13 Facial Hair Removal Methods and How to Choose

Table Of Content

• Gua Sha Experts On How To Lift & Depuff Your Eyes In No Time
• Shaving facial hair
• Nad's Facial Wax Strips
• Most Precise Tool
• I'm A Shopping Editor Who Waits All Year For This Device To Go On Sale — Here's Why
• Shop other hair removal devices we love
• Philips Lumea IPL 8000 Series Prestige, Corded with 2 Attachments for Body and Face

Tweezing is another effective and inexpensive way to remove facial hair. Instead of removing hair with a razor blade, tweezers are designed to pluck or pull hair from the roots. Great for a longer-term option (you could be hair-free for up to 12 months), IPL or intense pulsed light works by using light to heat and destroy hair follicles in the skin, ultimately disrupting hair growth.

Gua Sha Experts On How To Lift & Depuff Your Eyes In No Time

To minimize these risks, follow your device's guidelines and avoid sun exposure before and after treatments. Laser hair removal works best on individuals with dark hair and lighter skin tones, as the laser targets the pigment in the hair. Styles and attitudes are changing all the time, but many women like the look of a smooth, hairless face.

Shaving facial hair

It’s extremely painless, and we found that the the hair grows back better than shaving. If you have sensitive skin that's easily irritated, this device works great. You can use it as often as you want without risking a red mustache. The built-in ring light comes in handy and ensures no hair is left behind. As for why some women sprout these hairs and others don’t, that’s often down to genetics, said Dr. Angela Lamb, a board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Nad's Facial Wax Strips

This $20 trimmer is gentle on the face, has a pivoting head to follow the natural curves of your face, and is battery-operated for easy use. From creams to razors, these tools will make hair removal quick and easy. Facial hair can be annoying for some people, but getting rid of unwanted hair is an easy fix. Depending on the chosen method, you can get rid of hair for days, weeks, or months.

Most Precise Tool

Because hair grows in cycles, it takes several sessions to get permanent hair removal. The laser emits a beam of light, which the pigment (color) in your hair absorbs. Over time, this can destroy the hair follicle, so the hair cannot grow back. While it takes about 6 treatments from a dermatologist to destroy a follicle, the hair will grow back thinner and finer after each treatment. During electrolysis, an electrologist will insert a sterile needle into the hair follicle.

I'm A Shopping Editor Who Waits All Year For This Device To Go On Sale — Here's Why

If you're super prone to ingrown hairs, laser hair removal may be a smart option. To dig into all the important deets on short-term and long-term facial hair removal options, SELF asked top dermatologists to break down the pros, cons, and special considerations for each one. When it comes to removing facial hair via shaving, you can either use a dermaplane razor or a regular razor. A dermaplane razor is great for getting a gentle surface-level shave and mild exfoliation on dry skin. A traditional razor (either a single-blade safety razor or a multi-blade disposable razor) is best for getting a super-close shave with coarse hair on wet skin.

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We turn to prescription creams for so many skin woes, so why should hair removal be any different? Enter Vaniqa, an FDA-approved prescription cream that reduces facial hair in women. Allergan, the pharmaceutical company behind Botox is the manufacturer and says you should see improvements between four and eight weeks after the start of treatment. While it's not a permanent removal method, the cream is said to help hair grow back more slowly and in finer, softer textures.

Shop other hair removal devices we love

We chose the Flamingo Facial Hair Removal Cream as the best overall facial hair remover for many reasons. The applicator is built straight into the bottle, making the cream extremely easy to apply. We also noticed that the cream doesn’t spread to areas where you don’t want to remove hair. Another standout quality of this cream is that it works within just five minutes. That’s precisely why we stand by it as our best overall pick as a facial hair remover. Dermatologists offer laser hair removal treatments, which can permanently remove hair, except for on a woman’s face.

Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months. If you know anything about epilating, you know that it's commonly thought of as hella painful, thanks to the fact that it plucks each hair from its root, like a bunch of tweezers operating all at once. But (!) epilators have come a long way since your grandma's day—so much so that one Cosmo editor wrote a love letter to this exact Braun epilator for being virtually painless (yes, really). Apply the mixture to the hair you want to remove and press a waxing strip or clean cloth into the molasses wax.

