Facial Hair, Who Needs It? How To Get Rid
Beards, moustaches and hairy nostrils can be excruciatingly embarrassing if you happen to be female. Our guide gives the lowdown of eliminating unwanted facial hair.
Women of colour certainly appear to have more than their fair share of facial hair and for many it presents the biggest beauty heartache. The amount of hair on the female body varies not only genetically but it is also race related.
Black and brown women tend to have prominent superfluous facial hair, which often returns ingrown, giving the unsightly appearance of blackheads.
The eyebrows and the moustache are usually one of the most concern but many women have to deal with sideburns, beards and even hair nostrils and ears.
There are many effective methods of treating facial hair but the key is to know which treatment is most appropriate for which problem.
1. Depilatory Products
Use creams designed specifically to remove facial hair since body products are too strong for the face and may cause irritation. Always do a discreet test patch before using any of these products and follow the instructions carefully.
Suitability: Any facial hair except for the eyebrows.
Recommended Facial Hair Removing Products
For use on upper lips, cheeks and chin – includes 1 x 50 ml sensitive hair removal cream and 1 x 50 ml gentle finishing cream. Works close to the root.
A cooling cucumber and aloe vera cream formula specifically designed to remove unsightly facial hair and moisturise the skin to restore its normal chemical balance. Contains cream depilatory and calming balm.
Perfect for upper tash, chin, side burns and forehead, removes any facial hair in 2 and 1/2 minutes. Suitable for all hair and skin types. Contains Meadowfoam Oil and Shea Butter.
2. Bleaching Creams
This method offers only temporary relief as it does not remove the hair but simply lightens the colour and is therefore most effective on lighter skin tones.
It is important to do a test patch. Never leave the bleaching cream on the skin for longer than the recommended time since this can cause irritation. The effect lasts up to four weeks.
Suitability: Any facial hair that is not around the eye area.
Recommended Bleaching Creams
Great for face, eyebrows and body, the no-drip application lightens unwanted hair and blends with natural skin tone, making it virtually invisible.
Smooth, no-drip formula mixes fast and easily. Gentle formula with comforting Aloe Vera. Sweet almond scent for near visible results.
Suitable for face and body, lightens excess dark hair. Easy to use with no messy powders, hair bleach starts working in 5 minutes.
3. Tweezing
Remove excess oils using cotton wool soaked in toner or antiseptic lotion. Apply warm cotton wool or face flannel to open up the pores and using an eyebrow brush or a clean old toothbrush, brush hairs upwards and outwards.
With clean slant-edged tweezers, work along the underside of the brow, in the direction of growth.
Hairs should be plucked singly from the root. Wipe the brow with toner, moisturise and brush into shape. Allow skin to settle down before applying makeup. Regrowth takes up to five weeks.
Suitability: This can stimulate hair growth and should be used only on the eyebrows. Never pluck hair from the lip line, nostrils or chin. Not only is it very painful but the hair will grow back stronger that before.
Recommended Tweezers
Features perfectly aligned hand-filed tips for expert brow shaping. Always use the Slant’s precision tip to isolate, lift and then grab the hair from the root.
Stainless steel slant tip with perfectly calibrated tension for more control removing eyebrow and facial hair. Picks up the smallest individual hair.
A 40-step finishing process, and tested under a microscope, the perfect angle to remove body hair after waxing and ingrown hairs.
4. Waxing
There are two methods of waxing and both should be performed by a professional. Hot waxing involves opening the pores and ripping out the hair from the root. Regrowth is slower than for any other method. Cold waxing grabs the hair at the skin’s surface, sometimes causing breakage. The result is not as smooth and regrowth is faster.
Suitability: Waxing is not recommended for the removal of facial hair and should be performed by a beautician to shape the brows however there are some home kits that involves the use of strips and beads which are safe to use at home.
Recommended Wax Strips & Beads
Face wax strips remove hairs from the root to create smoothness that lasts up to four weeks. Distinctive gel actively grips the shortest hairs.
Strips remove the hair from the root to get a lasting result that is clean, silky and smooth. Made from Bee Wax essence and Jojoba seed oil, our wax strip is gentle to the skin. Warmed up by hand.
Waxing kit just needs a warmer and you will be set to start waxing. These waxing beans will remove those coarse hairs that are annoying to get rid of.
5. Electrolysis
This is the permanent removal of facial hair by passing an electric current through a fine needle inserted into the root.
The shock sent through the follicle cauterises the blood vessels supplying it, thus killing the hair, which is then removed. This leaves the skin temporarily sore and can cause scarring.
Another method is electrolysed tweezers that kill the hair and remove it simultaneously. This has a lower success rate but is less painful.
Electrolysis should be performed by a trained beautician to avoid infection and scarring. Strong hairs will need up to three treatments. Your beauty salon will advise you.
Suitability: Moustache, beard and sideburns. It should not be used on hairy moles, warts or around the eyes. Keep the skin clean with a mild antiseptic lotion and do not wear makeup for two days.
Recommended Electrolysis At Home
Women’s facial hair remover is especially designed to use on upper and lower lip, cheeks, chin and neck. Works on peach puzz or fine hair.
Intense Pulsed Light technology to painlessly remove hair. The device targets the melanin in your hair follicles so even the tiniest of hairs are treated.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is the most popular technology applied in hair removal suitable for both men and women.
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