The use of tweezers to remove hair is a common procedure in clinics, spas and homes worldwide. Tweezers can be purchased at most grocery stores and drugstores and can be used to pull out errant hairs on the face and skin, including the legs. Removing hair by the follicle through tweezing can be painful, however, and a few steps can be taken to reduce the pain of tweezing leg hairs.
Consider taking two acetaminophen or ibuprofen tablets about 30 minutes prior to tweezing to help reduce pain and swelling.
Take a warm shower or bath prior to tweezing, as the warm water will soften the skin, making the hair easier to grasp and pull out with the tweezers.
Use your hand or a soft-bristled brush to gently brush the hair on the legs in the direction of the natural growth, which will help reduce pain and make tweezing easier.
Pull the skin taut at the area you are tweezing, as creating a tighter surface will make pulling the hairs out less painful.
Wet a towel or washcloth in cold water and apply to skin after tweezing to reduce swelling and pain.
Avoid tweezing hair beginning a day or two before menstrual cycles and a day or two afterward, as increased hormones can make skin more tender and tweezing more painful during this time.