Understanding facial hair & removal options.
Some look great rocking facial hair but others (like myself) would rather our faces be hair-free! Facial hair removal is a common and popular service at spas and med-spas, some people opt to do their own hair removal at home. I’m going to go over all the different options there are if you’re wanting to remove unwanted hair on your face or neck.
First, I want to share some background info about facial hair. There are two types of hair on our face, vellus hair and terminal hair. Vellus hair is the fine, short, very soft hairs that we refer to as “peach fuzz” or “baby hair”. This is found all over our face; for some, it is more abundant and a little more noticeable.
scrub me secret: some choose to remove vellus hairs so their makeup lays more smoothly on the skin and light reflects better, creating more of a radiant look.
Terminal hairs are the longer, thicker hairs that grow on our heads, eyebrows, beards, underarms, and other parts of the body. Terminal hair has a deeper follicle and root. This hair that is thicker, longer, and has a deeper root requires different removal vs. vellus hair. Terminal hair grows in different places on the body during puberty. Terminal hairs can appear in new places on the face or body due to hormonal changes. It’s really common for women to experience terminal hairs in the chin or neck area later in life due to hormonal changes.
scrub me secret: an increase or imbalance with androgenic hormones are what can cause the random thick, dark hairs that we women sometimes see pop up on our chins. this is a vellus hair that has now turned into terminal hair, once it has transitioned to a terminal hair it will not go back to vellus hair(peach fuzz).
Facial hair removal options:
Waxing -
Facial hair like upper and lower lip hair, brows, sideburns, and chin hairs are good candidates for waxing. For facial waxing, I prefer the use of hard wax VS soft wax. Soft wax is the thinner wax that is removed with a strip of cloth, this method creates more tugging on the skin that can cause sensitivity or premature aging. Hard wax is a thicker wax that is applied to the hair, hardens quickly, and is peeled off not using a cloth strip. Hard wax does not adhere to the skin like soft wax, therefore it’s more gentle and doesn’t pull or tug on the skin.
scrub me secret: facial waxing is best left to an esthetician. Not only does your esthetician or brow specialist know how to shape your brows best they also know the correct methods of removing the wax as to no damage or bruise your skin. If you’re in a bind and must do some at-home waxing I suggest cerapil blue hard wax for the easiest removal.
Tweezing -
Tweezing the hairs is great for removing the random thicker, dark hairs on the face, or cleaning up eyebrows. When tweezing facial hairs at home make sure to really grab onto the hair firmly with the tweezers and then pull straight outward to make sure you get the full hair with the root, this will ensure you don’t get an irritated ingrown hair.
scrub me secret: if you have really sensitive skin that does not react well to any kind of waxing, tweezing is a good option for brow shaping and lip hair removal.
Dermaplane -
Dermaplaning is a popular skincare and medspa treatment where your esthetician or skincare technician uses a medical blade to scrape the surface of the skin, removing vellus hairs and dead skin. This is similar but not the same as shaving your face. Dermaplaning is great for those who wish to remove their peach fuzz or vellus hairs. This treatment only works for those with little to no breakouts. Dry skin types have the best results from this treatment but normal/oily skin types are also good candidates.
scrub me secret: there are tools at home that provide a similar but slightly less effective vellus hair removal. Use something like this if you are in a pinch and not able to see your technician.
Threading -
Threading is a hair removal technique where a beauty technician uses threads to roll over areas that require hair removal using a certain technique to precisely remove hairs. This is like tweezing out multiple hairs at a time using the threads. When done correctly this is great for all types of facial hair removal. If performed incorrectly it can cause sensitization on the face or small knicks or cuts. Threading is most popular for brow shaping.
Electrolysis -
Electrolysis hair removal treatments are performed by estheticians trained specifically in electrolysis. This is a treatment when a small needle with an electrical current is inserted into the hair follicle and the electrical current damages the root of the hair, making it fall out. Similar to laser, the goal of this treatment is to remove hair for good. Multiple electrolysis sessions are needed in order for hairs to never return again, sometimes up to 10 sessions. Electrolysis is said to be semi-painful or uncomfortable but worth the results. When speaking about facial hair, this treatment is great for targeting unwanted thick, dark hairs like chin, lip, or beard hairs.
scrub me secret: My friend Niki is an amazing esthetician and electrolysis technician working at Blush Skin Care in Chicago. Book an appointment with her if you’re in the area and interested!
Laser -
Laser hair removal uses a long pulse laser to essential damage the hair follicles so they won’t grow back. Laser takes multiple treatments depending on the individual to fully get rid of all unwanted hair. Some experience less density in hairs while others see hairs stop growing. Laser hair removal works best on dark hairs because these have the most pigment that attracts the laser light. This treatment is only done by a laser technician or med-spa technician. Like electrolysis, laser is said to be painful or uncomfortable for some.
scrub me secret: Choose your laser technician wisely! Get referrals and do your research before. A bad laser treatment can possibly leave you with dark spots, burns, rashes, or permanent scarring.
Post hair removal tips:
These tips are for those who experience sensitive skin, small breakouts, or ingrown hairs after facial hair removal. Let’s prevent all that stuff from happening!
With your esthetician/skincare technician -
Using a tool called a high-frequency light post-waxing or threading can increase the amount of oxygen in the skin and decrease surface bacteria helping to keep away small bumps or breakouts that can occur. Ask your esthetician if they will use this tool on you.
Request for your esthetician to use a cooling or soothing toner on your skin post-hair removal to soothe redness. I have also found the Hale & Hush soothing powder is a great product to have in the treatment room to use on clients to alleviate redness or sensitivity.
Ask your esthetician if they have a sanitized cold jade roller or cooling globes to use to soothe the skin after waxing or threading.
Make sure your esthetician or technician applies SPF to your face if it’s during daytime hours to protect your skin.
At home -
Put a soothing toner or plain rosewater in the refrigerator and apply it to your skin using a cotton ball after your hair removal appointment.
Sanitize your jade roller or gua sha stone, put it in a little baggie, and toss it in the freezer before your hair removal appointment. When you return home you can use the cold stone or roller to calm redness.
On the day of hair removal and for 24-48 hours post-hair removal do not use an exfoliant of any kind on your skin. Avoid hot water on the face directly after your hair removal.
Begin to exfoliate again or use an AHA product on your face 4-6 days after hair removal, target areas that normally get ingrown hairs
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Visit me at scrub me skin care studio for any of your waxing, tweezing, or dermaplaning needs! View my list of services using this link.