If you’ve ever had laser hair removal before, you know that during the process you must shave areas being treated, but cannot wax, pluck or otherwise pull hair out by the root. Thusly, my daily shaving habit began. Seven years later, I am still stuck shaving. I can’t wait for stubble to grow out and wax, and plucking is not an efficient way of removing the hair. It’s been like a razor-lined prison, so I was piqued when I saw this highly rated and oft reviewed gadget on Amazon- called the R.E.M. Spring. Priced at about $19, the tool is very well made- for a spring.

The R.E.M. Spring kind of works like threading, and it doesn’t require a cream/powder/lotion mess or electricity to leave you hair-free. You bend the device into an inverted U-shape and twist the handles as you move it upward over your skin. A few caveats, though not necessarily cons- one is that it really takes about ten minutes of practice before you get the hang of the spring. It may seem ineffectual at first, but it does eventually become very effective.

That’s the other consideration- the R.E.M Spring doesn’t tickle. It pulls the hair out- several at once- quite effectively. It’s definitely not a pleasurable feeling, but eventually you get used to it and kind of welcome the minor discomfort. The spring is also super effective- it will remove the hair, even if it takes a few passes.

I have to admit, I really thought I’d seen it all when it came to the de-fuzzing game, and I lamented a possible future of daily shaving forevermore. And while I’ve got a few days of compulsive springing until I am hair-free, I forsee this little thing becoming an integral part of my beauty routine. (It comes in a velvet carry case, and is about 4″ wide, so it should fit in your makeup bag.

If you’ve been trying to break a razor addiction (a common secret among women who suffer from PCOS) or just don’t like to wait to wax, the R.E.M. Spring could break you free of both or either. Do you have a hair removal secret? What methods do you find work best?