With the hottest summer predicted in years fast approaching and swimsuit season right around the corner, a lot of us are gearing up to show off more skin than we’ve been accustomed to these past months. A lot of us are also probably asking: “What’s the best way to deal with getting rid of body hair?” With so many different options out there, and all the pros, cons, and myths that come along with them, it’s enough to make you want to forget about the process altogether and just strut around in all your hirsute glory. And more power to our sisters who take the “long hair, don’t care” mantra to heart, but if you’re not ready to say “I do” to your body hair, we’ve got you covered on figuring out exactly which method is the one suited for you.

Shaving

The tried-and-true method we’ve all resorted to at one point or another. Contrary to popular belief, shaving doesn’t make your hair come back faster or coarser. It seems that way because, when we shave, we’re cutting off the natural soft tip of the hair and making the shaft end in a blunt tip.

Pros: Easy to use, cheap

Cons: Only lasts 1-3 days, can cause irritation and ingrown hairs, can cause infections if you cut yourself with a dull blade

Pro Tip: Save shaving for less-sensitive areas of your body, like your legs and armpits. Replace the blade often so you don’t cut yourself.

Tweezing/Plucking

Anyone who’s never used a Tweezerman is definitely missing out.

Pros: Easy to use, cheap, discreet, gives the most control when it comes to shaping, pulls hair out by the root so it takes more time to grow back

Cons: Time-consuming, can only be used for small areas of skin like eyebrows and skins, can cause ingrown hairs if shaft is broken off at the root

Pro Tip: Check out our guide to the perfect eyebrow for tips on how to use your tweezers to their full potential.

Waxing

You don’t have to get on a plane to experience Brazil.

Pros: Can be used on any body part of the body, pulls hair out of the root so it takes more time to grow back, gives great coverage, lasts three to six weeks

Cons: Can cause irritation and redness, can be expensive, hair must be at least 1/4-inch in length before it can be waxed

Pro Tip: Save this for more sensitive areas that can’t be shaved or tweezed, like your vagina or your upper lip

Laser Removal

Be real. You’ve thought about blasting your hair follicles with laser beams and laughing maniacally as they shrivel up at least once in your life.

Pros: the most “permanent” option of all hair removal methods, destroys the root so that hair is unable to grow back

Cons: Can be very expensive and time-consuming, can take 6-12 treatments for any noticeable change to be seen, requires biyearly or yearly maintenance visits, can cause burning, scarring, and redness, not effective for people with blonde or white hair

Pro Tip: Depending on what method you usually turn to and how often you use it, and if you have dark hair and light skin, it might be a wise investment, financially speaking, to go the laser removal route. If having to deal with hair removal has you up to here, consider dropping the dough for these treatments and the peace of mind that comes with them. But if hair removal doesn’t faze you that much, save your cash and go on a vacation.

Depilatory Creams

Half lotion, half acid, all magic.

Pros: Easy to use, can be cheap, depending on the brand

Cons: The chemicals that dissolve the proteins in hair can also dissolve skin if left on for too long, might be less effective on coarse hair, can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks

Pro Tip: Read instructions very carefully, so as to avoid any risk of skin-dissolving. Yikes.