What is dermaplaning? Pros and cons of dermaplaning - Harper's Bazaar UK

What is dermaplaning? Pros and cons of dermaplaning.

Posted: Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

You can also talk to your dermatologist about prescription creams or pick up a depilator cream at the drugstore. This hair removal technique removes the peach fuzz hairs—referred to as vellus hair—for a super smooth look at feel. Depending on how quickly your hair grows, you’ll need to upkeep by dermaplaning every three to four weeks. You can have this professionally done, or do it yourself at home with a sterilized dermaplaning tool, like the Tweezerman Facial Razor ($19; Ulta). There is a range of options to remove facial hair at home, including over-the-counter creams and tools such as razors, tweezers, and epilators. Another one of our favorite laser hair removal devices is this one from Braun.

Sugaring paste is made from 100% natural ingredients—sugar, lemon, and water. The goop is able to penetrate the hair follicle and adhere to individual hairs before removing them at the root. For minor facial hair (a strand here and there or peach fuzz) a dermaplaning razor will do the trick. The dermaplaing tool looks like a small scalpel and actually takes a layer of dead skin off the top, along with unwanted hairs. Older research indicates that people with dark, thick hair and those with underlying hormonal conditions (like polycystic ovary syndrome) may be at an increased risk for this side effect. Because you’re pulling the hair from the root, threading lasts about as long as tweezing or waxing.

Its formula is infused with good-for-you skincare ingredients like aloe vera (to soothe redness) and papaya fruit extract to add moisture. If the idea of completely removing your facial hair freaks you out at first, test the waters with a trimmer. It will only temporarily remove the fuzz but it’s a good way to see where your comfort levels lie.

All facial hair removal methods have their drawbacks, which is why it might take a few tries to find the one that works best for you. Laser Hair RemovalLaser hair removal uses highly concentrated light to penetrate hair follicles and inhibit future hair growth. This method works best on people who have light skin and dark hair; particularly those with thick, coarse and unruly dark chin/upper lip and sideburn hair. While laser hair removal isn't exactly permanent, it can effectively slow hair growth. Threading is another option for shaping eyebrows and removing unwanted facial hair on the upper lip, side of the face, and chin. This method uses a thread, which pulls and twists unwanted hair until it lifts from the hair follicle.

The lightweight, battery-powered device is small enough to tote around with you wherever you go. It also requires no set-up or potential mess, so many women report making this part of their regular morning routine as a way to smooth their skin before applying makeup. The spinning technology removes both terminal hairs and peach fuzz. For a more permanent hair removal solution, experts recommend electrolysis. Electrolysis sends electric currents through the follicles to remove hairs and stop new ones from growing.

Then, there are some hairs that just don’t seem to want to come out (especially if they aren’t at least 3mm long), so instead of pulling strands clean from the follicle, they snap, which can lead to ingrown hairs. If you do choose to remove facial hair, there are a lot of options out there, and I should know. As a woman with a stubbornly hairy face (and no, I’m not embarrassed to admit it), I’ve learnt a few things over my many years of tweezing, waxing and yes, laser-ing, which I’m going to pass onto you right now. Using either soft wax, which is pulled off with cloth strips, or hard wax that simply hardens and is pulled off on its own, a practitioner can remove hairs from your upper lip, cheeks, brows, and chin with ease.

This hair removal cream is a great solution for those who suffer from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and experience increased facial hair growth as a side effect. Many people with PCOS find lasers and other hair removal methods ineffective because their overactive hormones will keep producing more hair in unwanted places. Reviewers say they see a massive difference in hair growth in about seven weeks time, which is life-changing for those who struggle with persistent facial hair growth. However, waxing can be a harsh exfoliation process that comes with some side effects like residual redness, especially if you've got sensitive skin. It's best to lay off the salicylic acid, AHAs, and other powerful exfoliators beforehand.