Facial Hair Removal For Women – What Are Your Options?
Category: Best Hair Removal | Jan 06, 2010 |
These days, thanks to all the hair removal techniques available, unwanted facial hair should not be a problem for women. If you want a permanent solution and are prepared to pay more money up front, there’s a choice of electrolysis or laser hair removal. Alternatively, there are several non-permanent methods such as waxing, sugaring, tweezing or the use of depilatories. These treatments can be received in a beauty salon or performed in the comfort of your own home.
So here’s a quick guide to the most popular methods of facial hair removal. The first two options are permanent treatments while the other techniques must be repeated on a regular basis to achieve lasting results.
Permanent Treatments
1) Electrolysis
Each hair follicle is treated in turn, using a tiny needle that reaches the hair root and applies a low electric current. This destroys the hair’s ability to continue growing.
Although this treatment can take a long time (some people require several hours of treatment while other people may need regular treatment for several months) it is permanent and is the most reliable long term hair removal option.
On the negative side, the treatment creates mild discomfort and can cost a substantial amount. For example an upper lip may take up to 10 hours, while the chin area can take up to 15 hours. And these figures can be increased substantially for people who have strong hair growth and high hormone levels. So when you consider that a qualified practitioner may charge anything from $25 to $100 an hour, it’s easy to see how the costs can mount up, especially if you have more facial hair to treat.
2) Laser Hair Removal
This is one of the quickest and most reliable ways to remove hair from your face permanently. Short bursts of intense laser light are used to heat the hair follicles causing them to stop producing hair.
As one session can cover thousands of hairs and only three to six sessions are usually needed to achieve permanent results, this treatment option is much quicker and more convenient than electrolysis. For example, your upper lip might only take one minute to treat and your chin area could be covered in less than five minutes. It also avoids the need to keep using techniques such as waxing or sugaring on a regular basis.
However, laser hair removal is initially much more expensive than any of the other treatments covered here. For example, a one hour session could cost $500 and you may need 3 to 6 sessions to achieve permanent results. However, you have to balance that against the ongoing cost in terms of the time and effort required by the other treatments.
However, this treatment will not work on certain people (the hair must be darker than the surrounding skin) and regrowth of hair can occur in other cases.
Regular Treatments
3) Waxing/Sugaring
The popularity of this facial hair removal technique is down to the fact that it doesn’t cost much and can be done in the comfort of your own home. There are hundreds of waxing and sugaring kits available for home use and with a little practice it’s possible to achieve fairly professional results for a fraction of the salon cost.
The basic idea is simple. Waxing involves applying the wax preparation to the intended area. The wax adheres to the hair and skin. It’s then covered with a thin strip of material and removed at high speed to remove all the hairs from the skin.
Sugaring is similar, although the sugar paste only adheres to the hair and not the skin, which can cause less pain when the strip is pulled off. Sugaring pastes also tend to be more natural which can be kinder to the skin than many of the chemical which are used in various wax preparations.
Once an area has been treated, it should remain free of hair for three to six weeks depending upon the rate and strength of hair growth in the area.
4) Tweezing
If you have a small number of facial hairs that you want to remove, tweezing may be the quickest and most convenient option. All you need is a good pair of tweezers, a magnifying mirror and plenty of light (daylight is best). Pull the skin taut and use the tweezers to pull the hair in the direction of growth.
One of the best times to remove hair with tweezers is after a bath or a shower, as the skin pores will have opened up, making it easier for the hairs to slip out. There are also many products available that will help to soothe and reduce any redness or irritation caused by the process.
As with waxing or sugaring, the results should last three to six weeks before the hair starts to appear above the surface of the skin.
5) Depilatories
This method of facial hair removal is also popular due to the low cost and ease of use. However, due to the strong chemicals which are used to dissolve the hair, great care should be taken when using these products. Follow the application instructions carefully and before you begin, do a small test for adverse skin reactions on a part of your body that’s less visible than your face. These treatments should provide you with hair free skin for up to two weeks.
6) Hair Inhibitors
These products do not remove hair. Instead they act upon the hair follicles to slow down or inhibit the rate of hair growth. Hair in the treated area will be thinner and take longer to grow. Use of hair growth inhibitors will also make sugaring, waxing and tweezing much easier and the results will last for longer.
These products often take the form of prescription creams which must be massaged into the skin twice a day. After one or two months of use, you should start to see noticeable results in the speed and thickness of hair growth. However, these hair inhibitor products are not foolproof and won’t work for everyone. So it’s just a case of experimenting until you find the product that works best with your skin.
And finally, shaving should be avoided at all costs as it blunts the end of the hairs causing them to appear thicker, making them more noticeable.
