# Smooth Away hair removal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048 "2008-11-30T14:13:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/1 "2008-11-30T14:13:49Z")
I love me some infomercials! I don’t buy, but I have to admit this time I am tempted. I found a few positive comments in Cyberland, but I thought I would ask the people I trust the most. So, what have you, Dopers? Does anyone know anything or have experience with Smooth Away? Also, for the Dopers across the pond, is it really the #1 selling beauty product over there? I find that hard to believe, but I’m often wrong. Thought I would just ask. Enlighten me, oh great and wise Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/2 "2008-11-30T15:09:59Z")
Here’s a good site for finding out the truth about infomercial products: [http://www.infomercialratings.com/](http://www.infomercialratings.com/) Doesn’t sound like it’s all it’s cracked up to be. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/3 "2008-11-30T23:34:27Z")
It was on “the View” and Whoopi and Sherri liked it. I don’t know if African American women have different skin than others, so that may make a different. It says it buffs away hair, I don’t see how this could get the roots, so it wouldn’t seem to be any better than shaving ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/4 "2008-12-01T00:39:58Z")
It’s really just glorified sandpaper! Although I’ve seen it on sale in the UK I don’t know that many women who use it. I only tried it on my legs and it didn’t work for me, but it worked for a friend with finer hair. It’s better than shaving in that the regrowth will not have the same blunt ends, and you won’t get ingrown hairs as with other methods because you are exfoliating as well as buffing away hair. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/5 "2008-12-01T04:08:18Z")
Yup, it’s very fine sandpaper, like an emory board. It doesn’t hurt to use it, but I think that’s actually a drawback - a couple of times I’ve used it too roughly or too long on one spot apparently, and chaffed my skin. The other drawback is that it takes a lot longer than shaving your legs. While it’s not a great substitute for shaving or what have you, it does work very well for that spot you somehow missed with your razor. ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smooth-away-hair-removal/475048/6 "2008-12-01T15:05:07Z")
Thanks for the input and the link- I will look into it. And I thought it sounded suspiciously like sandpaper… I just didn’t see how that could be painless 🙂 -cats