you're weary of do-it-at-home kits, walk your prickly legs over to the nearest salon for professional handling.



Available at Sephora.com for $45

Don't be fooled–although epilators may look like electric razors, they have twice the might. Inner discs work to remove even the shortest and stubbiest of hairs (as short as 0.55mm) straight from the root. For best results, keep the skin pulled tight and slowly brush it over the same spot while switching directions. The Philips Norelco Satinelle Ice Epilator even comes with a detachable ice cartridge to sooth and massage your skin while doing the deed.



Available at Target.com for $69.99

When using these, or any other methods to remove facial hair, the perfect compliment to your routine is a new FDA prescription cream called VANIQA, which blocks growth enzymes in your hair follicle. Put simply, it reduces actual hair growth so that over time you end up removing less hair, less often.

For more information, please visit Vaniqa.com

Lasers
Looking for commitment? Perhaps you're not ready for love, but long-term hair removal sounds like a promising idea. Although sometimes not completely permanent, laser hair removal is the ultimate method for keeping hair off your body for the longest amount of time. Depending on the salon or dermatology center, laser hair removal usually requires three to five treatments, and maintenance visits are suggested. Not sure how it works? Lasers produce high-energy pulses of light that force hair growth to remain at rest. Darker skin tones beware: you are more at risk for blistering, hypopigmentation, and pain. Be sure to consult your dermatologist or hair removal specialist for the best available option. Although laser hair removal can be pricy, you'll never have to fuss with fuzz again.

If you can’t find the time or space to pencil in appointments and visits, try Tria–the US's first personal cosmetic laser. For $995, the same professional technology is packed away into a smaller device that's also easy to use. Perfect for couch potatoes, you can comfortably zap away hair while you zap through commercials.


Coming Fall 2008, Tria will be available at Triabeauty.com


Recovery
After all the pulling and stripping, your skin is bound to feel overworked. Rest assured, first aid is on its way and it’s packed into helpful lotions and potions that battle everything from razor burn to ingrown hairs.

The road to perfection can be a bumpy one. And if you’re shaving your way down that path, razor bumps can be an unfortunate result. Dab on Baxter of California Razor-Bump Relief twice a day, the salicyclic acid and witch hazel will have your skin soothed and renewed in no time.


Available at Beauty.com for $18.50

Before your bikini-wearing bum scurries out the door, don't forget to moisturize–excess shaving can strip your skin of moisture, leaving it dry, itchy and flaky. Generously apply The Art of Shaving’s After-Shave Body Milk, infused with distilled rose petals, for radiantly supple and soft limbs.


Available at Beauty.com for $36

Sail smoothly through the summer months with Bliss’s Ingrown Hair Eliminating Peeling Pads. Essential between waxing and shaving sessions, keep red and painful bumps at bay by rubbing these pads over incoming stubble. Ahoy suave skin!


Available at Beauty.com for $38