Hair removal on the face is delicate because the skin is more sensitive than the rest of the body. What are the gestures to adopt to obtain dream results? Here are all the tips you need to know!
Whether it is to define the brow line or to remove some small, unsightly hairs from the upper lip, facial hair removal is sometimes necessary when the skin is particularly delicate.
Shaving? With wax? With an electric epilator? Or laser or pulsed light? There are many different methods of removing facial hair depending on the area. But what techniques should you adopt? What are the appropriate beauty gestures? Pauline Grimpard, Acorelle Product Manager , gave us all her tips for perfect facial hair removal.
Table of Contents
Can we shave our face?
If hair removal is preferable to shaving for the body, it is also preferable for the face. Shaving does not remove the roots of the hairs, but cutting them leaves this unpleasant prickly effect on the skin. Using a razor on the face also removes fine and very light hair that will inevitably turn black and thick when it grows back.
Also, shaving tends to irritate sensitive skin. Therefore, shaving is reserved for laser or pulsed light hair removal only, so that hair is more visible and easier to remove during different sessions.“The problem with shaving is that it will not remove the small hairs that bother us, but it will remove much more hair, which will extend the area to be waxed and will promote even more hair on the face as the hair is removed ,” he explains. Pauline Grimpard.
How to prepare the skin for waxing?
Facial skin is particularly sensitive. So to prepare it as best as possible, we use a gentle scrub with pimples or enzymes, which you can apply once a week. Exfoliating the face removes dead skin and prevents the appearance of hairs under the skin or possible scars.
Then it allows the hair to be removed into clean, healthy skin for optimal results, while reducing the risk of skin reactions. This exfoliation is done the day before waxing so as not to damage the skin too much. “My little trick before waxing is to anesthetize the area to be waxed by passing a glove of cold water over it, as this cleanses the skin and provides an anesthetic and cooling effect on the skin.”, Advises Pauline Grimpard.
Careful, if the skin of the face is irritated, the hair removal is postponed. Rather, it could cause severe skin reactions.
Wax or tweezers for facial hair removal?
Wax and tweezers remove hair by the roots. They are complementary for a perfect hair removal of the face. The tweezers allow a more precise hair removal , hair by hair, without going beyond the area of the face to be removed, especially the hair. Waxing, on the other hand, allows you to wax larger areas, but can remove more hair than expected. “The downside of tweezers is that they will tend to pluck more regularly, as regrowth will not occur in a single phase. By removing a hair here, a hair there, they will not grow back at the same time. Therefore, we will tend to use the tweezers more often, and we will find ourselves every day tracing the slightest hair, which can create pimples or skin irritations. ”says Pauline Grimpard. Not to mention that it can scratch in the obsession.
It is therefore recommended to use a wax, preferably cold, to remove most of the facial hair, and then remove the most resistant with tweezers. Cold wax does not require much technique It’s easier to use and less irritating than hot wax. Plus, it limits the risk of burns. “For someone who has never waxed before, I don’t recommend hot wax, especially sugar wax, to be used instead. for large areas such as the legs. Hot wax is trickier to use in small areas. If you really want to use hot wax, I recommend a peelable wax without bands, which allows you to draw thin bands, easier to tear off. ”, says Pauline Grimpard, adding that it may be a good idea to go to a beauty salon to have a professional teach us the correct gestures.
For a perfect removal of hair from different areas of the face, first, you have to heat both Wax bands between your hands. Then they are separated and applied to the area you want to depilate, smoothing it in the direction of hair growth. Finally, remove them with a dry blow in the opposite direction of hair growth. And voila! !
How to take care of the skin of the face after waxing?
It is important to take good care of your facial skin after waxing. Do not forget to hydrate and soften the skin with proper care. “I recommend using aloe vera gel with its cooling, soothing and healing properties, which prevents skin reactions such as redness and irritation. You can also use a soothing vegetable oil that, in addition to soothing the skin, removes any wax residue cold that may be on the chin, upper lips or eyebrows. “ says Pauline Grimpard. The best? Sweet almond, pomegranate, camelina … the choice is endless.
After waxing, it is advisable to wait at least 24 hours before exposing to the sun. The skin can become irritated and UV rays can promote skin reactions. After this one-day period, a sunscreen with SPF 30-50 is still applied to the skin, depending on the skin type.
What are the alternatives to wax?
There are several alternatives to wax, including floss, which is often used for eyebrows, but can also be used on other areas of the face, such as the upper part of the lips and chin.
Threading is particularly precise, as each hair is individually removed at the root. This method is recommended for people with a lot of hair and who want to remove them for several weeks.
You can opt for the electric hair removal method. These razors are available for the face, smaller than those for the body, to allow for more precise hair removal.
You can also use IPL or laser hair removal. However, be careful with the eyebrow area, as it could damage the retina. It is also avoided to pass the razor over the lower part to avoid the risk of burns and increase the risk of paradoxical regrowth (regrowth of hair in greater quantity).
The laser is the method that guarantees the longest lasting result. It is preferred to perform the hair removal sessions with laser or pulsed light in a qualified professional to obtain a better result and without running any risk. The price of laser or pulsed light hair removal is about 40 euros on average per facial area and per session.
There is also a depilatory cream specially designed for the face, whose alkaline active ingredients destroy hair at the root. Before using this technique, it is important to check the composition of the product. “Une The depilatory cream cannot be organic, since the active ingredient that allows the oxidation of the hair is not natural. However, there are active ingredients that must be taken care of trying to find as many natural ingredients as possible in the depilatory cream and check that there is no mineral oil or paraffin. ”, warns Pauline Grimpard, adding that the depilatory cream gives results identical to those of a razor . The growth will be much faster than with wax, although the hair will grow back a little finer after shaving.
Lastly, whitening cream is a very good alternative to removalof hair, especially if the face does not have thick black hair. Again, it is important to choose a whitening cream that is as natural as possible.
How to avoid ingrown hairs?
Cystic hairs can form on both the body and the face. To avoid them, the best way is to exfoliate the skin once a week. It should be smooth, with small grains, so as not to attack particularly sensitive facial skin. Chemical
exfoliants such as fruit acid micro-peels can be used to gently and deeply exfoliate the skin. This solution will prepare the facial skin for hair removal. If an ingrown hair has formed, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) will help remove the layer of skin that has formed over the hair. Be careful, however, exfoliation is not recommended for reactive skin, sensitive skin, or irritated skin.
A konjac sponge can also be used to gently exfoliate the skin on a daily basis. Eliminate dead skin while regenerating cells, cleaning pores and stimulating blood circulation.
If an ingrown hair has formed , don’t overdo it. “If you can’t remove a hair, don’t persevere over and over again, as this can lead to irritation. It’s best to stop and apply a soothing cream or aloe vera,” advises Pauline Grimpard.
If the hair is really annoying, the tools that you are going to use to remove the hair should be well disinfected with an alcoholic solution. Once the hair has been removed, the facial area is well disinfected so as not to aggravate the irritation.
How can I slow down hair growth?
Above all, it is important to prefer waxing to shaving and waxing so that all hairs grow back at the same time. Overuse of the tweezers can promote hair growth and potentially lead to more hair appearing on the face.
It is also possible to use special anti-hair growth products, concentrated in active ingredients that act directly on the factors involved in the hair growth process. Known for its action on hair growth, organic walnut oil, as well as wax tree extract and organic black truffle extract, help slow down the growth of facial hair. The hairs are then finer and less numerous. To obtain good results, the secret is in the regularity of the application of the treatment.
