Every woman wants her face to look beautiful, soft and smooth and without any facial hair. Growth of facial hairs is natural. However, when there is excess growth of hair on neck, chin, on the upper lips, cheeks or forehead, it causes embarrassment and it affects the confidence of the person. The reason for excess growth of facial hair includes changes in hormonal levels in the body, irregular menstrual cycle, some medications and due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. Though there are methods such as shaving, laser treatment and waxing available to remove facial hair, they may be painful, time consuming and may cause damage to the skin. The home remedies are the best method to remove facial hair as they are easily available and are without any side-effects. There are different methods for hair removal and the pros and cons of these methods are discussed below. This will give you the information why home remedies are a better option for facial and body hair removal.
The Various Methods of Hair Removal (Pros and Cons)
Waxing
Pros- This method can be done at home or from a beauty salon. It is easy an easy and inexpensive method. The person can remain hair- free for a long time as this method removes hair from its roots. There are latest waxing options such as chocolate and mango waxing, which are comparatively painless.
Cons- In most of the women, waxing cause skin allergies. They are prone to itching, redness of the skin, and acne or infection of the hair follicles. Moreover, when you do this process repeatedly, there are chances that your skin becomes loose and saggy.
Cons- In most of the women, waxing cause skin allergies. They are prone to itching, redness of the skin, and acne or infection of the hair follicles. Moreover, when you do this process repeatedly, there are chances that your skin becomes loose and saggy.
Razors
Pros- They are easy to use. They are a cheaper method for hair removal. There is no special skill required to use this.
Cons- If done incorrectly, it can cause injuries and in-growth of hair or pseudo folliculitis which may result in infections. You have to use this method at least once a week to keep your skin hair-free. In some people use of razor causes skin irritations.
Cons- If done incorrectly, it can cause injuries and in-growth of hair or pseudo folliculitis which may result in infections. You have to use this method at least once a week to keep your skin hair-free. In some people use of razor causes skin irritations.
Epilators
Pros- They offer least skin damage and are very easy to use. They are inexpensive.
Cons- This method is capable of removing only 88 % of hair and cannot remove very small hairs. Waxing provides 98 % success rate for hair removal. They are unable to remove hair from the root and hence faster re-growth occurs
Cons- This method is capable of removing only 88 % of hair and cannot remove very small hairs. Waxing provides 98 % success rate for hair removal. They are unable to remove hair from the root and hence faster re-growth occurs
Threading
Pros- This is one of the cheapest methods for facial hair removal
Cons- If not performed by experienced people, the process can be very painful. In most of the women the skin remains red for some time. The hair is not removed from the root and hence the hair grows back faster. You have to undergo threading every few days and this means you have to suffer pain every few days.
Cons- If not performed by experienced people, the process can be very painful. In most of the women the skin remains red for some time. The hair is not removed from the root and hence the hair grows back faster. You have to undergo threading every few days and this means you have to suffer pain every few days.
Bleaching
Pros- Camouflage the hair and make them less visible. You can make the hair color to match your skin tone and hence unnoticeable. You can do it by yourself and the effect stays for a few weeks.
Cons- This will not remove the hair completely. Exposing the skin to sunlight within one hour after bleaching can cause skin irritations. Bleaching is not solution for women with thick hair growth. Regular bleaching can cause skin damages due to the presence of chemicals in the bleach.
Cons- This will not remove the hair completely. Exposing the skin to sunlight within one hour after bleaching can cause skin irritations. Bleaching is not solution for women with thick hair growth. Regular bleaching can cause skin damages due to the presence of chemicals in the bleach.
Hair Removal Creams
Pros- It is possible to remove hair without professional help with this method and it is simple to use and inexpensive in the long run.
Cons- They work very superficially and hence the frequent application of the creams is necessary. You will need to spend time for hair removal more than once in a week. In some women, the chemicals used for hair removal causes skin irritation, darkening of the skin and allergies. This cannot be used for removing facial hairs.
Cons- They work very superficially and hence the frequent application of the creams is necessary. You will need to spend time for hair removal more than once in a week. In some women, the chemicals used for hair removal causes skin irritation, darkening of the skin and allergies. This cannot be used for removing facial hairs.
Laser Hair Removal
Pros – This is one of the safest and most effective methods for permanent removal of hairs from the body. This method doesn’t cause any infection or leave any marks. The results are long lasting.
Cons- Laser hair removal cannot be afforded by all as they are expensive. The procedure is painful and risky. People with tanned or dark skin are prone to burn by lasers. This is not an effective method for people with hormonal imbalances. You will require more than one sitting to remove the hair completely.
