Unwanted facial hair ranks among the most embarrassing beauty secrets for thousands of women. For most women, unwanted facial hair is easily removed. For others, excessive amounts of hair can be the result of a hormonal imbalance and should be reported to your doctor. If your facial hair dilemma ranges from peach fuzz to a few dark stray hairs, tweezing and waxing are at-home fixes for hair removal that will leave you with a smooth, hair-free face.   

The proper tweeze

If you have just a few stray hairs, it’s okay to tweeze them as long as you do it correctly. Tweezing the wrong way can irritate the hair follicle. To properly prepare your face for tweezing, first wash your face with warm water – or tweez right after you get out of the shower and your skin is still moist and warm. Grip the hair firmly near the base and pull gently in the direction the hair is already growing. This method, although simple, can keep you from breaking the hair off at the base (which can lead to an ingrown hair) and from the sharp pain of pulling the hair out “against the grain.”

Tip: A good pair of tweezers is essential. With a variety of styles and tip options, select tweezers that are sturdy and be sure the tips align properly when they are squeezed.

Wax on, wax off

Waxing is the most effective at-home hair removal option. More effective and longer-lasting than depilatory creams, waxing is also the most painful option. For waxing to work the best, first cleanse your face with warm water (if your facial hair feels rough or coarse, exfoliate with a fine-grain scrub). After cleansing, apply an astringent to the area to be waxed to remove any excess oils and finally, if needed, use some baby powder to soak up any remaining moisture.

Now you’re ready to heat your wax. Be sure to buy a low-temperature variety. Wax designed for other parts of the body can burn the more sensitive skin on your face. No matter what brand or method of heating, the wax will heat unevenly. Be sure to stir the wax well to even out the temperature throughout the container. Then test the wax on your wrist. You want it to be warm but not scalding. If your kit comes with cloth strips, cut them into one inch pieces at this time.

Using the wax applicator spread a small amount of the wax over a one inch area of the hair to be removed. Be sure to spread the wax in the same direction of the growth of the hair. Press a strip onto the wax gently and in the same direction. For stripless wax, spread on a thicker layer of wax (about the thickness of a stick of chewing gum).

Let the wax cool for about 10-15 seconds then pull your skin taught with one hand and grip the strip (or the wax) with the other hand. In one quick motion, pull in the opposite direction of your hair growth.

Repeat this process until all of your unwanted facial hair is gone then hold a cold washcloth to your face to soothe your skin. Apply a lotion to further soothe and calm the waxed area.

Tips: If you are traveling or simply want to avoid the mess of hot wax, look for pre-waxed strips. Also, if your hair is coarse, be sure to exfoliate the day after the waxing to help eliminate in-grown hairs. And finally, there may be a few stubborn hairs that remain after waxing. Rather than re-applying wax to take care of them, just go ahead and tweeze.

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