If you have facial hair, there is good news – there are a number of ways to remove it. Not only will we go over the methods, we will give you do’s, Don’ts, and the pros and cons for each.
Shaving
If you are not a man, you should not keep shaving your face to get rid of the hair. Razors cut the hair with a blunt end, which makes it seem thicker and darker – and it needs to be repeated daily. If you want to shave other areas of your body, it is okay, but not for your face!
Depilatories (Cream or gel hair removal)
Depilatories contain a strong chemical that “melts” the hair and allows it to be wiped away. It’s better than shaving, because it doesn’t make the hair come out thicker, and the results last a bit longer, but it still needs repeating every week to two weeks. In addition, it can irritate or even burn your skin!
Threading
Threading – using string to tweeze hairs – has been used for centuries. It is a good method because it is precise, and because hair is removed at the root, treatments last weeks. It is quick and is not expensive. It can even pick up small hairs – if you can feel the hair, the threads can catch it!
Waxing
Otherar popul hair removal method is wax. This can be done in a salon or at home. Like threading, hair is removed at the root, so it lasts weeks. Because the wax needs to be hot, it can cause burns, and it exfoliates the skin so it can cause redness or even scabs – especially if you are already using other products to exfoliate (like alpha-hydroxyls or salicylic acid).
Sugaring hair removal
Similar to waxing, sugar comes in a paste or gel form and uses things like sugar, lemon juice, as well as water. It tends to be less painful than waxing and is usually gentler because the sugar does not need to be as hot. It can also grab shorter hairs than wax – 1/16 of an inch as opposed to 1/4 inch of wax.
Coil Hair Removers
You may have seen these on TV. They look like long, thin springs and can grab the hair by the root. They are like tweezers, but work like threading because they grab hair quickly!
Laser/IPL Hair Removal
This type of hair removal uses pulses of concentrated light to destroy the hair follicle. People with light skin and dark hair are the best candidates for laser removal, as the laser targets pigment. There are even two home devices using this technology, which are Silk’n Flash & Go and Tria Laser 4X. They can be used on the face; from the cheek down, (The Tria is only appropriate for women’s facial hair, not men’s).
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is a tried-and-true method for facial hair removal, and is the only permanent hair removal technique approved by the FDA. It uses electric current to destroy the hair follicle, just like a laser, but unlike lasers, you do not need to be of a certain skin tone or hair color to get good results.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.