ughhh really want to get some kind of hair removal thing but we don't know anything about that

does anyone have advice?

@Felthry so your two big options are laser and electrolysis.

Laser is faster, less painful, and less expensive, but the results are more variable and it generally only works with darkish hair and lightish skin. I'd say the pain level per pulse is about equivalent to being snapped hard with a stretched rubber band. Definitely unpleasant but generally bearable. The quality of laser and pulse intensity used vary from clinic to clinic. You want to be using the maximum power that doesn't damage the skin.

@Felthry Electrolysis works by inserting a fine needle into each hair follicle and running a current through it. You definitely want lidocaine gel for this. Even then, most people find it very painful and the pain lasts a number of seconds per hair. Since it needs to be done one hair at a time it's also extremely slow.

The upside is that unlike laser, electrolysis is guaranteed to kill the hair permanently. (Well, barring hair growth cycles, which are a thing that the esthetician for either service will explain.)

My recommendation: get a steries or two of laser, then consider electrolysis if there's stubborn hairs remaining.

@starkatt What's a steries?