Shaving is one of the fastest and easiest ways to remove hair and continue your day. Whether you’re using a disposable shaver or an electric shaver, both have a built-in blade that lifts and cuts hair at the skin’s surface.
Shavers can work on different parts of the body, including your:
- legs
- arms
- armpits
- bikini area
- face
They can also safely remove hair from your:
- upper lip
- chin
- eyebrows
- sideburns
However, the results aren’t permanent or long-lasting. Your face will remain hair-free for one to three days, and then you’ll have to re-shave.
For the best results, clean your face and apply a layer of soap or shaving cream. This promotes a smooth surface and reduces the likelihood of cuts. Glide the shaver over your face in the direction of hair growth.
Keep in mind that while this method is relatively safe, ingrown hairs can be a side effect of shaving. These small bumps develop when hair grows back into the skin. Ingrown hairs usually improve on their own within days.
Tweezing is another effective and inexpensive way to remove facial hair. This method works slightly differently than shaving. Instead of removing hair with a razor blade, tweezers are designed to pluck or pull hair from the roots.
Tweezing works on any facial hair. It’s particularly useful when shaping the eyebrows. Typically, the results of tweezing last longer than shaving — up to three to eight weeks.
To tweeze facial hair, follow these steps:
- Before you begin, wipe your face with a warm washcloth to soften the skin.
- Isolate the hairs you want to pluck.
- While holding your skin taut, pluck one hair at a time.
- Always pull or pluck in the direction of hair growth.
Tweezing can cause slight discomfort, but it’s not usually painful. If you have pain, rub an ice cube over the area to reduce redness and inflammation.
Be sure to disinfect your tweezers with alcohol before and after plucking. Like shaving, tweezing can also cause ingrown hairs.
Epilation is another option for removing facial hair. This technique can eliminate hair for up to four weeks, which might be a better choice if you’re busy and don’t want to regularly shave or tweeze.
Epilators work similar to tweezing and shaving. The difference is that epilators eliminate facial hair by grabbing multiple hairs at the same time and removing them from the root. Because hair is removed from the root, it takes longer to grow back. Sometimes, epilation results in hairs growing back softer and finer. Strands may become less noticeable.
You may only think of epilators when removing hair from the legs or from larger areas of the body. But epilators come in multiple sizes, making them ideal for eliminating hair on all parts of the body.
You don’t have to prepare your skin when using an epilator. However, exfoliating a couple of days before helps soften the skin and reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.
Once you’re ready to remove hair with an epilator, follow these steps:
- Hold the epilator at a 90-degree angle.
- Hold your skin taut. Move the epilator in the direction of hair growth.
- Slowly glide the epilator over your face to avoid breaking the hair. Don’t press it too hard against your skin.
The process can be painful, but going slow can reduce discomfort. If you have tenderness afterward, apply an ice cube to painful spots to reduce swelling and inflammation.
