A shave a day keeps unwanted facial hair away for men, but women usually choose a different way to remove facial hair. Women's facial hair is different from men's, in that women generally feature a softer, finer hair called vellus hair. While vellus hair is often so light it's barely noticeable, it can be darker in women with deeper complexions or those going through hormonal or other changes.
Methods
There are a number of facial hair removal options for both men and women; some are temporary while others are permanent. Temporary methods include shaving, tweezing, waxing, threading, abrasion and hair stunting creams. Permanent methods include electrolysis and laser treatments. The effectiveness of each method varies per person; different methods are ideal for different situations. The choice of removal method also depends on how much time you want to spend on hair removal and the amount of money you have to spend.
Shaving
The shaving of facial hair is usually reserved for men, but it's definitely one of the fastest and least expensive hair removal methods, Women Fitness says. Lathering on a shaving cream or gel helps prevent cuts and shaving in the opposite direction of the hair merits a closer shave. Contrary to a widespread myth, shaving does not make hair grow in faster and thicker.
Quick Fix
Tweezing and abrasion are not as fast as shaving but are still fairly quick fixes for removing unwanted facial hair, Women Fitness notes. They, too, are inexpensive. Tweezing, or plucking, involves using a pair of tweezers to individually pluck out each hair by the root. Abrasion uses friction, either with a fine sandpaper designed for the face or pumice stones, to rub off very short, fine hairs. Some abrasion kits come with a small mitten or other platform to which you attach the sandpaper.
Medium Fix
Those with a bit more time and money can opt for facial hair creams, waxing kits and threading, Women Fitness says. Like tweezing, threading and waxing involve pulling hair out by the roots, although both methods pull out several hairs at a time. Threading, also called khite and available in salons, uses a thread wrapped around a series of hairs, usually around the eyebrows. Waxing involves the use of hot wax, applied to the face, to remove the hair. Facial hair-removal creams include over-the-counter depilatories or prescription creams that retard hair growth, like Vaniqa.
Longer Fix
People looking for a permanent, and often expensive, fix for facial hair removal sometimes use electrolysis or laser treatments. Both methods require a series of treatments. Electrolysis kills off hair follicles with an electric shock sent to the base of the follicle so hair no longer grows. Laser treatments do the same thing, but with a laser beam rather than electric current. Both laser treatments and electrolysis can be performed in a dermatologist's office, although there are home-use electrolysis items available.
Results
The results of facial hair removal methods can last anywhere from one day to a lifetime, Women Fitness and Kids Health say. Shaving lasts one to three days. Any method that pulls hair out by the roots, like tweezing, waxing and threading, lasts from two to four weeks. Results from depilatory creams can last up to two weeks while results with Vaniqa vary. Vaniqa does not work on everyone and often still requires the use of another type of hair removal method. While both electrolysis and laser treatments are meant to be permanent, sometimes follow-up treatments are needed every six months or so.
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