Mechanical, often electrical, depilators can be used as alternatives to shaving for body hair and limb hair.  Rather than use blades to cut the hair, a depilator usually works by having a series of rotating discs, they get closer and further away from each other.  When put on the skin, hair gets caught between these discs which as they rotate, catch the hair and pull it out.

The advantage of this is that not only is the hair on the surface removed, but the hair bulb also removed from the follicle preventing hair growing back from some weeks and leaving a very smooth surface.  The disadvantage is that it can be very painful and the hair must be quite long for a depilator to work.