Temporary and Permanent Facial Hair Removal
Facial hair is normally considered a masculine trait and can be an embarrassment for women, especially in the social setting. Excess facial hair in women may be a heredity issue or may stem from hormonal changes or other medical conditions. Many methods exist to address this problem and the best choice for facial hair removal will depend on preferences of convenience, cost and pain tolerance level. All methods can have side effects, especially pain, skin irritation and redness, so skin type and sensitivity should be taken into account.
Temporary Hair Removal
Perhaps the oldest facial hair removal method is shaving and while this may be acceptable for the leg and underarm area, on the face, stubble appears rather quickly, within eight hours or less, is unsightly and feels prickly. Another traditional method of removal is plucking with tweezers. This creates pain with each individual hair removed, can cause redness, irritation and even ingrown hairs, but does last much longer than shaving, about two weeks, and the regrown hair is not as stiff and unsightly. After extended use of this method, the hair follicles may become so damaged that they no longer produce, but this is just a possibility, not a guarantee and prolonged tweezing can cause scarring.Waxing is similar to tweezing, except that several hairs are removed in a single application. Hot or cold wax strips are applied to the unwanted hair and allowed to become affixed, then pulled off the skin. This is just as painful as tweezing and is effective for the same period of time, but skin sensitivity must be tested before using this method.
Depilatory creams have been available for a long time and can even be obtained by prescription, as well as over the counter. These creams use chemicals to dissolve the hair and present a greater risk of skin irritation, redness and even chemical burns. The face is more sensitive than the legs; never use a depilatory cream on the face that is not specifically formulated just for that area.
Permanent Facial Hair Removal
Permanent hair removal is possible with laser and electrolysis, but these methods are very expensive and should only be performed by a professional in that field. The laser method is most effective on dark hair and does not work on gray or white hair, as the laser is attracted to the dark pigment. This also increases the risk of skin burns for people with a darker complexion. Side effects are the usual pain and redness, but also may include swelling and changes in skin pigmentation. Laser treatment is also the most expensive method of hair removal.Electrolysis is also a very expensive procedure and is sometimes performed by non-professionals. For this method, a needle is inserted into each individual hair follicle and shot with electricity. This effectively kills the follicle and is believed to be permanent. Patience and pain tolerance are a necessity for this method, but the permanence of the procedure may make it a viable choice. Electrolysis has the same side effects as the laser method and also cannot be used if there is a pacemaker in place.
When choosing the best method of facial hair removal, always put safety first. Consider the risks and side effects, experiment on a small area with the less invasive methods first and before choosing the more permanent methods, always check out the credentials of the person performing the procedure, making sure they are true professionals.
in