Cons- Laser hair removal cannot be afforded by all as they are expensive. The procedure is painful and risky. People with tanned or dark skin are prone to burn by lasers. This is not an effective method for people with hormonal imbalances. You will require more than one sitting to remove the hair completely.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Facial Hair
There are many natural ingredients available in your kitchen, which can be used for effective facial hair removal. Though it takes some time to show the effect of the treatment, they will not damage your skin and are cost effective. Here are some of the home remedies for removing facial hair
1. Gelatin Peel-off Mask
One of the easiest and the best remedies to pull off unwanted facial hair in an instant is to use gelatin face mask. This can be easily done at home. Though the gelatin face mask can be a bit messy and smelly too, the result that this face mask offers makes you feel that it is worth trying. You can add a few drops of lemon juice to suppress the smell of gelatin. You can try out a few essential oils as well. It is important for you to keep your eyes and eyebrows away from this face peel-off mask.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of gelatin (unflavored)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk
- Lime juice (3 to 4 drops) (or)
- Lavender essential oil about 1 to 2 drops
Method
- In a small bowl, add milk, unflavored gelatin and lime juice or lavender essential oil. Mix them well.
- Microwave this mixture for about 15 to 20 seconds.
- Apply it immediately on your face after you remove it from the microwave.
- Leave it to sit on your face for a few minutes.
- Gelatin sticks onto your face fast. You can apply it either on the areas where unwanted hair growth is visible or on your whole face.
- Never apply it very close to your eyes or eyebrows.
- You can remove the gelatin mask from your face after 5 minutes as it would have dried off completely by then.
- Peel it off completely. You will find that your wanted facial hair and blackheads peel off from your face and stick on to the dried mask.
2. Apricot and Honey Facial Scrub
Apricot is a fruit that is rich in vitamins and minerals and also has rich concentrations of lycopene. It is found to be very effective in removing facial hair. Apricot has to be mixed with another ingredient called honey to make an excellent facial scrub that will help in getting rid of unwanted hair on the face as well as to cleanse the face. Honey has the properties of making your skin soft.
Ingredients
- Half a cup of dried apricots
- One teaspoon of honey
Procedure
- Grind the dried apricot in a blender to make a coarse powder. Make sure that it is not too coarse.
- Add honey to this apricot powder and mix it well.
- Apply this mixture on your face and leave it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Now, start scrubbing the mixture in a circular motion gently and make sure that you keep on scrubbing for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Wash your face off with lukewarm water.
- Repeat this process two to three times a week for effective facial hair removal.
3. Wheatbran Scrubs
The remaining product after refining the wheat grain is the wheatbran. This bran is a very healthy product and will help in giving the body all the nutrients it needs. But, wheatbran is also very effective as a cosmetic product and is used in making many facial scrubs and masks. It is a very effective facial scrub that helped in removing unwanted hair as well as is effective on facial wrinkles. The following are the ways wheatbran will help to remove facial hair naturally.
Process 1:
Ingredients
- One to 3 tablespoons of wheatbran
- One teaspoon of rose water
- One tablespoon of milk
Procedure
- In a small bowl, mix wheatbran, milk and rosewater.
- Apply this coarse scrub on your face evenly.
- Leave it for a minute and then use your fingers to rub it gently on your skin in circular motion.
- Make sure that you keep on scrubbing till the wheatbran dries up.
- Leave it there on your face for a couple of minutes and then wash the face scrub off with water.
- Repeat this procedure daily for a week or two and then use this procedure two to three times a week.
- You will find that the scrub will help in reducing the growth of facial hair.
Process 2
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of wheatbran
- 1 tablespoon of gram flour
- 1 tablespoon of fresh milk or curd
- Quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder
Procedure
- In a small bowl, mix wheatbran, gram four, milk or curd and turmeric powder to make a paste.
- Apply this paste evenly on your face.
- Allow it to sit there for about 20 to 25 minutes or until it gets completely dry.
- Wet your fingers with water and rub them gently on your face in circular strokes.
- Scrub for about 3 to 5 minutes gently and then wash the facial scrub off.
- Repeat this process two to three times a week.
- This facial scrub will help to get rid of unwanted facial hair over time. It will also make your skin soft, smooth and look younger.
4. Lavender and Tea Tree Oil Mix For Removing Facial Hair Due to Hirsutism
There are many women who suffer from unwanted hair growth on their chin and breast. This mainly due to a condition called hirsutism, where hair develops on the androgen dependent areas of a woman. It is found that mixture of lavender and tea tree oil effectively helps in curing mild idiopathic hirsutism in women. This means that lavender and tea tree oils have anti-androgenic properties and hence when applied on the face can help in removing unwanted hair.
Process
- Mix one teaspoon of lavender oil with 4-6 drops of tea-tree oil
- Apply this mixture of oil on facial hair using a cotton ball
- Repeat this remedy 2-3 times a day for at least 3 months to remove the facial hair completely.
