There are some things that aren’t often talked about when it comes to aging – and one of those is facial hair! But if you would prefer not to have extra upper lip fuzz, those annoying chin hairs and the odd bit of nasal hair, you can easily get rid of it. In this article, you will find the best facial hair removal methods you can use at home.
Why do we grow more facial hair as we age?
While we all expect to get wrinkles as we age, I don’t know about you, but no one ever told me that I would also be sprouting some unwanted facial hair!
It’s actually a very common side effect of aging. As we get older, a woman’s body stops producing the same amount of estrogen but still keeps producing testosterone. And these hormonal changes can lead to extra hair growth.
How to remove facial hair and should you remove it?
Whether you are bothered by a little extra facial hair is really a personal decision to make. Luckily, if you do want to get rid of it, there are plenty of methods you can use. Below you will find some of the most recommended techniques and products.
I’d love to hear about your own experiences too. How do you get rid of unwanted upper lip, facial or chin hair? What are the most effective methods you have found? Don’t forget to let me know in the comments at the end of the article.
Facial hair removing methods and products
Below you will find removal ideas from epilation to waxing, shaving to bleaching, plucking to threading.
Painless hair remover
Have you used this one? I’m tempted and I’d love to know if it works. The Finishing Touch facial hair remover has some great reviews from women who use it to get rid of peach fuzz and chin hair.
Finishing Touch Flawless Women’s Painless Hair Remover
For trimming nasal hair
While it may be unsightly, nasal hair does actually serve a very useful purpose. Those pesky little nose hairs are your first line of defense against dirt and bacteria. So, rather than plucking out your nose hairs (which hurts!), give them a little trim instead.
The Panasonic facial trimmer gets rid of unwanted hair without tugging or pulling.
Panasonic ER-GN25VP Precision Facial Hair Trimmer
Facial wax strips
Great for upper lip hair. These little facial waxing strips come in pairs, which are stuck together with wax. You just warm them in your hand a little before separating and using.
They’re less messy than some wax strips, but if you do get a little residue left on your skin, you can simply remove with the finishing wipes that come with them.
Sally Hansen facial hair removal
Another easy to use option. These ones don’t require any preparation as they are also strips that you can warm between your hands and then use straight away.
A good tip to make sure you remove the hair without skin irritation is to use a little baby powder on the area you are waxing so the wax strips grip only onto the hair you want to get rid of and not your skin.
Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Kit
Hard facial wax
If you prefer to get the spa experience by using a hard wax, then this option by VidaSleek is well-reviewed by women with sensitive skin.
You need to warm up the wax first in the microwave before you can use it. If you aren’t very confident about using a hard wax, you could always practice first on your legs before you move onto your face.
Facial dermaplaning
Have you tried dermaplaning? Either at home or at a spa? Dermaplaning uses an exfoliating blade to remove dead skin cells as well as the peach fuzz on your face, leaving your skin smooth and hair-free.
You just stroke gently across your face to exfoliate and get rid of fine hair at the same time. There’s also a handy guard if you want to use these to shape your eyebrows.
Schick Silk Touch-Up Multipurpose Exfoliating Dermaplaning Tool
Facial bleach
If your concern is not necessarily the amount of hair you have, but the fact you have dark hairs on your face or upper lip, a facial bleach could be the answer rather than removal.
You can use on upper lip and women have also this on their eyebrows if they have dyed their hair and would like their eyebrows to be a paler shade to match.
Facial hair removal cream
You can choose cream which bleaches your hair a paler shade so it isn’t so obvious to the naked eye. Or you can choose cream which removes the hair entirely. Nair’s facial hair remover is a good budget option, but always do a little test first to make sure your skin doesn’t react.
Nair Hair Remover Moisturizing Face Cream
Hair removal duo
I like this one as it comes in two separate parts. First, you apply the skin-guarding balm to make sure your skin isn’t irritated. Then, you use the hair removal cream itself, which is recommended to work even if you have coarse hair.
Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo
Threading
You may well have had threading for your eyebrows at the salon, but this little gizmo could enable you to use a threading technique to remove unwanted hair at home. Reviewers do say it is painful, but quick. However, the more you do it, the less painful it is.
Facial buffer
Buffing hair away removes the hair from the point it meets you skin, in the same way as shaving. It works better for some women than others. The only way to know if it is an effective method for you is to try it!
A great pair of tweezers
If you just have a few odd chin hairs that you would like to remove, there’s no reason why you can’t simply tweeze them in the same way you would your eyebrows.
Bella And Bear “The Pluckers” Tweezer Set
Facial hair growth inhibitor
What could be better than a good hair removal method? Not having hair growth in unwanted places in the first place.
Have you tried a hair growth inhibitor? They are generally made of plant enzymes, and are designed to change the make up of the hair follicle until they eventually stop producing hair.
Have you noticed more facial hair as you get older? What are the most effective facial hair removal methods and products you have used?
Continue reading:
- Pamper Yourself At Home: 14 Self Pampering Ideas When You Can’t Get To The Spa
- 8 Things That Date Us Or Make Us Look Older
- How To Dye Your Hair Roots Yourself
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Sylvia is 40+style’s editor-in-chief and has been helping women find their unique style since 2011. An alumni of the School of Color and Design, she is devoted to empowering women of any age to look and feel their best. Read more about Sylvia and 40+style on this page.
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Being an Indian, I have thick black hair, so, since my 20s, I have always got my eyebrow threading done at the beauty salon. I once got a shot of laser on my upper lip, so now the hair growth there is minimal. For all other areas of the face I have been happily using the Panasonic ES2113 Facial Trimmer (https://amzn.to/2xShlpG). It requires one AAA alkaline battery. Been using this device for 10+ years now – to remove hairs on forehead, tempple-area, side-locks, cheeks, chin, jawline, neck, upper-lip, wherever I see hair! Light-weight, travel friendly – this device travels with me wherever I go. Never got any nicks or cuts. Since my hair grows quickly, I use this every week – which is perfectly ok with me.
Highly recommended.
I have the girl who does my hair wax my chin and eyebrows when I get my haircut. Sometimes I have to pluck in between times, but that is the easiest for me. When I was a little girl, I remember my grandmother would have me pull hers out with my little fingers!
I like all-over threading, but at $25-$50, plus tip, for something that only lasts a couple of days, it’s something I have relegated to “special occasion only” — and then only if you have a threader you trust not to make your eyebrows thinner than wanted.
At home I’m used this spring tool (R.E.M Spring® Facial Hair Remover) to get off the worst of the hair on upper lip and elsewhere, followed by Sally Hanson’s facial hair remover cream, which I find far less irritating than the Nair brand.
The spring takes a little learning, and it can be a little uncomfortable where there are myriad hairs to remove, but it’s great for areas where I don’t want to use hair remover and am afraid I can’t see to tweeze — between my eyebrows and even on my eyelids well below my eyebrows, where there are a lot of fine hairs, and on the forehead above the brows. Two caveats: do not buy any cheap imitations with bulky plastic handles at the ends, and, above all, be very careful to not let go of one end while you are using, as the floppy spring still has enough “snap” that the flying end could hit you. You really don’t want this thing snapping you in your eye.