Hair on the face can cause women to be extremely uncomfortable with their appearance. It can also lead them to worry that they have a hormonal problem. Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, unwanted facial hair in women does not signal any underlying health issue, according to Dr. Jeffrey Melton of the Laser, Liposuction, and Skin Cancer Surgery in Oakbrook, Illinois. But it can be a major nuisance to get rid of. You have several options from which to choose.
Step 1
Tweeze the hair. This is an age-old method and one of the most popular. The results can last between two weeks and two months. But it can be painful. And, because the hairs are at various stages of growth, some women end up spending 10 to 20 minutes in front of a mirror each day plucking, according to Melton. Because it is labor-intensive, the technique is not well-suited if you have a lot of facial hair.
Step 2
Try waxing. The results are comparable to tweezing because both methods remove the hair from the root. Waxing is better-suited to larger areas of hair because it can remove many hairs at once. It can involve a stinging discomfort. Home hot wax kits include a "wax" typically made of sugar, honey, resin or beeswax. You can purchase microwavable wax, put it on with a spatula-type instrument and spread the wax with cotton muslin. You then yank the wax away, and the hair comes with it.
Step 3
Use creams, lotions or gels. They are called chemical depilatories, and they destroy the hair by eroding the protein structure of the hair shaft. Be sure to buy a product that is suitable for use on your face. Otherwise, the chemicals could irritate your skin. A suitable product will not cause the pain of plucking or waxing. The results can last about six weeks.
Step 4
Stay away from the razor; it has a major disadvantage for women: stubble, which you probably will not like any better than you like facial hair.
Step 5
Consider electrolysis. It is touted as a permanent hair removal method. The problem is, the one-hair-at-a-time nature of the procedure means several treatment sessions may be necessary. It can be painful, and pinpoint scarring and infection are possibilities.
Tips and Warnings
- If you choose plucking, buy a high-quality pair of slant-tip tweezers; cheap tweezers typically lack the balance to get the job done well. Microwaveable waxes can get extremely hot, so use the recommended settings and test the wax on your finger before putting the wax on your face; otherwise, you risk a nasty burn.
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