How to Get Rid of Female Facial Hair

Last Updated: September 2, 2021 References

If you're not a fan of your facial hair, don't worry! There are a variety of techniques you can use to get rid of any unwanted hair on your face.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Quick Methods

1
Try tweezing. Tweezing, or pulling the hair out with tweezers, is a cheap and effective way to remove hair from any area on the face. The major downsides are only that it is time-consuming and somewhat painful, especially in sensitive areas.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.}
2
Try an epilator. An Epilator is a device, usually priced between $30-100, which works by pulling out multiple hairs at once. While effective, fast, and relatively inexpensive, it can be painful the first few times it’s used. Like with waxing, however, the pain lessens over time as you become used to the sensation.^{[2]
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Research source}

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3
Try dyeing the hair. Often referred to as “bleaching”, this is the practice of dyeing the hair to be the same or a similar color to the skin tone. This makes it less noticeable. What color you choose will be based on your skin tone and special kits can often be purchased for the face.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.}
4
Try a chemical depilatory. This is any one of a number of creams, lotions, and similar products which use a chemical process to "melt" the hair. These are cheap, easy to use, and generally pain-free. However, they can cause chemical burns if used incorrectly and the effects generally last only a week.^{[4]
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Research source}
5
Try waxing.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.} Waxing is one of the more common ways to remove facial hair. The cost of the procedure will depend upon what part of your face you have waxed, but it is generally not too expensive. The effects will usually last a few weeks but the procedure is painful. It can also result in ingrown hairs.^{[6]
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Research source}
6
Try threading.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.} The pain of waxing and the expense of an epilator not for you? Threading is an easy way to remove hair from your brows, lip, or face in general. This method is simple to learn, easy to do, relatively painless, and doesn't require any tools. All you need is some string! You can also go in to a salon for professional threading, but only if you really want to.^{[8]
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7
Try trimming. If you are worried about your eyebrows more than other facial hair, consider trimming the hair rather than removing it. Trimming the eyebrows can make them appear less thick and dark and is easy and cheap to do yourself at home.
8
Shave sparingly. You can, of course, also shave any facial hair which bothers you. While it is not true that shaving will make hair grow back thicker or darker, shaving will often cause shaving bumps and is most likely to cause ingrown hairs so use shaving sparingly or with appropriate precautions.^{[9]
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Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Family Physicians
Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities
Go to source}

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
More Permanent Methods

1
Consider laser hair removal. This process uses light pulses to destroy the root of the hair. It doesn’t automatically remove the hair but does cause it to fall out over time. It works best for those with dark hair and light skin and getting it otherwise is very difficult or impossible. It costs several hundred dollars and touch-ups will be needed once a year.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Expert Interview. 19 August 2020.} It does significantly reduce the appearance of hair, however.^{[11]
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Research source}
2
Consider electrolysis. This is the only hair removal method currently certified by the FDA as being permanent. It is done by inserting a very small needle into the skin and destroying the cell which cause hair growth. It is very effective and is similar to the cost of laser hair removal. There are 2 types of electrolysis that can cause scarring (Thermolysis and The Blend) and are not recommended for those with darker skin tones (as they are at greater risk of scarring). However, there is one type of electrolysis that is not associated with scarring (as there is no heat in the process) called Galvanic which is suitable for all skin types. ^{[12]
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3
Try prescription creams. There is a prescription cream which will work very similarly to the depilatories above. While it is not usually able permanently remove hair on its own, there is some evidence that it can occasionally produce this effect. However, since it is usually considered an elective treatment, the cream may not be covered under your medical insurance.
4
Try hormone treatments or oral contraceptives. If your hair thickness and color are hormone-based (only your doctor can determine this), you may be able to return the hair to normal by using hormone treatments or oral contraceptives (which also regulate the hormones). Consult with your doctor about your options and condition.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Consult With Your Doctor

1
Ask your doctor about recommended treatments. When you determine that you would like to remove or reduce your facial hair, consider consulting with your physician. They should be able to recommend and discuss various options, as well as provide warnings regarding the risks.
2
Consult about associated risks. Each of the above procedures has associated risks. Before undergoing any, it is a good idea to consult with your doctor about those associated health risks. For example, electrolysis cannot be used if you have a pacemaker.
3
Consider underlying health conditions. You and your doctor will also need to consider underlying health conditions. There are a number of conditions, some benign and easy to treat while others can be more worrying, which can cause more hair growth or hair growth in unusual areas.
- Hormone fluxes, which can cause changes like these, are associated with age (making young teen girls and older women more prone to this problem).
- Hair changes can also be caused by tumors in the glands which control hormones or in response to pregnancy or certain medications.
- Look out for other symptoms associated with hormone disorders (like irregular periods, weight gain, acne, or hair loss). Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormone condition that affects up to 10% of women and is a cause of unwanted hair (also known as hirsutism).^{[13]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} Medicines used in the treatment of PCOS can significantly improve excess hair problems.
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How Do I Safely Epilate My Facial Hair?

