The Ultimate Guide to Removing All Types OF Facial Hair

Getting rid of facial fuzz needn’t be a chore. When it comes to removing women’s facial hair, there are a number of different methods, depending on the area being treated.

Whether you want to remove your upper lip or chin hairs, or shape your eyebrows, there are a range of treatments you can try.  We’ve picked the most popular and weighed up the pros and cons to help you make the best choice. From permanent to short-term — read on to find out which method suits you best. 

The best facial hair removal for women: what actually works? 

When it comes to female facial hair removal, the options can be a bit overwhelming — hence why we’ve whittled it down to help you decide.  

Ladies facial hair removal falls into two categories. The first is temporary — which means just removing hair from the skin’s surface, sometimes pulling it out at the root (although this can weaken the hair follicles over time, so eventually it will grow back finer or not at all). The second to remove hair permanently — not immediately, but if you repeat the treatment regularly, you should start to see a long-term if not permanent result. 

 Removing women’s facial hair with shaving 

Pros:
Face shaving is a simple and painless method to get rid of your facial hair fast at home. The risk of ingrown hair is minimal because you also remove the top layer of skin, thus exfoliating at the same time. 

Cons:
After shaving, hair can grow back quite fast — it can become prickly and stubble-like. What’s more, with shaving the skin gets drier and more prone to irritation. You can also risk cutting yourself if you’re not careful.  

Skin irritation always occurs after any type of facial hair removal, so don’t forget to moisturise your skin afterwards. For example, you can use the fragrance free and non-greasy Calm-Essentiel Soothing Repairing Balm, £28 with more than 95% natural ingredients, to help calm skin and relieve discomfort.   

Is tweezing the best way of removing women’s facial hair?  

Pros:
Tweezing is a fast way to work on small areas or single hairs — and this can be done easily at home by yourself. After plucking, the hair grows back from scratch and is less likely to come through blunt and prickly as with shaving. What’s more, if you remove a hair at the root, it becomes weaker, and will probably stop growing back after being regularly plucked out. For example, if you tweezed your eyebrow hairs regularly for years, it would be quite tricky to grow them back into a different shape (but not impossible).  

The results are more long-term too — after tweezing it takes a few weeks for the hair to grow back, and this treatment is relatively less irritating for the skin, compared to others. It’s ideal if you only need to remove one or two coarse hairs, but want to leave the rest of it as is. 

Cons:
On some areas of skin, tweezing can cause ingrown hair, so it’s important to exfoliate regularly in-between. This treatment can be more painful than shaving, and time-consuming if you have thick hair. 

Threading ladies facial hair remover 

Pros:
Threading, or hair removal with a piece of cotton, is a fast method that’s more precise and less irritating than waxing (although you may get some initial redness for a few hours afterwards). Threading doesn’t irritate skin too much and regrowth can take up to four weeks. 

Cons:
The technique of threading takes some time to learn, and it’s best done in-salons rather than trying at home. The treatment can be quite painful, as hairs are plucked out individually, one after another in quick succession — as opposed to waxing where they’re all removed at the same time. 

Facial hair removal cream for women   

Pros:
Facial hair removal cream (or depilatory cream) chemically dissolves the visible hair above the skin’s surface, so after a certain time you can easily remove it with a spatula. This effect is usually achieved by using thioglycolic acid in the formula. The treatment is easy and can be done at home by yourself, plus unlike shaving, it doesn’t ‘cut’ the hair, so it will grow back softer. 

Cons:
Sometimes, facial hair removal creams are not so effective against thick, coarse hair and can leave a ‘shadow’ under the skin. These creams can also contain harsh ingredients that cause skin irritation, so follow the instructions properly, and conduct a patch test before use.   

Face wax for women 

Pros:
Waxing can be done at home or in the salon by a specialist. This type of hair removal is fast, and regrowth takes about a month. Hair can also become softer and weaker after regular treatments, plus it’s over in a few seconds — so pain is relatively short-lived. 

Cons:
For home use you need to learn and practice a little, also observe safety precautions, so you don’t scald your skin (or mess up your clothes or carpet!). Waxing can be painful, but as mentioned above — lots of hair is removed at once so it’s not prolonged discomfort. Waxing also removes the top layer of skin, leaving it prone to irritation — as well as some initial redness — but as long as you moisturise the skin afterwards, the risk is minimal. 

Is sugaring the best facial hair removal for women 

Pros:
This involves removing hair with sugar paste, that can be done by specialist or at home, regrowth usually takes a few weeks to appear. Hair becomes softer and weaker after each session — plus sugar exfoliates your skin and makes it smoother. Sugaring is done at a lower temperature, so there’s less risk of scalding your skin, and you can go over the same areas several times — plus it doesn’t require the strips needed for waxing, so it’s better for the environment.  

