Best ways to remove facial hair
From peach fuzz on your face to the odd whisker, we all have hair on our face. It’s natural and something to be proud of (especially if you’re blessed with voluminous statement brows), but there’s also no shame in exploring your facial hair removal options if you’d rather have skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
However, with your face being front and centre there’s little room for error, which is why getting your facial hair removal method right is key. From waxing and plucking to shaving and sugaring, here we demystify the methods and weigh up the pros and cons of each.
1. Wax
IFacial waxing with warm or cold wax can be handy for removing hair from the upper lip or chin, as well as for the eyebrows.
Master the art: If using hot wax, follow the directions on the label and heat the wax to an even skin-friendly temperature. Apply the wax in the direction of hair growth (with the hair being at least 5mm long, preferably) and cover it with a small piece of cotton. Let it cool down and remove the strip along with the wax – and your hair follicles – with a quick movement in the opposite direction of hair growth. Alternatively, you can also use cold wax strips. You rub the strips briefly between your hands, apply on the skin, and pull them off.
Pros: Lasts several weeks; hair grows softer.
Cons: Not exactly painless; it can irritate the skin.
2. Sugar paste
If you’re keen to explore home remedies for hair removal, consider trying sugar paste. Sugar paste is made from only natural ingredients, and due to its gentleness, it’s perfect for facial hair removal for sensitive skin. The sugar molecules settle in the follicle around the hair surface. When the sugar paste is pulled off, the hair along with the root is removed. This process should be done in the direction of growth, so it is gentler on the skin. The hairs grow finer after three to six weeks.
Master the art: To prepare the paste you need: 200g sugar, 30ml lemon juice, and some water. Mix them well and heat to a lukewarm temperature. To make the sugar paste stick better, clean your skin with an alcohol solution and then apply some baby powder. Knead the sugar mass and spread it against the growth. Then remove the paste with your hands in the direction of hair growth.
Pros: Less irritating and painful than wax; can find the ingredients in your kitchen.
Cons: Sticky; hair should be half a cm long, as with waxing.
3. Face epilator
Master the art: First, exfoliate the skin 24 hours before epilation to brush away dead skin and avoid ingrown hairs. With the Philips Epilator Series 8000 epilator you can use the body exfoliation brush, followed by the body massager head to stimulate blood flow. Use the facial attachment, wet or dry, and place the epilator at a right angle to the skin, covering the area to be epilated. Tighten the skin with your free hand and drive the device slowly against the direction of hair growth. The epilator head removes even the shortest and finest hair at a superfast pace. Cons: Can sting somewhat on sensitive skin; not suitable for eyebrows.
While waxing and sugaring pull away hair and skin cells in one go, epilating is more precise, but you still benefit from the long-lasting benefits of removing hair from the root. A face epilator removes facial hair by using rotating tweezers or epilator discs to pinch the hair and pull it out of the pores along with the follicle. This may be a challenge for sensitive skin types but does not have to be if you follow our guide.
Pros: Works fast and thoroughly even with short hair, leaving you with smooth, hairless skin for two to four weeks.
See below ↓
Recommended
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Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series IPL hair removal device for face and body
BRI958/00
- SmartSkin sensor
- 4 intelligent attachments: body, face, bikini, underarms
- With SmartSkin sensor
- Both cordless and corded use
4. Tweezing
Everyone knows this one: the trusty tweezers. If you would like to remove only a few brow hairs or a few hairs on your chin, then tweezers can be a simple choice for facial hair removal.
Master the art: Pull the skin taut with your fingers, hold the tweezers at the same angle as the growth and grab the hair as close to the root as possible. For a gentler tweeze, try doing this right after a hot shower.
Pros: All you need is good pair of tweezers.
Cons: Only targeted for small spots.
5. Trimming
Trimming is perfect for quick upper lip hair removal or to get rid of peach fuzz. With the battery-operated and compact correction trimmer, this is an easy and fast "on the go" method. The trimmer fits in almost every handbag.
Master the art: Thanks to the special cutting head of the Philips touch-up trimmer, you can trim hairs from all parts of the face, and shape your eyebrows with the 2- or 4-mm comb to a uniform hair length. Just slide the comb over the parts to be depilated and remove the last few hairs with the tweezers included in the pack.
Pros: Fast, easy and convenient.
Cons: Must be repeated often.
6. Facial laser hair removal with IPL
We all dream of waking up in the morning without having to give a second thought to hair removal, which is why IPL at home is the ultimate solution to facial hair removal. The Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) method gently pulses light into the hair root, targeting the melanin in the hair root and causing it to go into its resting phase.
Developed with dermatologists, Philips Lumea Prestige is great for chin, cheek, and upper lip hair removal. The result after just three treatments is 92% less hair.1 It is the only IPL device to have a specially shaped face attachment with an additional light filter and a flat, small window for precise application, making it one of the best facial hair remover options out available.
Master the art:
Pros: Gentle, long-lasting method, suitable for facial areas.
Cons: Does not work with red and very light hair or darker skin.
Whichever method you prefer for facial hair removal, with these tips and a bit of finesse, you’ll enjoy a hair-free face quickly and gently!
Discover your beauty every day.
Discover your beauty every day.
