Electric Shavers
Advantages: Quite quick, and not very messy
Disadvantages: Not very good
I've had half a dozen electric shavers over the years, and none of them give a really clean shave. There is something pleasant about running this buzzing thing over your face first thing in the morning, but you never, ever, ever feel like you've got all the bits properly, especially the bit under your nose.

Disposable Razors
Advantages: Cheap, and slightly less painful than washing your face in acid
Disadvantages: Crap, but you don't notice because of the severe razor burn
Once upon a time I found myself on an unexpected over-night business trip and without possession of a razor, so I bought a bag of Bic disposable razors. That was about three years ago, and it only stopped hurting last Wednesday. Instead of looking clean-shaven and smooth the next day, I looked as though I'd been eating a bowl of raspberries with my hands tied behind my back.

Straight Razor
Advantages: Gives the ultimate shave, apparently
Disadvantages: Scary as hell
I've never used one of these, and I don't think I ever want to. At least, not for shaving. When I'm badly injured in a chemical fire set by the henchmen of a criminal mastermind and I need a special weapon to use when I'm hunting them down, well then I might consider getting myself a straight razor, but not before.

Loose Blades
Advantages: Very good shave
Disadvantages: Can be dangerous
Y'know the razor blade featured in our TCASU badges? Well, those are the kind of blades I mean. I don't know if there's a special name for them. Anyway, with practice it's possible to get a damn good shave from them, but the potential for cutting yourself is very high. Pretty handy for hacking through a full beard, though.

Mach 3
Advantages: Great shave, very safe
Disadvantages: Incredibly expensive, and the blades are hard to find
I love my Mach 3! The first time I tried it I couldn't believe how good a shave it gave! It was as though all those years of nasty shaves had been some kind of bad dream! Definitely recommended if you have a heavy beard growth.

Please Note: the phrase "Shaving for Women" should not be taken the wrong way! This is not like "bobbing for apples" or "fishing for compliments." Women generally have less hair than men, but – amazingly – even more ways to remove it. We now hand you over to a female lady who will elaborate...

Shaving - First off, it's important to note that shaving is far from the best solution. Unless you're really lucky, the results won't last more than a couple of days. Good for a quick result if you're not planning on being bare-legged for more than a day. Best results can be had with a Venus (the female version of the Mach 3). Avoid disposable razors if possible; not only are they cheap and nasty, all it'll take is one good sneeze and you'll be scarred for life!

Plucking - Eyebrows vs. tweezers, the eternal struggle! As any woman reading this should know, the idea is to get your eyebrows thin, but not invisible. Also, you always – always! – pluck from the eye-side of the brow, not from the forehead side. It's not really that painful if you do it right (hold the skin tight before plucking). Aside from eyebrows, it's possible to buy electric pluckers for use on legs, etc. They can pluck at an incredible rate and, yes, they hurt. Oh God, do they hurt!

Waxing and Sugaring - Now this also hurts! Forget those ads with the lovely-legged women who giggle in a delightful way as they wax each other's legs: in the real world, the waxee generally needs to be strapped down and chomping on a strip of wood. Legs are painful enough, but underarms...! If you get it wrong, it can hurt enough to bring tears to your eyes just thinking about it. Also, it can be very expensive, especially if you use pre-waxed strips. Another disadvantage is that the hair has to be quite long for the wax to take hold. Sugaring is pretty much the same thing as waxing, only using a paste of sugar, lemon and water.

Electrolysis - This is ideal for permanent removal of embarrassing facial hair, but there are disadvantages: it's expensive, it doesn't always take – you'll almost certainly need multiple sessions – and it can hurt. Electrolysis uses a little needle to zap the hairs at the root so they don't grow again. It's not incredibly painful – apparently it's a little like getting a tattoo with no ink in the needle – but a long session can be pretty tough going (some people recommend downing a couple of vodkas before each session). There's a similar treatment using lasers, but I don't really know how it works.

Hair Removal Creams - Depending on who you are and the thickness of your leg-hair stubble, creams and gels are either very effective or completely rubbish. According to the ads, these products can last "up to three weeks" which is another way of saying "less than three weeks." Generally, I find that after a week the stubble is starting to show again. Still, they're fairly easy to use, and painless, so if they work for you, this could be the best option.