Armpit hair removal: A guide to the best way to remove armpit hair

Reading time: 7 mins

At work, while sleeping or at the swimming pool, your armpits endure a lot. Whether it’s deodorants, friction or chlorinated water, there are many reasons why your armpits work up a sweat. That’s why it is important that you find the right armpit hair removal method for you, to protect your skin.

But what is the gentlest method for underarm hair removal? In this article we will explore the most common methods for armpit hair removal including:

Shaving
Epilating
Waxing
Sugaring
IPL

So, whether you plan on shaving, epilating, or waxing armpit hair, we’ve got you covered with our guide on the different armpit hair removal methods, how to do them correctly, and which methods are least likely to irritate your skin.

Remember, there is no best way to remove armpit hair, only the way that’s best for you! Read on to explore each method, so we can help you work out what that is.

Brunette woman in bright and sunny bathroom using Philips device to remove armpit hair.

Shaving armpit hair

When it comes to shaving your armpit hair, you may be wondering whether it’s even possible to do so without some irritation. It is, but only with an electric shaver! A manual shaver with exposed blades can easily lead to cuts in uneven areas like the armpits.
Here are three simple steps for how to get rid of armpit hair by shaving:

Make sure your shaver is always in full contact with the skin to achieve a smooth shave.
Make sure your chosen electric shaver is water-resistant so that it can be used in the shower – a wet shave is a skin-friendly alternative to a dry one.
To shave your arm hair, raise your arm and put your hand behind your head to stretch the armpit skin. Move the shaver slowly against the direction of hair growth.

Woman with damp brunette hair in shower using Philips device to remove armpit hair.

Sugaring and waxing armpit hair

When it comes to removing armpit hair, we are often willing to go far and endure some level of pain. But is it worth it to have armpit hairs pulled out with the sugaring method or with wax? Here are a few facts about sugaring and waxing armpit hair:

The benefit of sugaring or waxing is that they remove the hair with its root.
Using a method of armpit hair removal like this results in longer lasting results.
However, since the hair is pulled out in one move, these methods can also be painful.
These methods can also badly irritate the skin as upper layers of your skin.

See below ↓

Recommended products

Epilator Series 8000

Wet & Dry epilator

BRE730/10

For legs, body and feet

Cordless use

+7 accessories
4.5 (241 reviews)

Overall rating 4.5 / 5

$199.00*
View product
Lady Shaver Series 6000

Cordless shaver with Wet and Dry use

BRL136/00

Floating single foil

10-hr recharge

+4 accessory
$79.00*
View product
Lumea Series 7000

IPL - Hair removal device

SC1994

For body

With skin tone sensor

15 minutes to treat lower legs
4.3 (287 reviews)

Overall rating 4.3 / 5
View product

How to remove armpit hair using an epilator

Epilating armpit hair is a gentler alternative – better for the skin and armpit hair. There are a few reasons why this is a great choice for underarm hair removal:

When using an epilator on underarms, the hair is being removed quickly and effectively.
An epilator reduces the uncomfortable pulling feeling, without damaging skin.
Epilation can even grip the finest hair - this way you can enjoy smooth armpits for up to two to three weeks.

Now, what is the best way to remove armpit hair using an epilator? Here are three steps for how to use an epilator on your underarm:

For a gentle epilation, you can use the Satinelle Prestige in the shower on your wet skin. If your skin is red after epilating, try epilating in the evenings to give your skin time to regenerate overnight.
Epilators with a trimmer attachment, like the Satinelle Prestige, can be used before epilating to trim longer hairs to a maximum of 4 millimetres length. The shorter the hair, the more comfortable the epilation.
Raise your arm as with shaving to stretch your skin and epilate your armpit hair – against the hair growth.

Brunette woman in silk blouse using Philips device to remove armpit hair.

IPL: underarm hair care and removal that lasts longer

If you want to know how to remove armpit hair permanently, you’ll be searching for an answer for a long time. However, if you’re looking for a skin-friendly, long-lasting armpit hair removal method you can use at home? Then we recommend IPL. Here are a few reasons why there is IPL is growing in popularity when it comes to learning the steps for how to remove armpit hair:

IPL is becoming more and more popular as a hair removal method because its armpit hair removal is gentle and painless.
Additionally, it doesn’t affect the skin.
With regular treatments, IPL leads to long-lasting smooth armpits. In fact, using IPL on underarms to deal with armpit hair can mean hair-free smoothness for up to 12 months!¹
At the same time, you can use it quickly and comfortably: with the Lumea Prestige, you can remove hair from both armpits in only three minutes.²

Tip: The Philips Lumea Prestige is a handy IPL device which is about the size of a hair drier. It emits light impulses, which are absorbed by melanin, the pigment in your hair. This way growing hair is being put into its ‘resting phase’ and falls out over time. At the same time, new hair growth is inhibited.

Here’s our easy three-step method to using IPL for how to get rid of armpit hair:

Choose the armpit attachment of the Lumea Prestige, which has a specially curved design to remove even hard-to-reach armpit hair.
Before treatment, make sure your skin is clean, dry and free from long-lasting deodorants. Remember, in order to use IPL, you need to remove hair from the surface, so it’s important to shave, wax or epilate before you start. Your hair should be as short as possible so the light can penetrate the hair roots under the skin surface more easily.
To remove your armpit hair, turn the Lumea Prestige on, choose the matching light intensity for your skin tone and hold it in a 90-degree angle directly against your skin. Push the trigger to activate the light impulse. After two seconds, you can continue with the next skin area. Gentle hair removal can be this easy!

So, there you go. In this simple guide we’ve walked you through everything you need to know about each method of armpit hair removal. With all the information at your fingertips, you can make an informed choice, and decide whether shaving, sugaring, epilating, or waxing armpit hair is the method for you.

¹ Median hair reductions after 12 treatments: 86% on lower legs, 70% on bikini, 67% on armpits – Philips IPL.

² When used corded.