Community Q&A

Question

How can a woman get rid of facial hair permanently?

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Karina Villalta is a certified Esthetician and Owner of Oh Sweet and Sugar and Shears, a skincare and hair removal service located in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington. With over eight years of experience, Karina specializes in eyebrow shaping, a hair removal technique called sugaring, and organic facials. Karina started her career and was trained at Benefit Cosmetics Brow Bar. Since opening her own business, Karina ensures her clients are educated about their skin and helps them implement personalized skincare routines.

Karina Villalta

Certified Esthetician

Expert Answer

There are laser treatments out there that use electricity to keep hairs from growing back permanently, but outside of that, you're just going to have to regularly maintain your hair removal regimen.
Question

How do I figure out what brow shape would look best for me?

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Karina Villalta is a certified Esthetician and Owner of Oh Sweet and Sugar and Shears, a skincare and hair removal service located in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington. With over eight years of experience, Karina specializes in eyebrow shaping, a hair removal technique called sugaring, and organic facials. Karina started her career and was trained at Benefit Cosmetics Brow Bar. Since opening her own business, Karina ensures her clients are educated about their skin and helps them implement personalized skincare routines.

Karina Villalta

Certified Esthetician

Expert Answer

I'd really recommend reaching out to a trained esthetician for this. There's a technique called brow mapping, and they'll be able to identify the best shape and location for your brows based on the location of your eyes and nose. It's pretty tough to figure this one out on your own.
Question

Is it OK to remove female facial hair?

Karina Villalta
Certified Esthetician
Karina Villalta is a certified Esthetician and Owner of Oh Sweet and Sugar and Shears, a skincare and hair removal service located in Seattle and Kirkland, Washington. With over eight years of experience, Karina specializes in eyebrow shaping, a hair removal technique called sugaring, and organic facials. Karina started her career and was trained at Benefit Cosmetics Brow Bar. Since opening her own business, Karina ensures her clients are educated about their skin and helps them implement personalized skincare routines.

Karina Villalta

Certified Esthetician

Expert Answer

Totally! If you want to get rid of your facial hair, go for it. If you want to let it be, that's totally fine too. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to your beauty practices. So long as you're happy with the way you look, you're doing it right!
Question

How do I get rid of female facial hair cheaply and permanently?

Community Answer

There are dozens of homemade hair removal products you can learn about on YouTube. They don't necessarily work immediately, but over time you should see less hair. The most common method is to use turmeric powder.
Question

If I shave, will it come back thicker?

Community Answer

After the first time you shave, it will look thicker when it grows back because you've cut off the end of the hair, which is the thinnest part (and which doesn't grow back). Other hair removal methods, like waxing or tweezing, are better in this respect because they remove the entire hair with the root, and the hair will have to grow back completely from the beginning and will look like the original hair (not to mention, the results last a lot longer).
Question

Why do girls remove facial hair?

Community Answer

It's a society thing. There's nothing wrong with anyone having hair on their face, but society says that women shouldn't, so many girls choose to remove it. I got made fun of at school for it, and when I finally removed it, I was still teased, so I would suggest you don't bother unless it's really important to you.
Question

What is the simplest way to remove facial hair?

Community Answer

If you have a good pain tolerance, you might find waxing to be the easiest; this is suitable for both the lip and eyebrows. If you have a lower pain tolerance, you might want to consider bleaching it or using a depilatory cream instead. Keep in mind that bleach and depilatory creams are only suitable for the lip and should not be used on the eyebrows.
Question

How many laser sessions must I undergo for permanent hair removal?

Community Answer

That depends on your type of hair. Finer hair types will require fewer treatments than coarser hair types. Once you get to your clinic, they'll have an intake with you and tell you how many treatments you need based on your type of facial hair.
Question

Can I use normal scissors to cut my facial hair?

Community Answer

No, as you could hurt yourself really badly.
Question

Why do females grow facial hair? How do I prevent this with sensitive skin?

Community Answer

It's normal for females to grow a little facial hair. It's not something you can prevent, but you can remove the hair temporarily by laser hair removal, waxing, depilatory creams, shaving etc.

Warnings

Any one of these methods presents a certain risk for ingrown hairs. These can potentially become infected, cause scarring, or any other number of problems. Do what you can to avoid ingrown hairs and deal with them if they become a problem.

Thanks!
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