Almost all women will experience facial hair at some point in their life. It can be very cumbersome and annoying to deal with, whether it’s just a few hairs or a full-on 5 o’clock shadow emerging.
Facial hair growth is the most common form of unwanted body hair for women, And one of the most annoying things about it is the agony you often have to go through to get rid of it.
But which solutions are the least painful, and which ones bring dread like a bad Game of Thrones episode?
From Painless to Highly Uncomfortable
We’ve ranked facial hair removal treatments according to their ability to make you flinch with watery eyes. Check them out below!
1. Bleach Anyone?
Bleaching is an option if you don’t wish to have your facial hair removed but don’t mind it being slightly visible. It’s a great hair removal technique if you prefer no pain at all.
However, the hair will become visible again once it grows out–which is the biggest downside to this method. Also, this option is more ideal for women with lighter skin tones, as the bleach will allow the hair to simply blend into your complexion.
2. Electric Shaver
Electric facial shavers are similar to an eyebrow razor. They can remove unwanted hair in a similar way. The razors are usually battery-operated and gentle on the skin. They can also be used to remove hair in specific areas.
If you notice a random few chin or lip hairs, shaving can be a quick and painless way to get rid of them all. Note that many estheticians will warn that shaving can only be done for one to three days and there are risks of ingrown hairs, razor burn, nicks and scratches, and razor cuts.
These risks can be minimized if you use a fresh clean razor. Also, always prepare your skin with soap or shaving cream, take your time, and shave in the direction that hair grows.
3. Facial Waxing
It’s not necessarily fun to have unwanted hair removed from your skin using hot wax. However, waxing is quick and can last quite a while. We all know that beauty can be painful, which is definitely the case when waxing your face.
The saving grace of waxing is that it lasts a week or two and that it’s a relatively quick process. After the esthetician pulls off the wax, they will typically rub you down with oil or aloe vera–which can be soothing. But be sure to go to a highly reviewed esthetician or you may find yourself in more pain than you need to be.
4. Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal has become increasingly popular over the past 10 years. This procedure uses concentrated light to remove unwanted hair. Laser hair removal can slow down hair growth over a long period of time, which makes it an excellent option for people looking for a longer-lasting method for facial hair removal.
Laser hair removal is often described as feeling as though a rubber band is being snapped against your skin. So to say, if you have a low pain tolerance level, this method may not be ideal for you. The most common places for laser hair removal on the face are the upper lip, chin, and cheeks.
5. Tweezer Plucking
Tweezing is the best way to go if there’s only a handful of hairs on your brows, upper lip, or chinny chin chin. If you have the time and have fairly high pain tolerance, you can tweeze unwanted facial hairs for weeks instead.
To avoid irritation, take your time and ensure your tweezers remain sharp and clean. Tweezing can cause ingrown hairs just like shaving, so make sure you clean your tweezers with alcohol after each pluck.
6. Facial Threading
Threading is a popular method for shaping eyebrows and getting rid of upper lip and chin hair. Threading has increased in popularity due to its quick process and ability to last for a week or two. However, it’s not the most comfortable feeling.
It’s basically like plucking the hairs on your face with tweezers but in rapid succession. If you can stand tweezer plucking for several minutes, reading may be best for you.
It’s also fairly inexpensive compared to other methods and it allows you to be extremely precise about which hairs are being removed and it’s safe, even if you use a product with retinol.
7. Facial Epilators
Epilators are electric hair removal tool that uses forceps, similar to tweezers to remove hair at the follicle. This magnifies the effect of tweezers (similar to threading) by removing multiple hairs at once.
They work best for hair on your cheeks or upper lip, as your eyebrows are more delicate. This is another method that isn’t ideal if you have a low pain tolerance.
It may be better to try this on your legs up first before taking the brave step to try it on your face. And remember, not all epilators are made the same, so be sure to find a quality one with good reviews.
And now a few tips for facial hair removal….
Tip #1: Wash your face first
Note that before you tweeze or wax, bleach, or thread, your skin must be clean. This means that you should remove any oils or makeup products from your skin at least one hour before removing any facial hair.
Tip #2: After applying the cream, always massage the affected area.
After removing unwanted hairs from your face, always use a moisturizer (such as aloe vera) to soothe it. Or, you can also simply rub your face down with a bit of witch hazel. Be sure to be gentle on your skin for the next few days, as it’ll be a bit sensitive.
As you can see, facial hair can be removed in a number of ways–some hurt, some are relatively painless. However, it’s best to find the most painless (or tolerable) way for you so that you won’t find yourself avoiding it.