I Google'd "hand stripping" since the comment about duct tape had me confused. I always thought hand stripping meant exactly what it says - stripping the longer hairs by hand. Here is what I found:
Does It Hurt?
Hand-stripping dogs should never be painful. If the coat is ready for stripping, it will come out very easily with just a gentle tug.
Dogs that are hand stripped regularly don't mind the process. However, if a dog has been clipped her entire life and you suddenly begin to hand strip her coat, it will not pull out as easily and you may have great difficulty getting the coat into shape. It's always best to start stripping a dog's coat from puppyhood.
http://www.netplaces.com/dog-groomin.../stripping.htm
That being said, I can imagine that it could be uncomfortable if a dog isn't used to it or it is not done by a real Pro that is very experienced.