7 handy facial hair removal tips for sensitive skin
Facial hair is an unsightly affair for women as much it is a thing of pride, swag & of course, the option to groom it into the most fantasized styles for a man. The eyebrows are the only bit of facial hair that we love to flaunt. And I guess, you don’t wait for that tiny millimeter of hair to start reappearing on your face unless you were working even on a weekend to find no time to hit the salon. There are others who are always asked if they’ve been unwell should their brows look stray, not been threaded since long. But, what if you have sensitive skin? So, do you dread facial hair removal every time you have to go for it?
Okay. So you think you have sensitive skin. Just like me. But, how do you know that you have sensitive skin?
Well, your skin is said to be sensitive if it turns red, patchy, dry, itchy or prone to immediate breakouts/acne after applying products which are meant for normal daily use. These products could be creams, gels, lotions, toners or any other skin applicant.
Facial hair removal may just mean another nightmarish session for you should you have such sensitive skin. But then how do you deal with it every time?
Sigh. I’ve been there too. I have sensitive skin that was really affected with acne until my later teenage. My skin has seen a gradation of types over time. That’s because during my early teens, it was extremely oily that would have even put the shine of a boiled egg to shame!
While it took me a lot of patience, emotional grit & finally a sustainable solution, here I am. Still protecting my skin for its sensitivity. Now that I’m in my late 20’s, my skin has seen a huge transformation from the oily to the most naturally dry one. I’m not really sure whether it’s with the age or the number of climatically different places I’ve changed over these years. Bangalore, where I currently stay, is a naturally less humid place with a lot of air pollution. Improper facial hair removal procedures at the salon still bother me, if I’m not careful enough with the tips I want to share with you today.
What happens with facial hair removal if yours is a sensitive skin type?
The facial hair that you want to get rid off are usually the strays around the eyebrows, upper lip & chin. Some may even prefer hair removal along the entire jawline, the sides, forehead. Or even the entire face if the hair growth is thicker than usual.
You could get off your facial hair with:
- Tweezing: This is something that you can do at home right in front of your dressing mirror. All you’d need is a pair of clean tweezers to pluck the hairs you want to remove. However, tweezing is recommended only around the brows. Because the procedure is a very lengthy one where you keep plucking hair one at a time. And honestly, it’s suitable, rather bearable only for the eyebrows. Tweezing removes the hair from within the skin.
- Threading: It’s the most IDEAL one so far, in my opinion. There’s pain; but very little for a short time, shape-precision (for the eyebrows) & is budget-friendly if you’ve got coarse hair. You may not have to visit the salon for a good 3-5 weeks depending on your hair growth. The redness or burning sensation is usually minimum for somebody with sensitive skin.
- Waxing: I’d say this is a rather risky ordeal & is totally unnecessary if you’ve got very little hair on your face. Waxing the eyebrows would be madness because that would also mean un-artistic looking shapes, a whole lot of pain, damaging heat & risks of ingrown hair. What’s worse about waxing facial hair is that it not only uproots the hairs, but also causes the smooth layer of the skin to erode, chap & get badly irritated.
- Shaving: One can say without doubts, that shaving is a very ineffective facial hair removal method. That’s because it doesn’t remove hair from the roots, can cause ingrown hair & the regrowing hair gets coarser & thicker than before.
- Epilatory/Hair removal creams: So if you have sensitive skin, you should NEVER go for hair removal creams on the face. Most of their ingredients tend to harm the skin more than some hair could, otherwise, make it look bad.
Hey, worry not. Here are some really effective tips for facial hair removal for sensitive skin that I personally recommend:
1. Rub Ice
Rubbing ice cubes immediately on the irritated threaded/waxed/tweezed area of the skin helps greatly in reducing the irritation & burning sensation upon hair removal. More significantly, it helps fasten the closing of pores that were opened during hair removal, hence reducing the chances of inflammation in the form of pimple breakouts/acne.
2. Use a Toner
Right after rubbing the ice cube over the affected skin, apply a few drops of a good toner using a clean cotton swab/ball. Choose a skin toner that contains salicylic acid as one of its constituents. Salicylic acid acts like a disinfectant & prevents skin pores from trapping dirt or germs when open. Therefore, toners help in developing zits & whiteheads soon after a facial hair removal session.