Watch the video related to best hair removal
Assessing the top of the foot for electrolysis hair removal is important because the area is very painful. Find out more about assessing the top of the foot forelectrolysis from an experienced hair and body care specialist in this free video on hair removal. Expert: Karen Cowles Contact: www.tampabaylaserhairremoval.com Bio: Karen Marlise Cowles boasts more than 25 years of experience in all areas of hair care and body care. Her services range from permanent makeup to hair removal to facials …
Help answer the question aboutbest hair removal
What is the best method of bikini hair removal for somebody prone to ingrown hairs!?!?I have tried waxing shaving hair removal cream and every one has caused some degree of ingrown hairs!
I am prone due to afro descent, what is the best method of hair removal of the above 3 any products to recommend and how do i prevent ingrown hairs!? (other than exfoliation).
How can you trust a person who is talking about his laser machine if he has to be reading what he has to tell you. Next time he should memorize his speech. Terrible advertising for his business and very bad presentation, no professional at all. I would like to see how the machine works instead of watching this guy sitting in an very uncomfortable position, scare to the camera and reading while talking. Be careful please, this guy is not a professional, do your research for a safer practice.
I use Nair on my upper lips and above my eyebrows. I buy the one used for face only. The applicator is angled and easier to use.
1/4 inch long , and mostly any wax you can by from a beauty supply store will do the trick
For my legs i use nair lotion baby oil. IDK if it's the best but it works for me
Yes it does take off all the hair but u have to let it stay on your legs three minutes or more. Less than 3 min doesn't burn the hair off, but don't keep it on too long or it will really burn. It does burn regardless but not as bad if u keep it on too long,
IDK if it makes the hair darker cuz the hair on my legs are black so idk
Yes it is sold at walmart….it cost about $9 for a 9 oz
usually your body will adapt to shaving. I've been doing it for years now and don't have any probs.
Waxing will last longer.
Hair removal products work, but not that great at first, depending on length it may leave it patchy so you will have to redo it. Also doesn't really last, about the same as shaving.
i use a hard body wax from Gigi. you can buy them at sally beauty supply. you will need to purchase a warmer to go with it, but they're not too pricey. i am most happy with this product than any other product out there for brazilan wax. nothing works quite like it. the more you use it the more sparse the hairs will be when they grow back. (meaning it appears to grow back a lot thinner) it HURTS at first, but your tolerance for pain really does get higher as you use it. i have no problems doing a brazilian wax on myself OTHER than the fact that sometimes it's hard to reach certain areas…so just get a pillow lean against it on the bathroom floor and put a large full size mirror infront of you and it shouldnt be too difficult. its frustrating the first couple times you use it but once you get the hang of it it's awesome (and easy) the best way to minimize pain is to apply the wax WITH the direction of hair growth, tighten the skin (stretch the skin in that area) and pull FAST in the opposite direction of the hair growth. works amazingly and you can use it all over your body. no irritation for me. you may want to go get a brazilian wax from a spa and get the feel for it before you spend your money on that. some people cant tolerate the pain.
for PERMANENT hair removal laser treatment is all that is permanent babe.
Depilatories
How They Work: A depilatory is a cream or liquid that removes hair from the skin's surface. They work by reacting with the protein structure of the hair, so the hair dissolves and can be washed or wiped away.
How Long They Last: Several days to 2 weeks
Pros: Depilatories work quickly, are readily available at drugstores and grocery stores, and are inexpensive. They're best on the leg, underarm, and bikini areas; special formulations may be used on the face and chin.
Cons: Applying depilatories can be messy and many people dislike the odor. If you have sensitive skin, you might have an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the depilatory, which may cause a rash or inflammation. Depilatories may not be as effective on people with coarse hair.
Tips: Read product directions carefully and be sure to apply the product only for the recommended amount of time for best results. Before using a depilatory on pubic hair, read product labels to find one that says it's safe to use on the "bikini" area or genitals.
Are you talking about a Brazillan bikini wax? Then the best bet is wax it at the spa…
An ordinary bikini wax should only be $15 at the nail saloon.
Anwways, i've tryed shaving and the cream hair removers and they leave me skin so irrated.
The at home wax systems don't work at all.
I hate Nair and would not recommend it bc of my experience with it. It irritated me a lot and made my skin red. It might just be me, but i had some friends tell me they had the same problem. I totally recommend VEET. i've used it in between my eye brow, above upper lip, arms, legs, and armpits. It leaves my skin sooooo super soft I love it! My hair hasn't grown darker from the first time i used it…it grows the same. Yes it does take it all away, but it grows. If you never want to see hair then you will have to do a laser treatment. VEET is sold ar walmart! =)
Hope this helped! =)