Buzz
Many people experience unwanted facial hair, often due to hormonal changes. However, there are several treatments available to help you either remove or lessen this issue. These range from natural remedies you can make at home to more complex procedures best performed at a salon.
Steps
Pluck or Eliminate Hair Strands
Use tweezers to pluck unwanted facial hair. This is one of the most common methods for removing facial hair. It works best when there is only a small amount of hair. For instance, if you have just 1-2 dark hairs on your chin, tweezing is an ideal choice.
- Disinfect the tweezers with isopropyl alcohol before and after use to avoid infections. Gently stretch the skin around the area to be tweezed. Grab the hair close to the root and pull firmly.
- While tweezing is cost-effective, it can be time-consuming. It can also be painful and might lead to ingrown hairs if some strands remain under the skin. To prevent this, gently pull out the hair instead of jerking it out with force.
- It can take approximately 3-8 weeks for hair to grow back after tweezing.
Try using a disposable razor or a reusable one for wet shaving. Apply shaving gel or soap to your chin or upper lip. Glide the razor blade gently along your skin in the direction of hair growth.
- You can use an electric razor for both dry or wet shaving. Be careful not to nick your skin. Some areas on the face, like the chin, may be tricky to shave with a razor.
- Hair grows back quickly after shaving. It may start growing back within a few hours to a few days.
Try trimming hair with thread. Threading is becoming a popular method for facial hair removal. While it's commonly used to shape eyebrows, you can also use this technique to remove facial hair.
- A beauty specialist will twist a cotton thread around the hair to be removed and pull it out in a line.
- Unlike waxing, threading has the advantage of being gentler on sensitive skin. The hair will grow back after a few weeks.
- Some salons offer threading services. You can check online or ask at your regular salon to see if they provide this service.
Use laser treatment. Laser treatment is highly effective in eliminating unwanted hair. The laser emits heat and light to the hair follicles, preventing hair growth over time.
- It will take around 9 months or longer to see the final results, but this method is definitely worth it. Though it may be more expensive initially, it will save you money in the long run. One drawback of laser hair removal is that it can be painful. However, the major benefit is permanent hair removal.
- You may need multiple treatments to fully eliminate the hair. Laser hair removal works best for people with light skin and dark hair.
Try electrolysis. Electrolysis must be performed at a salon. This process is time-consuming but very effective for small areas of skin that need hair removal, such as the upper lip.
- Electrolysis involves a small needle through which an electric current is passed into each hair follicle, permanently destroying the hair.
- Unlike laser treatment, electrolysis can be used to remove light or fine hair and is most effective on light skin and darker hair. You will need multiple treatments to fully eliminate the hair.
Use chemical depilatories to remove hair
Try waxing your hair. You can either use a home waxing kit or visit a salon. Waxing is an effective method to remove hair from the roots, leaving your skin smooth. However, it might cause skin irritation in some cases.
- Use the applicator that comes with the waxing kit to apply the warm wax to the desired area, then let it cool. Once it's cooled, peel it off by pulling against the direction of hair growth. Frequent waxing may reduce hair regrowth by disrupting hair follicle development.
- If your skin is sensitive to wax, you can try sugaring instead, which is similar to waxing. Mix 2 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water. Heat the mixture until it becomes a sticky paste and turns amber. Let it cool, dust your skin with cornstarch or baby powder, apply the mixture against hair growth, place a cloth strip on top, and quickly pull it off.
Use hair removal cream. Hair removal cream is a chemical product designed to eliminate unwanted hair from the surface of the skin. The chemicals dissolve the hair into a gel-like substance.
- Apply the hair removal cream to your skin and leave it on for the recommended time indicated on the packaging. Once the time is up, use a clean cloth to wipe off the cream along with the hair.
- The hair may grow back after a few days of using the cream. Hair removal creams are available over-the-counter at pharmacies. The downside is that they often have a strong chemical odor.
Try bleaching your hair. Bleaching doesn’t remove unwanted facial hair, but it can make it less noticeable. The key is choosing a product that suits your skin tone.
- If you have a lot of facial hair, bleaching may not be the best solution. Frequent bleaching can irritate your skin, so you should always test it on a small area before applying it to a larger one.
- After bleaching, avoid sun exposure for at least an hour to prevent potential skin reactions.
Look for natural remedies
Use a gelatin mask. You can make a gelatin mask at home to remove unwanted facial hair. Simply mix 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin, 2-3 tablespoons of milk, and 3-4 drops of lemon juice or 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil.
