While hair grows head to toe over the bodies of nearly every man and woman, it gets a bad rap when visible in a few places - most notably a woman's face. Lashes excluded (come to think of it, we'll pay to have those grow longer and thicker), facial hair is billed as embarrassing, unsightly and unwanted. Women with certain genes or particularly dark, lush hair may elicit raves over the locks on their head, but feel the need to maintain hair-free faces. What's a girl to do?
Unwanted facial hair is most likely to appear on the upper lip, chin or around the brow area (though full brows are the height of fashion in 2010, so think twice about slimming them). If unwanted facial hair is sparse, plucking is the most budget-friendly option, though there is ample room for error. Redness and overplucking are the negative (if temporary) dangers of taking tweezers into your own hands.
If you're of the opinion that pro is the way to go, or if your facial hair requires that more than a few hairs be removed, you might try threading, waxing, laser hair removal or electrolysis. Threading costs around $20 to $50 per session, and is safe and effective for fine facial hair and sensitive skin. During a threading session, hair is removed quickly between a pair of cotton threads, eliminating the possibility of skin irritation from wax and chemicals. At-home tools like the Bellabe mimic the effects of threading and can be used for touch-ups. The feel of threading is similar to tweezing. Waxing, the old standby of hair removal, is a quick, inexpensive method for removing facial hair (sessions also run around $20 to $50), though it risks irritation of facial skin and is accompanied by a brief moment of pain. Threading and waxing both require some hair growth to be effective.
If it feels as if you're constantly working to maintain a hairless face, permanent hair removal options like laser hair removal or electrolysis might be right for you. You can expect at least a 40 percent to 80 percent reduction in unwanted hair from laser hair removal; electrolysis is guaranteed to remove all unwanted hair. But be prepared to spend to see results. Laser hair removal requires four to six treatments (at $200 to $600 each), while electrolysis takes 15-30 treatments (at $60 to $100 each). Price depends on the size of the treatment area. Currently, laser hair removal can only be used safely on those with light skin and dark hair, while electrolysis is safe for all skin tones. During laser hair removal, light is used to destroy growing hair follicles, while a small needle-shaped electrode is inserted into each hair follicle to destroy hair growth during electrolysis. Because hair grown in cycles, multiple treatments, which run 15 to 30 minutes each, are necessary. During both treatments you will experience a pricking, pinching or stinging sensation.
While threading and waxing appear to be the most cost-effective, it's important to consider the frequency of such treatments. A temporary treatment done monthly for a lifetime quickly surpasses a permanent treatment in cost! Of course, pain is also a factor. There will always be a small amount of pain an irritation involved in hair removal, so be sure to consider your level of sensitivity.The good news is that there are options, to suit all budgets and skin tones, that ensure hair removal when and where you need it!
