I grew up in the ‘90s when Brazilians and barely-there brows were a look - not ideal when you're hairy like me. Hair removal became second nature.
These days, I believe removing your body hair (or not) is very much a personal choice. Dolphin smooth or laissez-faire; it’s up to you.
Facial hair, however, is my bête noir. I have pale skin and dark hair, so it's hard to miss. There’s nothing like spending all day in meetings and then catching sight of a new crop of chin hairs in the office loos.
I've tried every method of hair removal going. From moustache burns to the game-changing benefits of at-home IPL, here’s what I’ve learnt.
Hair removal creams and bleaches
I started bleaching my upper lip and chin hair in my mid-teens (probably after finding a tub of Jolen lurking in the bathroom). But, it turns out, a blonde moustache is still pretty visible, especially when it catches the light.
I switched to hair removal creams instead, but found myself leaving them on longer and longer to ensure I nuked all the hairs, giving myself a fiery red moustache for hours afterwards. While it was fine to do now and then, it didn’t feel like a long-term solution for my hairy problem.
Waxing and threading
Waxing is quick, reliable and reduces hair growth (plus removing ingrown hairs is so satisfying). The downside? Unless you can work up the courage to go DIY (I can't), you need regular appointments for upkeep. For someone who can’t even text back, that’s way too much life admin.
I have a similar issue with threading. Plus, all the activity around my eyes and nose makes my eyes start streaming (not a good look when you’re sat in the middle of Superdrug.)
Side note: I once went for a bikini wax and the beauty therapist mistakenly rubbed in bleach instead of cream to soothe the redness afterwards. I started to get suspicious when she asked - five times - if I felt burning (I didn’t, thankfully). It's left me with serious trust issues.
Epilating
After an attempt to wax my own bikini line left me blinking back tears and sporting a tiny bald patch down below, I made a dash to Boots to invest in an epilator. I have friends who swear by epilating – it reduces hair growth and it’s more effective than waxing on shorter hairs.
But, in hindsight, it’s probably something you need to ease yourself into, rather than trying it for the first time the night before going on holiday. The Braun Silk- épil 5 Wet & Dry epilator can be used in the bath for added comfort and it comes with a starter head to get you used to epilation. I’d definitely recommend going down that route instead.
Plucking
This became my go-to for facial hair, for a long time. At least 30 mins every Saturday morning was spent sat plucking my moustache and chin hairs. Who needs bottomless brunch?
IPL hair removal
A year ago, I bought an at-home IPL (intense pulsed light) machine and my friends/colleagues/passing acquaintances are probably sick of me talking about how much I love it. At-home IPLs, like the Braun Silk-expert 5 IPL, use light pulses to target the pigment in the hair. The light is absorbed by the pigment, turns to heat and puts the hair cells to sleep. When used consistently over a period of time, they break the cycle of hair regrowth, resulting in permanent hair removal.
The Braun Silk-expert also uses a sensor which scans the skin tone and automatically adjusts the light intensity, ensuring the ideal amount of light is delivered with every pulse.
You use it on the area you want to treat once a week for 4 – 12 weeks. After that, you use it as often as you need to. I noticed a huge difference after just four weeks and I now top up about once a month. So far, I’ve used it on my upper lip, chin and jawline (thanks to their precision cap) and it’s made a huge difference to my everyday confidence. The hair I’ve spent my life removing and worrying about is simply no longer there. I don’t feel paranoid about rogue chin hairs cropping up anymore and I no longer spend my Saturday mornings plucking away at my moustache. (The glamour!) I'm planning to do my armpits next.
IPL doesn’t work for everyone. It’s most effective on light to medium skin tones, with hair ranging from natural blonde to dark brown or black. You do have to keep topping up as well, or the hair could grow back, but, for me, it's one of the best investments I've ever made.
I have a lot more time for brunch now, for a start.
To find out more about at-home IPL, check out all the tools and tips at Braun
