How to Remove Facial Hair
Products that Work and Leave Lasting Results
Facial hair: everyone has it! Every form of body hair is completely normal and natural. If you choose not to get rid of it, that’s fine. However, if you do, that’s great too. What you choose to do with your body hair is completely up to you.
If you choose to remove your facial hair, there are a few ways to go about it. From waxing to laser hair removal treatments, there’s a perfect method for everyone.
Understanding Facial Hair
When you hear “facial hair,” you probably think of men’s beards or mustaches. Women typically grow much less facial hair than men, due to their high levels of estrogen and low levels of testosterone. However, some women have higher levels of androgens, such as testosterone, and can develop thicker or darker facial hair.
Most commonly, when we talk about hair removal on the face for women, we are referring to the upper lip area, chin, and eyebrows. If you’ve never really thought about it, our whole bodies are covered with hair. The hair on your cheeks is typically lighter and shorter, so it doesn’t make that much of an appearance compared to the darker hair that grows around the mouth and eyebrows. This thin, light hair is commonly referred to as “peach fuzz,” and is also completely natural. Everywhere you have a pore, you have a hair follicle. Removing peach fuzz isn’t necessary by any means, but some people choose to remove it so their skin feels softer and appears to look brighter.
Removing Facial Hair
There are a few ways to remove facial hair, including:
- Shaving/Dermaplaning
- Depilatory creams
- Tweezing
- Waxing/sugaring
- Laser treatments
Some, such as shaving and waxing, are more cost-effective and are easy to do at home. Others, such as dermaplaning and laser treatments, are more costly and should be done by a professional. So, if you’re looking to evaluate your options, let us help you choose your perfect hair-removal method!
- Tweezing
Tweezing your facial hair is great for small areas on the face and good for precision work like shaping your eyebrows. Tweezers can be purchased at any drugstore and even most grocery stores and can be purchased for as little as around $10.
Chances are, you have a pair of tweezers already laying around your home. Use these to firmly grip individual stray hairs and pull. It is recommended to clean off your tweezers before and after each use to prevent any bacteria from getting on your skin.
With tweezing, try and pull the hairs in the direction that they grow from, to effectively pull the hair all the way from the follicle.
Tweezing can last anywhere from a week to four weeks, depending on your natural hair’s growth cycle. What’s great about this hair removal method is that you can bring tweezers with you anywhere, in case you find a stray hair that needs to be dealt with. You can keep a pair in your washroom and one in a protective case in your purse, for emergencies!
- Waxing
Waxing is best for coarse, thick hair and is recommended for treating larger areas such as the sideburns or cheeks. This method is recommended for people who don’t have easily irritable skin, as the wax could be an irritant on sensitive skin. Since the wax strip pulls out a bunch of hairs all at once, it has a higher pain level than tweezing does.
There are two kinds of wax: soft wax and hard wax. Soft wax is pulled off with cloth strips, while hard wax is pulled off on its own. It is recommended to go to a professional to get this done since there are a few factors that could affect your waxing experience and results. At-home waxing strips are available at pharmacies and grocery stores, and are a good, easy-to-use option. When shopping for wax strips, make sure they are specifically formulated for facial hair. This way, you are guaranteeing a gentler wax formula that is less likely to leave any kind of marks.
- Shaving
Shaving is a great option for coarser hair or “peach fuzz” and is recommended for skin that isn’t susceptible to razor burn. The pain level of shaving is low, and the process is super easy to do at home. More and more women are opting to shave their face either done by a professional or at home. While you think of a razor that you shave your legs with, there are actually tons of facial hair specific razors.
Shaving the fine hairs off of the surface of your face is called “dermaplaning” and can be done either at home or at a salon. Both are done with dermaplaning tools, which are small one-blade razors. Dermaplaning is a painless method to remove larger spots of facial hair. However, since this simply cuts the hair in half instead of removing the full length of the hair straight from the follicle, the results don’t last as long as other hair removal methods.
