Excessive hair on the face can be an unpleasant condition, mostly to women but also to men. Unwanted hair on the facial areas are common on the chin, upper lip, cheeks, side burns and eyebrows. While there are several ways to remove the hair on the face, caution is needed, because the skin on the face can be sensitive and reactive. No matter what area of the face is considered for hair removal, it is always good to test a small area first, in order to see if there will be some sort of reaction. In fact, skin reactions on the face as a result of hair removal are not unusual, with redness and irritation being the most common.
While there are plenty of men who shave their faces frequently, shaving is not recommended when it comes to removing facial hair on a woman. This is mostly due to the widespread belief that shaving will make the hairs feel thicker and sharper, and that is definitely not desirable when it comes to the face. Waxing is a better method for removing hair on the face, but is painful and can easily lead to irritation, redness and pimples. On the other side, the skin will feel smooth after waxing and this feeling will remain for a couple of weeks. Plucking of facial hairs is often experienced as very time consuming and threading can be quite painful, and is easier to have done by someone else.
Electrolysis is the only method of hair removal that has been recognized as permanent, but can only be done in a professional salon. Electrolysis uses a handheld device which sends an electric current down the hair follicle. This electricity burns and disables the hair follicle so that it will have a hard time to grow back, and hopefully, not grow back at all. Electrolysis is known to be slow and painful, and many sessions will be needed in order to get it done, but for some people who have been dealing with unwanted facial hair for a long time, it is absolutely worth it.
Laser hair removal and IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) treatments are similar, but IPL does not use a laser and is more of a light based treatment. However, both operate by sending heat down the hair follicle which will burn and disable it, and make it unlikely to reappear. But because hair grows in three different stages and because some hairs can be stubborn and resistant to damage, several sessions, as well as occasional touch up treatments will probably be needed. Both options have pros and cons, and the only way to find out if they work is to try them out. The key to successful laser and IPL treatments is to find the best clinic in the area where one lives, as to make sure a professional and experienced practitioner will be performing the treatments.
