Healthy Skin
The best ways to remove unwanted facial hair
Want to know the best way to remove unwanted facial hair? While hair on our face can be completely normal, if it’s affecting your confidence then there are a number of effective treatments you can try to banish those pesky hairs. To remove or not to remove, it’s a completely personal choice.
Conditions such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) and hirsutism may cause hair to become thicker on the face and body. Changing hormone levels during the menopause can also cause facial hair to become more prominent at mid-life.
Here, we take a deep dive into the best ways to remove unwanted facial hair, both at home and in salons.
How to get rid of unwanted facial hair
Waxing
Waxing can be a quick and effective method to remove unwanted facial hair.
While you can purchase affordable at-home waxing kits designed for the face, you may feel more confident trying this in the salon, especially if you have never waxed before.
Waxing can lead to bruising and nasty burns to delicate facial skin if you don’t use the correct technique. Ensure you brush up on your skills before trying this hair removal method (think one quick, swift motion with the skin held taught).
When performed correctly, waxing can be incredibly effective in removing facial hair with fairly long-lasting results.
Waxing kits usually include wax in a pot that you melt to liquid (just make sure it’s not too hot!) before applying to the skin and removing with strips. You can also buy premade strips that you warm up in your hands, which are great for beginners.
Note, if you’re using any skincare products that contain retinol, you should not try facial waxing as skin is more susceptible to damage.
Facial hair removal cream
If you prefer to avoid plucking and waxing, facial hair removal cream is a much more pain-free approach.
It’s important to opt for a hair removal cream that’s designed for the face rather than the body. Always be sure to patch test the product before applying all over to ensure it’s compatible with your skin.
Veet’s Face Hair Removal Kit for sensitive skin helps to keep skin smooth and hair-free for up to a week. The product also claims that regrowth will feel softer, too.
Facial IPL
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) uses pulses of light to help to break the cycle of hair regrowth, meaning it’s a great option to banish facial hair.
There’s no need to visit a salon either as you can use IPL tools at home. While IPL products can be on the pricier side, hair can be prevented from growing back after just a few sessions.
We love Philips Lumea Prestige IPL Hair Removal Device for Body, Face and Precision Areas.
Dermaplaning
Originally a salon-only treatment, dermaplaning has now been adapted to be completely safe for at-home use.
Dermaplaning gets rid of unwanted vellus hair (sometimes referred to as ‘peach fuzz’) from the face using a blade. it also works to remove dead skin cells, gently exfoliating for smooth, glowing skin.
And no, before you ask, your hair shouldn’t grow back thicker or coarser. Just make sure you feel confident with the technique before trying it.
Laser hair removal
Laser hair removal at a salon is a popular option for the face to remove any unwanted hairs.
Lasers target dark, coarse hairs in just a few pulses. Laser hair removal is usually done in a few sessions, and you can expect to pay anywhere around £100 per session, depending on the salon and area.
While it may be one of the pricier options on our list of ways to remove unwanted facial hair, most people experience results that last for several months at a time and some people’s results are permanent.
Just ensure you check the credentials of those performing laser hair removal.
Tweezing
If you’re only seeing the odd hair pop up on your face every once in a while, grabbing your trusty pair of tweezers can be a quick and effective removal method.
The Wellbeing team loves this pink pair from Boots for precision removal.
There is currently no evidence to suggest that plucking out hairs makes hair grow back thicker or coarser.
