Excess facial hair affects women and men of all ages. The appearance of stray facial hair is enough to cause a woman to scream in horror. These hairs can appear suddenly, without warning, especially on the chin and upper lip.
While men can usually rid themselves of facial hair by shaving, this is usually not an option for women due to skin irritation and razor bumps. Don't worry though, there are ways to remove strays hairs in a way that will leave your skin smooth and soft.
Step 1
Pull out those tweezers. Tweezing is an age-old method of removing unwanted facial hair. The tweezers work by pulling individual hairs out by the root. Tweezing is effective for removing a few stray facial hairs, but it can be very tedious to try to remove large sections of hair with tweezers.
Step 2
Slather on a depilatory. Depilatories, which offer a short-term, relatively painless way to remove larger sections of hair, come in cream, lotion, or roll-on forms. Depilatories use calcium thioglycolate, a highly alkaline chemical, to dissolve hair's protein.
Once the protein is dissolved, the hair can be wiped away easily. However, it only works on hair that has emerged onto the surface. Hair is still present just below the surface and it doesn't take long for it to reappear. It is essential to follow the directions closely when using a depilatory because calcium thioglycolate is a harsh chemical. If left on too long, it can irritate or burn the skin.
Step 3
Heat up some wax. Waxing involves placing heated wax on the skin. Once the wax cools, it is yanked off quickly, taking those pesky hairs with it. The benefit of waxing is that it removes hair beneath the skin surface, so the results can last from four to six weeks. Be careful with the temperature of the wax. If it is too hot, it may burn the sensitive skin of the face.
Step 4
Grab some thread. Threading is a facial hair removal method that is relatively new in the western world. A piece of thread or string is used to pull hairs out by the root. This leads to long-lasting results.
Threading can be painful, but the process goes by quickly. Threading can cause skin irritation, but you can avoid the burning that sometimes develops with waxing and depilatory use. Threading requires a high level of skill, so it is best to have this done by a professional threader.
Step 5
See a dermatologist. If you are looking for a permanent or semi-permanent method of hair removal, your dermatologist is the person to speak to. Your dermatologist can provide laser hair removal or electrolysis, which provide permanent relief. Both methods require several treatments and can be expensive. Though, the cost may be worth it if you would like to rid yourself of facial hair forever. Prescription creams have also been developed to prevent regrowth of facial hair and the dermatologist can provide a prescription for them.
Tips and Warnings
- Use extreme care when removing hair from the face. Do a spot test when waxing or using depilatories to check for skin sensitivity. Contact your dermatologist if you experience negative effects from at-home hair removal methods.
- All facial hair removal techniques have some consequences, so use each method only as directed.
Things You'll Need
- Tweezers
- Wax
- Depilatory
- Thread
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