You Are Here >> Hair Removal >> Facial Hair Removal
Facial Hair Removal
1) Tweezers
A "do it yourself at home thing," using a tiny, hand held, two prong, non-electric instrument to pluck eyebrows and a few other unwanted hairs on the face. Tweezing is impractical for large areas because it is such a slow process. Women mostly use tweezers for shaping eyebrows and removing facial hair.
Pain Factor: Stings.
Cost: Cheap if done at home
Warning: May cause skin irritation and infection.
2) Threading
Removes unwanted facial hair from skin that's too sensitive for laser or waxing.
Threading is an ancient technique in which a loop of thread is rotated across the skin to pluck the hair.
No chemicals are used, and it only takes about 15 minutes to get both brows done.
Threading only works on flat surfaces, it's too difficult to maneuver around areas like your bikini line and knees. It also can't be done on anyone with bad acne. Since the string is basically dragged over the skin, it could irritate severe acne, causing it to rupture. For people with serious acne, electrolysis is recommended, since it can be done one hair follicle at a time.
Pain Factor: Not as painful as the waxing hair removal method.
Cost: Approximately $40 for a full face and $15 for the upper lip.
Warning: May cause skin irritation and infection.
3) Tweezers Epilator
Used to shape eyebrows and removing facial hair.
Tweezer epilators use electric current to remove hair which is plucked at the root. A row of precisely placed tweezers removes the hairs, even extremely short hairs of 0.5 mm. The tweezers grasp the hair close to the skin, and applied current travels down the hair shaft to the root. And, like needle epilators, electric shock is possible if the tweezers touch the skin instead of grabbing the hair. Impractical for large areas, because it is such a slow process.
There is no body of significant information establishing the effectiveness of the tweezer epilator to permanently remove hair. Tweezers epilator manufacturers can claim permanent hair removal if they can provide supporting data.
Pain Factor: Relatively high.
Cost: $30 to $90 per set (prices can vary).
Warning: Can leave the skin sore and open to infection.