Facial hair removal in theory seems simple: all you have to do is pull the little blighters out, be it by waxing or tweezing.
But, in reality, it’s rather more complicated than that. Why? Because skin on your face is sensitive and prone to redness, and each area can in turn respond differently to the various hair removal methods. A rashy face is not what we're aiming for.
The way to proceed if you want a hair-free face? First map your face into zones, then follow our guide to treating each part individually.
A word of caution before you crack out the tweezers, if you're currently on your period, maybe wait a few days - your skin will be more sensitive and your pain threshold lowered.
That said, here’s how to render each part of your face smooth as a baby’s bottom.
How to remove eyebrow hair
Options: threading or plucking
You’ll have to go old-school for brows and keep all tech away from the area, so IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and lasers are out.
You could wax, but we’d caution against doing so around brows as it lacks the precision of tweezing away hairs or threading, and, as facialist and skin expert Vaishaly cautions, ‘waxing can often break hairs,’ meaning you’re more likely to suffer from ingrown hairs and some stubbly bits.
How to remove upper lip hair
Options: IPL, lasers, threading, waxing, hair removal creams, shaving
In the short term, waxing works well (provided your skin doesn’t become sensitised and red afterwards), as does threading.
If you’re keen on the idea of hair removal creams, heed celebrity facialist Debbie Thomas’s advice and ‘always test first and never leave on for longer than instructed as they can be quite harsh on the skin.’
You could also try shaving, but prepare for the possibility that hair may feel stubbly as it grows back thanks to the blunt edge of the razor, although saying that, there’s actually no truth in the idea that hair once shaved grows back thicker, so don’t be put off by that.
If you want to wave goodbye to these hairs for longer, you can try going down the laser or IPL route. The primary thing to consider when picking the right treatment for you is your hair and skin tone.
If you want to try IPL...
Whether at home or in a salon, you’ll need your hair to be more deeply pigmented than your skin. If your skin is as dark as or darker than hair, IPL won’t do anything, and lasers are a better option.
How to remove hair from your chin
Options: IPL, lasers, threading, waxing, hair removal creams, shaving, plucking
How you choose to deal with chin hair is entirely dependent on how much you have. If you get one little persistent wiry hair, plucking may be your best option, though if you have an IPL laser at home, it of course makes sense to blast it if you can.
Otherwise, the same rules apply to the chin as to the upper lip.
How to remove Vellus hair aka peach fuzz
Options: shaving, threading
Vellus hair is fine and downy, so you need to either get in the habit of shaving it regularly if you hate yours, or head for threading sessions, which will, according to Vaishaly, ‘take all the hairs out of the root, even the very fine ones.’
Your Facial Hair Removal Kit Bag
Tweezerman Slant Tweezer - £21.95 SHOP
Tweezerman make the best tweezers in the business, and you can pick from a slant, flat edge, or point to grab any hairs you want to pull out. Also, the rainbow of colour options makes hair removal that little bit more fun.
Tinkle Facial Razor - £1.95 for 3 SHOP
Tinkle Facial Razors won’t leave you with nicks, and you can use the end to target tiny areas.
SmoothSkin IPL - £149.95 SHOP
SmoothSkin IPL devices are reliable and really work provided your hair is darker than your skin.
Your Facial Hair Removal Address Book
2. Shavata offer reliable threading and have studios across the country.
3. Debbie Thomas’ clinics carry three kinds of laser and can therefore target hair on all skin tones.
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