In short, yes—but how do they compare to other hair removal methods?
If you’ve been on TikTok or Reels in the last few months, there’s a chance that you’ve encountered an ad for a hair eraser—a ‘miracle’ hair-removing tool that seems to have a never-ending list of benefits.
Every video looks the same: Someone shows off their hairy legs, rubs their eraser over their leg in small, circular motions, and then the video cuts to a shot of gloriously smooth, hairless skin.
Not to mention, each video is accompanied by some form of commentary that reads along the lines of: “It’s painless! It’s reusable! It’s eco-friendly! Throw out all of your razors ASAP!”
Well, I’ve been getting these ads for months and I’m tired of clicking the ‘Not Interested’ button. It was clear that the universe wouldn’t rest until I had tried out the hair eraser for myself, so I did it. That’s right: I bought one. I bought the viral hair eraser and I’m here to put the tool to the test.
Ahead, find out how the hair eraser supposedly works, how well it worked on me, and whether I think it’s worth the money.
What is a hair eraser?
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A hair eraser or hair removal stone is a tool that uses nanocrystalline glass technology (read: it has the texture of very fine-grit sandpaper) to remove body hair. It works by clumping the hairs together and breaking them off at the surface of the skin. In addition, hair erasers also exfoliate the skin, supposedly helping to reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.
SHOP: PUFF Magic Hair Eraser & Exfoliator, RM89
Does it work?
Yes, it does… depending on where you use it. As you can see from the questionably framed before-and-after shot of my left shin, the hair eraser did remove the fine hairs on my leg painlessly as promised, and it left my legs feeling really smooth and soft, too.
BEFORE
AFTER
That said, the entire process took a lot longer than I thought it would, and even after 15 minutes of meticulously rubbing at my skin, it still didn’t catch all the hairs on my leg. On my arms, where my hairs are even finer, it struggled even more.
That’s not to say that it did a bad job—I just think that my hairs are too fine for this to work perfectly. And, before you say it, I did also try it on wet legs just to see if the added friction would improve the experience and if I’m honest, I don’t think it made much of a difference. It would probably do a much better (and more efficient) job on slightly longer, thicker and more dense body hairs.
However, I must add that I wouldn’t recommend this for the armpits or groin. Though I did not try it out on the latter area, based on the fact that it did not remove any hair on my armpits whatsoever (and the fact that it was really tedious to use on the area), I’m just making an educated assumption.
Finally, my stubble came back at about the same rate as it normally would with shaving. There are three thoughts that came to mind when I noticed this: The first is that, given that using the hair eraser was tiring and arduous, I was not looking forward to round two; the second is that I would probably have to wait til my stubble grew out before I could use the hair eraser again; the third was that at least I could get my exfoliating and shaving done in one go.
Is it worth it?
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So, we’ve established that the hair eraser does, in fact, do what it claims to do. However, whether or not it’s a better method of hair removal than shaving, waxing or epilating is questionable.
It’s safe to say that shaving is probably the worst method of hair removal for the sole reason that it almost always causes painful ingrowns. Plus, there’s always the risk of you nicking yourself on a blade or getting a bad case of razor burn. While it’s a relatively cheap solution, the sheer number of times you’ll have to shave in a month just to keep yourself smooth and hairless is enough to dissuade anyone.
Waxing and epilating are among the best ways to remove hair as they pull hair out from the root and thus reduce the risk of ingrowns. However, they are both pretty painful methods in addition to being costly—waxing being a cost that adds up and epilating which is more of an upfront strain on the wallet—so, they aren’t ideal.
The hair eraser, in my opinion, falls somewhere in the middle. While it’s painless, exfoliating, and relatively cheap (depending on which make you buy), it’s extremely limited in its capabilities. Plus, unlike waxing or epilating, it takes a lot longer to actually remove your hair. So, what does this mean, exactly?
Well, the verdict is in: If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t reach for it on a regular basis. I already own an epilator, and that does a great job of tackling my legs and armpits on its own. Be that as it may, I can see this being a nice ritual on self-care days. I imagine myself perched on my bathtub, watching Gilmore Girls on my phone as I mindlessly work the hair eraser on my skin.
TL;DR: It’s no “miracle” or “magic” product, but it does work reasonably well.
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