Tips for Women With Facial Hair

Women's facial hair can be an annoyance and very difficult to permanently remove. Some causes include an imbalance of hormones or genetics. In other cases, diseases such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or diabetes can be to blame. There are several ways to deal with a woman's facial hair, and each woman's decision should be based on what works best for her.

Tweezing, Threading and Shaving

• Tweezing facial hair can effectively remove the offending hairs, but they usually grow back within 1 to 2 weeks. Tweezing works best for a few, isolated hairs. Tweeze in the direction of the hair growth and keep the tweezed area clean. Tweezing against the direction of hair growth can cause ingrown hairs and skin infections.

  Threading is the process by which a single hair is removed by wrapping two threads around it and pulling it out. It is most often used to shape thick eyebrows, but also can be used on isolated hairs anywhere on the face. Wrap the threads around each hair and pull in the direction of the hair growth.

  Facial hair can also be removed by shaving, but the regrowing stubble can actually be more noticeable and embarrassing that the original hair growth.

Cream Depilatories

• Cream depilatories are another way to remove unwanted body hair, but they are often not recommended for use on sensitive facial skin. If you do decide to use a cream depilatory, test it out on a small patch of skin for 10 minutes. While cream depilatories are easy to apply and usually painless, the hair often starts to grow back overnight, and you can only use them on hair that is 1/4 inch or longer.

Waxing and Sugaring

• Waxing and sugaring are not recommended for large areas of the face, but can be very effective for hair removal. They are not permanent, but it may often take hair up to a month to regrow after these procedures.

  Waxing uses warm wax applied directly to the hair, with a strip of cloth then pressed into it. The strip is left on until the wax adheres to it and the hair. The strip is then pulled quickly away from the skin, removing the wax and hair with it. Sugaring is a similar process to waxing, and can use a cold or warm sugar concoction with strips to remove the hair. Skin burns and ingrown hairs can result from both methods.

Electrolysis

• Electrolysis is a process in which hair is removed, one at a time, by inserting a needle with a small electric current running through it into a hair follicle. Electrolysis can be slightly painful and cause the skin to redden. Skin infections may also occur. It is also very time-consuming and needs to be done in 2- to 3-week intervals to prevent hair re-growth. After several months of electrolysis, the hair stops growing back.

Laser Hair Removal

• Lasers can also be used to remove a woman's facial hair. Each hair follicle is burned away by the energy of the laser, and the hair then slips easily out of the skin. It may take several treatments, and there is a slight risk of skin burns. The treatment may also darken the skin pigmentation in the treated area. Hair that has little or no pigmentation cannot be removed by a laser.