Is TikTok's Latest Hair Removal Hack Really Worth Throwing Your Razors Out For?
If you're like us, anytime a viral hack pops up on TikTok, you take it with a grain of salt. The newest hair removal trend is no exception, because it looks so easy, we had to be skeptical. What is this magic alternative to shaving with razors? The device everyone on TikTok is raving about is called a crystal hair remover and one thing is for sure: They are prettier than razors!
The device looks like a rock, or crystal, with a smooth side, which according to Allure, is actually etched glass. What the crystal hair remover is supposed to do is painlessly, well, remove hair when you rub it on your skin in a circular motion.
If the trick sounds too good to be true, all you need do is look at any number of demonstrations on TikTok, which seem to prove that you'd be absolutely nuts not to drop whatever you're doing right now — especially if it's shaving — and dash out to the store to try and purchase a crystal hair remover. "I don't have to jump in the shower if I notice my legs are hairy," one pleased customer says in a video about her experience with the beauty tool.
Interestingly, that user tried the crystal hair remover on short hair on her legs. Another video on TikTok shows a man erasing his long leg hair employing the same technique. So is this product really the miracle worker it appears to be?
There are pros and cons of the crystal hair removers
A Reddit thread of customers who tried the Gladis crystal hair remover highlights that the product worked — for some. Others felt frustrated upon trying it out, with one nonplussed individual noting, "I tried it on dry hair, nothing. I tried it on damp hair, nothing. I tried it on wet hair, nothing. I'm really upset that I wasted my money. Just buy razors people."
More reviewers praised the technology, which basically involves the etched glass surface cutting the hair follicle at the skin (much like a razor), but blasted how time consuming the process is compared to traditional shaving with a razor. And another common complaint was that it's possible to develop irritation at the hair removal site.
Shari Marchbein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who spoke to Allure, confirmed that a crystal hair remover "seems like an incredibly abrasive and aggressive way to remove hair that can lead to significant redness of the skin, irritation, and ingrowns." She advised would-be hair removal adventurers to skip the trend and go with a traditional method that is more proven and less gimmicky.