While shaving is a popular, low-cost option for removing underarm hair, shaving your pits is… well, the pits. It grows back fast, nicks and bumps are common, and it’s far from a permanent solution.
Good news: investing in the right underarm hair removal method can save money and reduce irritation in the long run. At-home IPL devices like Lumi are a cost-effective solution for permanent underarm hair removal.
If you’re sick of shaving your armpits and want to compare costs, you’re in the right place! We’ll explore different underarm hair removal methods and their associated costs, both short-term and over time.
Deep Dive into Armpit Hair Removal Costs
Check our receipts: how did we get these numbers?*
Underarm Hair Removal Methods FAQs
What’s the most affordable underarm hair removal method?
Short-term, the most affordable underarm hair removal method is either shaving or depilatory cream. If you’re just looking for a one-time way to get rid of underarm hair, you can pick up a razor or hair removal cream for under $10.
Long-term, the most affordable underarm hair removal method is at-home IPL hair removal. For just a one-time cost of $229 USD, you can get rid of unwanted pit hair for good.
What’s the most popular armpit hair removal method?
Shaving still reigns supreme, even though it’s less than ideal – though other armpit hair removal methods are gaining popularity fast!
Is it possible to achieve pain-free underarm hair removal without shaving?
Yes! Using a depilatory cream can get rid of unwanted underarm hair with minimal pain and no razor whatsoever. IPL hair removal does require shaving before each treatment session, but eventually leads to permanent underarm hair removal without shaving.
IPL Underarm Hair Removal: An Affordable, Permanent, Pain-Free Underarm Hair Removal Solution
If you’re interested in getting rid of pit hair for good without it costing you an (under)arm and a leg, at-home IPL is totally worth looking into.
At-home IPL devices like Lumi utilize IPL (short for “intense pulsed light”) technology to target unwanted body hair and destroy it with light pulses. After multiple treatments, it results in a permanent reduction of body hair. It works great on underarms as well as just about anywhere else you have unwanted body hair.
Related: How to Use Your IPL Hair Removal Device at Home
Lumi costs $229 USD, with no refills or recurring costs. Lumi is FDA-approved for safe at-home hair removal and certified to deliver long-term hair removal after 12 treatments (6-12 weeks, depending on your treatment plan). You’ll likely notice a reduction in hair growth after just 3 or 4!
Once you get the hang of it, it only takes 10 minutes per underarm treatment session.
*How we got these numbers:
The math is mathin’. While total costs of underarm hair removal vary based on where you live and how your pit hair grows, here’s an outline of how we calculated the average cost of the most popular underarm hair removal methods.
Shaving:
The average cost of one women's 4-blade razor is $5.14, according to data cited in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. To maintain a close shave, experts generally recommend shaving every 2-3 days and replacing a razor every 2-3 weeks. If you replace your razor every 2 weeks, that’s 26 razors in one year ($5.14 x 26 = $133.64) or 130 razors in 5 years ($5.14 x 26 x 5 = $668.20.) Considering inflation, it’s likely that the cost of razors will go up over time, but that’s a conservative estimate.
(Prefer electric razors over disposable razors? That’ll save you over time, too! Here’s our calculation if you use the RoseSkinCo 4D Shaver instead of a disposable razor: $49 one-time cost, $15 per replacement head every 3 months. You’re looking at $49 + ($15 x 3) = $94 for the first year, or $49 + ($15 x 3) + ($15 x 4 x 4) = $334 for five years.)
Depilatory creams:
The cost of depilatory creams varies from $3-$15. For ease of calculation, we chose the #1 best-selling depilatory cream on Amazon, Veet Sensitive Hair Removal Cream, which has 74,148 ratings as of this article’s posting, $9.49 for a 13.5 fl oz bottle. Reviews say it’s good for around 4 uses per bottle for legs – we conservatively estimated that might equate to 12 uses per bottle to treat armpits alone. If used twice a week, that’s about 9 bottles in one year ($9.49 x 9 = $85.41) or 130 bottles in 5 years ($9.49 x 9 x 5 = $427.05). Lower-cost and higher-cost depilatory creams are available, and many depilatory creams claim usage of just 1x/week is sufficient.
At-home IPL device:
To calculate the total cost of at-home IPL treatment, we used the full, non-discounted price of Lumi by RoseSkinCo, which is $229 USD. Lumi comes equipped with 900,000 flashes and involves no refills or recurring costs. Other higher- and lower-cost IPL devices are available and may or may not have associated recurring costs.
Waxing:
The average cost of an armpit wax is $22, according to data by StyleSeat. Assuming one wax each month, that’s 12 waxes in one year ($22 x 12 = $264) or 60 waxes in five years ($22 x 12 x 5 = $1,320.) Total costs will vary depending on the surface area being treated and the clinic visited.
Laser hair removal
According to the latest 2022 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average cost of laser skin treatments like laser hair removal is $582. However, laser hair removal is typically priced per area, and the cost of treating underarms is closer to $100-$200 per session. Typically, 4-10 initial sessions are required to get full results, most commonly 6-8, and then once-yearly sessions beyond to maintain results. We assumed 8 initial sessions in the first year ($150 x 8 = $1,200) and 4 additional maintenance sessions in the following 4 years (($150 x 8) + ($150 x 4) = $1,800). Total costs will vary depending on the surface area being treated and the clinic visited.
Related: Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt?
Electrolysis
The average cost of electrolysis on underarms is between $50-$150 per session, though it varies widely across the country. On average, 10-18 electrolysis treatments performed every 4-6 weeks are needed to completely remove underarm hair. We assumed $100 electrolysis sessions and 14 total treatments done in the first year ($100 x 14 = $1400). Typically, no maintenance is required after full electrolysis treatment is completed, so the five-year treatment cost is the same as the one-year treatment cost.
