I am a fan of the mechanical devices that rip the hair out. When you first use them they hurt like a son of a bitch – but they hurt less after a while – some areas like the ankle take longer. Also the period for growing back is weeks – perfect for doing just before going on vacation. In my experience (again n=1) when the hairs grow back they are not sharp at the ends like shaving (no stubble) and in most areas after multiple rounds they grow back slower and finer. I had really coarse hair on my legs and now it is fine and I rarely treat my legs. Not instant took about 10 years.