Confused about Facial Hair Removal: Find out which method suits you better

Facial skin is one of the most sensitive skins on the body. A clean, glowing and flawless skin is what all women dream of. Apart from just acnes and pimples, facial hair is a primary concern for today’s beauty conscious women.

Causes of Excess Facial Hair

Before assuming that you are plain unlucky for not having a hair free skin, try to understand the reasons for facial hair growth. Typically, there are two types of facial hairs. The harmless types are known as “Vellus Hair” and are often very light in color and invisible. On the other hand, the dark and visible facial hairs are known as “Terminal Hair”. Sometimes, the light Vellus hair may also turn into Terminal hair due to age, health, hormonal changes and other unknown factors.

Sometimes women have excessive growth of terminal hair, in areas where their occurrence should be minimal (e.g. Face, chest, back). This condition is known as Hirutism. The primary cause of Hirutism is the increased level of androgens (male hormones) in the body. Moreover, obesity or insulin resistance or huge stress can aggravate the production of androgens in the body which lead to hair growth. So if you witness excessive or sudden hair growth in areas such as face, chest and back, it is advisable to visit a doctor first before trying to remove those hairs. Maybe you only need to shed those extra kilos or tackle that extra stress in your life.

Since the facial hair can be a cause of embarrassment in women, many are seeking permanent facial hair removal solutions. Unfortunately, there is no process or product that can guarantee permanent hair removal. The maximum that can be achieved is 1 to 2 years of freedom from these unwanted hairs. The hairs usually grow back after couple of years and the process needs to be repeated, proving a drain on your pockets.

The remainder of this article elaborates on the benefits and disadvantages of commonly available methods of facial hair removal for women.

Shaving

It is by far the most used and inexpensive method of hair removal. Shaving trims the hair at skin level leading to a smooth face skin. But the result is too short-lived and the hair grows back within 24 hours. Continuous shaving can lead to a rough skin and thicker hair growth. No matter how cheap or easy, it is never a good idea to shave your face.

Threading or Plucking

This method requires a thread or a pair of tweezers to weed out the unwanted hair. It is a time consuming and painful process as individual hairs have to be plucked out. It is only recommended for those who have a few stray hairs or for those who want to shape their eyebrows. One of the popular facial hair removal products in this category is Epicare from Bellabe. It uses a spring instead of the traditional thread for unwanted facial hair removal.

Facial Hair Removal Cream

Facial hair removal creams are the easiest and cheapest way of removing facial hair. These creams contain sodium thioglycolate acid, which is responsible for breaking the protein structure of the hair. After being left for the prescribed period of time on the skin, the cream dissolves the hair and can easily be rinsed off. Since these creams contain chemicals, they can cause allergic reactions like burns or redness especially for sensitive skins.

'Veet' is the most commonly used hair removal cream, however according to the general user experience the results are very short-lived. The hair grows back quickly and the new hairs are much darker. Another cream doing the rounds in the market is 'Vaniqa'. This cream claims to reduce the growth of unwanted facial hair and has best results when used along with the other hair removal techniques. It works by blocking an enzyme in the follicle which is necessary for hair growth.

Bleaching

If you have very sparse facial hair, bleaching is also an effective option. It does not remove any hair but colors the hair making it golden brown. Facial hair bleaching is therefore not suitable for those having excess facial hair. So if you have lots of terminal black hair and you apply bleach, you will end up having lots of blonde hair. Moreover, bleach contains chemicals and is not suitable for women with sensitive skin. If used occasionally it can be a great way to hide those unwanted hair. The most popular bleaching product available in the market is 'Jolen' cream.

Laser Facial Hair Removal

Removal of facial hair with laser technology is one of the long term solutions for excess hair problem. The technique aims to destroy the hair follicle by flashing a laser light on it. It is a painful procedure and when not done properly can leave scars and burns on the skin. Although home laser kits are available in the market, it is highly recommended to get it done by a professional.

The cost of Laser hair removal treatment depends on the area being operated upon and concentration of hair in that area. The laser treatment requires around 6 to 9 sessions with every session costing approximately $100. Moreover, as the Vellus hair turns into terminal hair, frequent laser touch-up maybe required, thereby increasing the long term cost.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is a process of destroying hair follicle by passing electric current through needles, which are injected into the hair follicle. Since hair do not grow uniformly and regularly, this process requires multiple sessions and frequent visits to the hair removal clinics. Electrolysis can be a very painful process. As in the case of laser treatment, electrolysis ‘Do It Yourself’ kits are also available in the market but it is recommended that a professional performs the electrolysis. Electrolysis is also extremely expensive.