3. Use a Moisturizer
You often tend to assume that if you have dry skin, it’s less likely to have pimples or whiteheads, which usually result from an oily skin. But the fact is that dry skin is as prone to acne or breakouts as much as oily skin after a normal threading/waxing procedure. So, a regular moisturizing routine comes really handy during these days. A good moisturizer provides the most wanted suppleness to the affected skin, thus comforting it soon & preventing further dryness & itchiness.
My dermatologist always suggested alcohol-free moisturizers as they do not allow for skin dehydration at all. The one that I use is the Neutrogena Oil-Free Alcohol-Free moisturizer, which not only keeps the skin soft & smooth, but also prevents the “shiny, oily look” that happens with many other moisturizers I’ve tried before.
4. Don’t Touch, please!
Avoid touching the irritated threaded/waxed area for a while as any kind of germs/dirt from the hand may lead to unwanted inflammation.
5. No Bleach or Facial procedures
I personally do NOT agree to go for a bleach or facial procedure on the same day I get facial hair removal done. And if your skin is particularly affected with acne, you should NEVER go for these because bleaching & steam-massaging during a facial lets harmful chemicals & heat to enter the pores & damage the skin further with dryness or inflammation.
Remember, the skin on our face is much thinner & thus more prone to damage than the skin on the rest of our body. And if you’re still unsure whether yours is a sensitive skin type or not, go for a patch test at the salon/beauty parlor before opting for a beauty procedure. If there’s no adverse reaction to the thing, you probably don’t have a sensitive skin.
6. No Makeup
Do NOT apply any kind of makeup soon after or without following the above 5 steps. This would allow the grime or chemical-based makeup to enter & inflame the pores too.
Nonetheless, whether sensitive or not, I find the above tips really useful in keeping my facial skin safe.
7. Sandalwood + Turmeric
Sandalwood acts like a natural coolant & skin restorer as far as skin irritation is concerned. If you want, you can rub a paste of sandalwood paste mixed with home-ground or organic turmeric powder on the irritated/waxed/affected areas of your face. Turmeric is a natural antisepetic & it’s also potent enough to clear your infection & even dry a pimple out totally.
Whether for acne or facial hair removal, sandalwood & turmeric paste have been part of my skin care routine since a long time & I personally swear by its effectiveness, that no other cream/topic lotion in the market can guarantee you.
Plus, there are NO SIDE EFFECTS to this! 🙂
NOTE: However, I wouldn’t recommend ready made sandalwood powder or turmeric powder for making this paste. You’d never know if these contain elements that may not be skin friendly.
You can buy a great sandalwood bar here & to rub it on, you’d mostly require a coarse, stony slate. You can find it here.
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P.S.: I recommend only those products/services that I have personally used & can vouch for their authenticity.
Do you have tips for sensitive skin too? Oh, please share them in your comments.
That’s an interesting topic to write about and quite helpful as well. Are you doing beauty and health this Bar-A-Thon? I would be waiting to read more from you then.
Thank you, Sonia & I’m glad you found it helpful.
Umm. Well, I’ll be doing posts on HEALTH TIPS for this BAR-a-THON. They’d be useful & relevant to different people. I won’t disappoint you for sure!
Very helpful to me since my skin is also very sensitive. I usually do threading.
Interesting post. Once you get the hang of waxing it’s easy and relatively pain free.
Those were some useful tips. Facial hair is always a pain. I always need that ice rub after threading.
I haven’t ever gone in for facial hair removal..HAve been too scared to do that. And, now, in my forties, I just don’t bother! HEhehe..
But, if and when there’s an occasion when I feel the need, I bleach my face, which is quite a rarity!
How easy is hair removal made by these handy hair removal tips. I always prefer waxing for my hands and feet.
Can you believe I have tried every method or tool during this lockdown to get the salon like eyebrow, but nothing beats threading.
Very useful topic and great suggestions for girls who would like to take the proper step for facial hair removal…