- Mix the ingredients and microwave them for 15 seconds. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it for a few minutes. Finally, peel the mask off.
- Make sure to avoid applying the mixture near your eyebrows or eyes. When you remove the mask, you’ll find that both unwanted facial hair and blackheads are removed along with it.
Make a fruit scrub from oranges, lemons, or apricots with honey. A fruit-based scrub can help remove unwanted facial hair without using harsh chemical products.
- To make a scrub from oranges and lemons, mix 1 teaspoon each of orange peel powder, lemon peel powder, almond powder, and oatmeal. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of rose water. Stir until it forms a paste. Apply it to your face and leave for 5-8 minutes. Scrub gently in circular motions, then wash your face with water. This method may require 2-3 applications per week to see results.
- To make a scrub with apricots, blend 1 cup of dried apricots into a fine powder. Then, add 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply the mixture to your face and leave it on for 5-10 minutes. Gently scrub in circular motions, then rinse with warm water. Use this scrub 2-3 times a week to notice a difference.
Create a turmeric mixture. Turmeric has long been used in India to enhance skin appearance. You can make a turmeric paste at home.
- Simply mix 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric with milk or water to form a paste. Apply it to your face and leave it for 15-20 minutes until it dries. Finally, rinse it off with warm water.
- This mixture works best for fine facial hair. For thicker hair, you can add oatmeal to the paste for better results.
Try an egg mask. Another natural mask to remove facial hair involves using egg whites. Prepare 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch.
- Whisk the ingredients together to form a mixture. Apply the mask to your face and let it dry into a thin layer.
- Once the mask is dry, peel it off firmly, and you will notice the hair sticking to the mask.
Prevent facial hair growth
Drink peppermint tea. Peppermint tea helps reduce male hormones in the body, and if consumed regularly, you may notice less facial hair growth.
- Research published in scientific journals like Phytotherapy Research (UK) suggests that women who drink peppermint tea can lower testosterone levels in their blood. Reduced testosterone helps decrease hair growth.
- Drink 2 cups of peppermint tea at least 5 days a week to see the effects.
Use products that inhibit hair growth. Visit a dermatologist to get a prescription for hair growth inhibitors. Hair growth inhibition creams, derived from plants, can alter the structure of hair follicles, making the hair grow thinner, softer, and eventually stop growing altogether.
- Apply the cream to the areas of your face where you want to reduce hair growth. The cream will remain on your skin. Follow the product's instructions to determine the recommended frequency of use.
- You can combine the hair growth inhibitor with other hair removal methods such as threading, waxing, or tweezing.
- It may take 4-6 weeks to see results. A two-month supply of the cream can cost more than 2 million VND.
Although there is limited evidence of long-term effectiveness, you can try brewing tea from the earth angelica root. This herb slows the growth of facial hair. Besides drinking it as tea, you can find it in capsule form. As with any natural herb, you should consult with your doctor before using the earth angelica herb.
- To make the tea, you will need 20g of dried earth angelica root, 4 1/4 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Boil the water with the angelica root and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid.
- Add honey to the tea. Drink it three times a day. You may need to store the tea in the fridge. High doses of this tea can cause side effects. It is not recommended to use the earth angelica herb if you have liver disease or liver cancer. It's best to consult your doctor before using it.
Address hormonal issues. Sometimes, excessive hair growth is caused by hormonal imbalances, such as during menopause. This condition should be diagnosed by a doctor.
- Doctors may prescribe birth control pills to help balance hormones. Some underlying conditions, like polycystic ovary syndrome, may also cause facial hair growth.
- Eat foods rich in phytoestrogens or plant-based estrogens. Consuming such foods may help correct estrogen imbalance. However, you should still consult your doctor. Increasing estrogen levels may slow down hair growth. Licorice, alfalfa, fennel, and flaxseed are natural foods that contain phytoestrogens.
- Essentially, phytoestrogens mimic the role of estrogen in the body.
Warning
- Test hair removal cream on a small patch of skin before applying it to larger areas to check for signs of skin irritation. Hair removal creams may also have a strong chemical odor, which can cause skin burns, peeling, blisters, or allergic reactions.
- Shaving with a razor may lead to ingrown hairs and can cause cuts. You should use shaving lotion or gel to minimize irritation.
- Most importantly, you should visit a doctor if you suspect a hormone imbalance.
- Waxing can be painful, may cause irritation, and could lead to bleeding. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions included with the at-home waxing kit.
