It means either the entire hair is removed (epilation) or the part of the hair above the surface of the skin is removed (depilation). There is also bleaching. Many women use it as an inexpensive way of covering the presence of unwanted hair by removing the hair's natural pigment. Temporary methods must be done on an ongoing basis because the hair will grow back but for many people this is acceptable because these treatments are quick and inexpensive, like shaving. There are a couple methods of depilation with the most common one being the mentioned shaving, where the hair is removed with a manual or electric shaver. There are also depilatories or creams that chemically dissolve hair, and the friction method of buffing away hair with rough surfaces.