Facial Hair Removal for Women

Facial hair removal for women is a very important part of a women's self image as well as beautifying and grooming oneself. Women usually have little or no facial hair, apart from their eyebrows, and vellus hair (short, fine fuzz), that covers parts of our bodies.

Excessive hair, or hair that grows in areas where women usually don't have hair, is known as "hirutism",

When you mention facial hair in a woman, apart from any sort of emotional reaction, this usually relates to any of the following:

1. Occasional hairs that grow on the cheeks or chin. Perhaps a vague hint of a moustache.
2. It could also refer to eybrows.
3. Heavier hair growth. This heavier growth is perhaps the most disturbing.

Many times it is hereditary but can also reflect excessive male hormones, PCOS (polycystic ovarium syndrome) or other causes. Usually it is quite harmless, though embarrassing and most women will want to remove it. If however it develops suddenly you should refer to a doctor as it could be a symptom of something else.

Facial Hair Removal Methods

At the end of the day the choice will depend on the amount of hair to be removed, where it is located and how comfortable you feel with that method. And yes, obviously the cost.

Now most women would like a permanent solution to eliminate unwanted hair, but beware as this can also tempt the unscrupulous to offer non permanent solutions as the everlasting one. The FDA recognizes electrolysis as a permanent hair removal solution, while others can be offered as permanent hair reduction alternatives.

The most common facial hair removal methods are:

1. Shaving.  Both with wet razors and by using an electric shaver. In women, this is usually used around the eyebrows.  Men and women's shaving kits abound and can be easily found over the counter.  There is the wide spread myth that shaving promotes hair growth, which is total nonsense.  The razor cuts the hair above the follicle, it does not promote increased hair growth.  What does happen is that the end of the hair is cut at a slant, so when it continues its growth, it will feel harder.

2. Plucking.  Using tweezers or threading.  Basically what this method does is to pull the hair out by the root.  For small areas it is very good, but can be quite painful on larger areas.

    - With a pair of tweezers, you capture the individual hair and pull out, against the growth direction.  As the root is also removed, the regrowth period can be delayed for two weeks or more. 

    - Threading is a method where the hair is caught in a cotton thread, twisted and then pulled out. This is an ancient method used in the East, and though it sounds quite painfull, most people have found it very suitable.

3. Waxing.  Many women aply the waxing method to remove facial hair.  Amongst its advantages are the hair regrowth cycle (again the hair is pulled out and not cut).  Some swelling of the face can occur, and it shouldn't be applied if suffering from acne. Over time the hair regrowth can be reduced as the follicles are damaged along the way.

4. Lasers. In simple terms the laser destroys the hair with heat.  It has to be targeted specifically to the hair in question, and over time can reduce hair growth.

5. Depilatories. This refers to gels, creams and lotions that you apply against the offending area. Depilatories create a chemical reaction, so you must be careful in case of an adverse reaction to your skin - and this canot be stressed enough as we are refering to your face.

For a more in-depth look at the different hair removal methods, go to Hair Removal Methods.