Facial Hair removal tips for Women

Asian women are blessed with some beautiful genes. However, with beauty comes the constant battle to groom oneself. Without hair removal methods you might be left with a beautiful face masked under a glorified jungle of hair.

Asian women are more affected by the issue of facial hair than any other race, and because the facial hair tends to be dark, the contrast against the skin tone makes it much more visible to the eye.

The means by which facial hair is removed can vary from person to person. The method chosen often depends on the thickness of hair, rate of growth, lifestyle and of course a woman’s personal preference. Below are the most popular methods used by Asian women today.

Bleaching

Bleaching is not a form of hair removal, but dyes the hair blonde in order to make it less visible and to somewhat camouflage it.

It is a painless method and only takes around 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the hair, and can be effective for up to 4 weeks.

However, harsh bleaches can be harmful to the skin especially sensitive skin and bleaching too often can be damaging to the skin. Also bleaching may not be very effective on thick facial hair or darker skin tones.

Laser hair removal

“Laser hair removal is very effective and the most long-lasting solution currently available,” believes Giuseppina Del Bianco, a renowned GP.

However laser hair removal can be painful and pricey, and does not guarantee permanent results.

Laser treatment is a near permanent solution because lasers prolong hair growth and makes hair finer. A certain number of sessions of laser treatment are needed before long term effects persist:

“One of the issues with laser is that between sessions, facial hair cannot be waxed or threaded so shaving is the main option of removing facial hair, which gives stubbly re-growth,” mentioned a 35-year-old.

Hair Removal Cream

Hair removal creams involve using chemicals which dissolve hair at the roots, they are a quick and easy option for many women.

Several brands have formulated creams especially for the face which are mild enough to use on facial hair. However, they can irritate the skin and so, restricting its usage to emergency hair removal would be best for this method:

“Testing a small patch of skin first before you fully use hair removal cream is essential. If it is too strong for your skin, then discontinue its use,” advises a 38-year-old.

Tweezing

Tweezing or plucking is a hair removal method using tweezers to remove the hair from the follicles.

Tweezing is commonly used for stray hairs on the chin, between and under eyebrows. However, it is not suitable for hair on the upper lip, hair on moles and in-growing hairs:

“Plucking can be the best option for constant maintenance because it’s convenient to do and you can select how much hair you want to remove, where one single strand of hair can be plucked at a time,” explained a 42 year old.

Threading

Threading involves twisting cotton threads to pull hair from the root.

Threading is preferred by those with sensitive skin as many hairs can be removed in one go. It is one of the most common used methods for shaping eyebrows:

“Where waxing or creams can cause breakouts or excessive redness, threading will leave a smooth, super-soft surface, and hair will grow back much finer over time,” says Vanda Serrador, an A-list beautician.

“With threading, skin is saved from strong chemicals and hot wax. It will retain its glow and elasticity without premature wrinkles that may occur after years of waxing.”

Waxing

Waxing leaves your face smooth for several weeks because the hair needs to reform a root before it can appear again.

After each wax the new hair growth is finer and lighter, there have been cases where people have reported becoming somewhat hair-free in areas that are consistently waxed:

“Waxing does remove the majority of hair on my upper lip but I need to thread after as some hairs aren’t always removed by waxing. Waxing can also lead to redness and rashes,” admits one 18-year-old British Asian.

Home remedies

Home remedies may not be the solution for complete hair removal but can help to discourage hair growth over a period of time if used regularly.

Examples include exfoliation using scrubs, applying a paste of sugar, lemon juice and water in the direction of hair growth or rubbing a paste of turmeric powder and milk in a circular motion.

These remedies can be trialled but the success of home remedies significantly vary from person to person.

There are a variety of different methods for facial hair removal that can be used. However, everyone’s skin and hair growth is different, so the method of choice will be different too.

The best advice is to trial the methods that seem most suitable for your skin type and hair thickness and growth, and see which works best for you.

With the aid of facial hair removal, you can wave goodbye to unsolicited facial hair and say hello to a beautiful, clear and hairless face.