Cons:
You need to learn the technique for home use — always use a professional kit and don’t try and make your own (you could end up with napalm on your hands!). Sugaring can be painful — sometimes. It is promoted by specialists as a less painful method than waxing, — but it depends on the paste’s texture and your skin sensitivity. 

Electrolysis permanent facial hair removal for women  

Pros:

Electrolysis can permanently remove your hair after several regular treatments. An electric current is sent to the root of each hair, destroying it so it can’t grow back. It can be done in clinic by a specialist, or at home with a device for personal use. While electrolysis can have side effects, these are often very rare except for temporary skin redness after treatment. 

Cons:
Electrolysis is initially more expensive (although if permanent, it can be cost-effective over time). Electrolysis can sometimes cause ingrown hair and this method is painful and time-consuming (as you’re treating one hair at a time after all). This treatment has some rare side effects, so  consult with a medical specialist if you’re unsure. 

To get rid of ingrown hair, try gentle exfoliation with the Comfort Scrub, £22. Its gel-in-oil formula with sugar microcrystals and mango butter helps to remove dead skin cells and ingrown hair, leaving your skin soft and luminous. (But wait 24 hours after the electrolysis treatment for your skin to calm down first.) 

Laser permanent facial hair removal for women  

Pros:

Laser hair removal is also permanent — but it takes several sessions to stop hair growing back altogether. It’s appropriate at different life stages, for young women, or for menopause facial hair removal (where an increase in testosterone causes an increase in thicker facial hair). 

Read: Popular Menopause Symptoms: Here’s The Top Searches According To Google 

Cons:
Laser epilation can be done by specialists in most cases, and it has some risks, therefore is not advised if you’re pregnant, also breastfeeding or undergoing cancer treatment. Some laser machines are not effective on lighter hair or darker skin tones.  

Skin is more prone to damage after all kinds of hair removal, so it’s even more important to protect it properly against direct sunlight. For this reason, we suggest trying UV PLUS [5P] Anti-Pollution Cream, £33 with a sweat-resistant formula, which offers the level of protection SPF 50 and contains photostable organic mineral filters. It fits all skin types and has a light beige tint for a flawless finish. 

5 best female facial hair removal products to try  

We pick our favourite products, tools and devices for removing women’s facial hair.  

Dermaflash Luxe+ Advanced Sonic Dermaplaning And Peach Fuzz Removal, £180

Dermaplaning is basically a gentle form of shaving — this skincare tool helps to get rid of dead skin cells and unwanted facial hair, to leave skin extra smooth.  

 

Tria Hair Removal Laser 4x, £375

There are plenty of great laser hair removal machines on the market — investing in devices like these saves the hassle and cost of several visits to salons. 

Braun Silk-épil 9-720 Epilator, £159.99

Epilators remove facial and body hair fast and effectively, with little mess or preparation required. This model is waterproof, has a flexible head and comes equipped with red light and tweezer technology. 

 

Coconut and Arnica Stripless Wax Kit, £55

This is a full and simple kit for face and body hair removal, suitable for all skin types, including sensitive. Being stripless it’s better for the planet too! Just follow the instructions, and you won’t need to worry about your next waxing appointment. 

 

Tweezerman Rose Gold Mini Slant 10x Mirror, £27

True fans of tweezing facial hairs behind the mirror would love this simple yet essential kit — a mini slant and magnifying mirror in a fetching rose gold colour. 

Read: The Face & Body Beauty Tools To Invest In For Smooth Skin  

FAQs  

Is it OK to remove female facial hair?  

It is totally OK to remove female facial hair, and it’s also fine to not remove it. If you’re still in doubt, a good halfway solution is to lighten your hair with a bleaching product designed for this purpose. 

Word of caution about removing eyebrow hairs: If you overpluck them, they may not grow back, as the minimal-brow followers of the 90s can attest. So be prudent with those tweezer.

If you don’t want to remove eyebrow hair but just give those arches some shape, you can fix them with gel, or contour them with concealer. 

And if you have overplucked or have a gap in your arches, here’s how to fill in missing eyebrows.

How can I remove facial hair permanently at home?  

To remove facial hair permanently at home, look for tools such as a laser hair removal device for home use. (Such as the Tria Hair Removal Laser 4x as mentioned above.) 

What is the most common method of removing facial hair?

Popular methods of removing facial hair depend on the hair type and skin area — for eyebrows, upper lip, and chin hair removal, women usually opt for with waxing and tweezing, as these methods are the simplest and cheapest. 

Read next: How to: Thin ’90s Brows, Without Over-Plucking A Hair.

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