Is Tweezing Bad?

Tweezers are a tiny, plier-like tool, generally used for gripping and plucking hair. There is nothing wrong with using tweezers and they're not harmful instruments, but you should tweeze in moderation. You also need to make sure you use tweezers that are sterilized, and use them only for the purpose for which they are intended.

Sterilize

It may not be necessary to sterilize your tweezers every time you use them, but they may harbor germs that could cause an infection if not cleaned occasionally. The Ohio State University Medical Center suggests boiling the tweezers for 15 minutes in a covered pan.

Tweeze In Moderation

Tweezing your eyebrows and a few hairs on your upper lip or chin should not be a problem. But, if your skin begins turning bright red, or if tiny bumps and a rash begin to appear, your skin is probably too sensitive for tweezing. Talk to an aesthetician about other options like hot wax or threading.

For Plucking Hair

Though it's safe to use tweezers to pluck a moderate amount of hair, if you attempt to remove large patches, or hair on sensitive skin, such as around the pubic area, you could cause a lot of pain and irritation. Pull hairs out in a swift, smooth motion to avoid breaking the hair beneath the surface. If the hair breaks beneath the surface, you are more likely to get an ingrown hair.

Ingrown Hairs

Only remove an ingrown hair with tweezers when the hair is at the surface of the skin. You can bring an ingrown hair to the surface of the skin by treating it for a few days with a warm compress, exfoliator, benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid--ingrown hairs are actually a lot like acne. Gently coax the ingrown hair out of the skin with a sterile tweezers. Digging the tweezers into your skin can cause an infection. If an infection develops before you can remove the ingrown hair, ask your doctor for advice.

For Removing Splinters

Only remove splinters that are close to the surface of the skin. It's not safe to dig tweezers into your skin. Even if you're working with sterilized equipment, you risk getting an infection from the splinter by pushing it deeper into the skin. Never use tweezers to remove items from an orifice---especially someone else's.

References

Article reviewed by Elizabeth Ahders Last updated on: Feb 3, 2010

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