While some people believe that shaving your facial hair causes it to grow back darker and coarser, this is simply a myth. As the hair grows back in, it can feel prickly. This is just because the hair is cut instead of being removed altogether.
- Depilatory Creams
Hair removal creams provide longer-lasting results than shaving and can be less expensive than waxing. These creams have ingredients such as sodium, titanium dioxide, and barium sulfide, that break down protein in hair. This causes the hair to dissolve and leaves the area smooth and hair-free.
While this seems like a perfect, inexpensive, pain-free solution to hair removal, there are a few risks involved. A reaction to the ingredients in these creams isn’t uncommon, so we recommend doing a patch test on a small area to the skin before applying it to larger areas. If the test area results in skin redness, bumps, or itchiness, you are most likely reacting poorly to the product.
On the positive side, you can reduce the risk of a reaction occurring by purchasing facial hair specific depilatory creams. These often have added ingredients to smooth, exfoliate, and moisturize the skin.
- Laser Hair Removal
If you’re in search of a more permanent hair removal solution, look to laser hair removal. This method is more expensive than other treatments and can’t be done at home, but provides exceptional results. To see lasting results, you will need to conduct a few treatments.
Laser hair removal is also known as “intense pulse light therapy.” This method is great for coarse hair or large areas of hair, and is not recommended for precise work. Laser hair removal devices use lasers that shoot a certain wavelength of light that is absorbed by the hair follicle. When this light is absorbed, it is converted to heat and kills the hair follicle.
While laser hair removal has traditionally been offered by professionals, there are some at-home IPL lasers available on the market today. At-home laser hair removal comes with its own risks, but if you follow directions and use the device as it is intended, you can achieve flawless and permanent hair removal results.
The Silk’n Solution
For those interested in permanent results by using light-based hair removal methods, Silk’n offers a few different types of devices available for purchase. These devices are designed to provide the same treatment offered by dermatologists but at an affordable price. Silk’n hair removal devices work best on darker hair, lighter skin combinations since the light is easily absorbed by hair with more pigment. Something to keep in mind if the facial hair you’re targeting is very light in color.
If you prefer to use light-based hair removal devices, here are some options you can have delivered to your front doorstep:
- Silk’n Infinity Hair Removal Device
With the introduction of the Infinity, Silk’n offers world-renowned Home Pulsed Light (HPL) technology to make hair removal effective and convenient, all while still delivering flawless results. In addition to optical light energy found in HPL, the Infinity now offers a new eHPL technology that uses galvanic energy to open your pores. This allows for the device to treat even the thickest and most stubborn hairs. With its compact and versatile design, and options to pulse or glide, you can customize your at-home hair removal treatment to fit your specific needs.
- Silk’n Flash&Go Express Hair Removal Device
FDA and Heath Canada cleared, Silk’n technologies are changing the face of at home hair removal. The Flash&Go Express is a fantastic, classic option for hair removal. It uses the Home Pulsed Light (HPL) technology that has made Silk’n so well-known around Canada. It also features a quartz bulb which reloads twice as fast as older products, so your treatment time is cut in half. Simply choose an area to target and hold down the pulse button to start your journey to smooth, hair-free skin.
- Silk’n Flash&Go Jewel Hair Removal Device
The Flash&Go Jewel works with state-of-the-art “touch and glide” ease, for effortless treatments. This way, you won’t have to worry about pressing the trigger over and over. It also has gentler technology, making it perfect for sensitive areas.
- Silk’n Flash&Go Pro Hair Removal Device
This Pro device also has the “touch and glide” feature, making the hair removal process quicker and easier than other devices. Flash&Go Pro has a built-in skin colour sensor and five different power levels to choose from, providing you with a fully customizable experience.
A New Hair-Free You!
With so many hair removal options, smooth skin is just a few steps away. For those who are able and willing to keep up with week-long results, tweezing, waxing, shaving, and depilatory creams are fantastic options. However, for those who want long-lasting professional quality results, light-based hair removal devices are a better choice. Silk’n offers a variety of devices that offer permanent results from home. Say hello to smooth, hair-free skin!