5. Orange and Lemon Peel Facial Mask
One of the very popular ingredients used by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for a variety of aliments is Orange peel. The orange oil that you get from orange peel is used in a wide variety of cosmetic products. It is a very popular ingredient that helps in cleansing the skin and gives it a toned look. The orange peel has higher concentrations of Vitamin C like the lemon juice and lemon peels. Both, orange peel and lemon peel are natural exfoliating agents that will help in easily getting rid of unwanted facial hair.
Ingredients
- One teaspoon of powdered orange peel
- One teaspoon of powdered lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon of ground almond
- 1 teaspoon of oatmeal
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- One teaspoon of rose water
Method
- Mix all the powder ingredients like oatmeal, dried orange and lemon peel powders and ground almond powder in a bowl.
- Now add required amount of olive oil and rose water and make it into a paste.
- Apply this paste on your face and leave it to sit for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Then use the tip of your fingers to gently rub the paste in circular strokes.
- Do this process for about 5 to 10 minutes and then wash it off with water.
- Repeat this procedure for two to three times in a week to see effective results.
6. Barley Scrubs
If you have stubborn facial hair, then barley is a very good scrub that you can use on your face to get rid of unwanted hair. Barley can also be taken internally and it will help in treating various skin and hair conditions. Barley will help in leaving your skin glowing and soft.
Ingredients
- One tablespoon of barley powder
- One tablespoon of lime juice
- One tablespoon of milk
Procedure
- Take a small bowl and add barley powder, milk and lemon juice in it. Mix these ingredients well to make a paste.
- Apply this paste on your face and leave it to sit for 30 minutes or so.
- Wash it off with lukewarm water and pat dry your face.
- Repeat this process for 3 to 4 times a day to see visible results.
7. Black Cohosh Herb
Black cohosh is a flowering plant that has phytoestrogen that will help in effectively slowing down the growth of unwanted hair. It is normally found in eastern North America. It has anti-androgenic effects and thereby will help in curing hirsutism. Nowadays, black cohosh extract is used mainly for gynecological problems and it helps in treating menopause symptoms and premenstrual stress. The extract is also available in capsule or tincture form. You can also use the black cohosh herb to prepare tea.
Ingredients
- 20 grams of black cohosh root (dried)
- 4 ¼ cups of water
- A teaspoon of honey (optional)
Method
- Take the water in a pan and add the dried black cohosh root in it.
- Bring this water to boil and then allow it to simmer for about half an hour.
- When the water reduces to 1/3rd of its original quantity, turn the fire off. Remove the water and strain it.
- Add honey if needed and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Drink a cup of this tea three times a day for a few weeks to see effective results.
- You can also store the tea in the fridge for about 2 days.
Precaution
If you are suffering from any liver disease or any kind of cancer or tumor, then it is better to avoid taking the black cohosh tea. It is also advised that you do not take higher dosages of this tea than recommended as it might lead to dizziness, nausea, headache and abdominal discomfort.
8. Fenugreek and Green Gram
Fenugreek is a very good medicinal herb that offers a lot of remedy top women related health issues. It is also very effective in treating hirsutism in which the body parts of the women get hair like men. You can soaked with fenugreek seeds in water overnight and the next day morning, you can drink it first up to enjoy all the health benefits offered by fenugreek. You can also use fenugreek as a facial-scrub mask to remove unwanted hair.
Ingredients
- One to two teaspoons of fenugreek seeds
- One to two teaspoons of green gram.
- Water
Procedure
- Take fenugreek seeds and green gram in a grinder and make it into a fine powder.
- Take this powder mixture in a bowl and add sufficient water to it so that it becomes a paste.
- Apply this paste on your face and let it sit on face till it completely dries out.
- Now use a soft, dry cloth and gently rub off the dried paste from your face to remove the unwanted facial hair.
9. Chasteberry
Chasteberry or Chaste tree is a flowering plant that has anti-androgenic properties that will help in treating hirsutism in women. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is mainly caused due to hirsutism and this can be cured by Chasteberry. When you take this Chasteberry extract internally, it will help in increasing the production of luteinizing hormone by acting on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland of women. This will result in the release of follicle stimulating hormone that will help in easily increasing the production of progesterone hormone. The Chasteberry will help in rightly balancing the required hormones needed by a woman. It will help in treating menstrual problems in women that are related to PCOS and thereby will also help in treating unwanted facial and body hairs.
How to Use?
Chasteberry extract is available in capsule as well as in tincture form. Taking the chase tree extract for 2 to 6 months every day will help in getting rid of unwanted hair from your face and body. You should only take about 175 grams of this extract daily and this is said to contain 0.6% of agusides. It is important for you to consult a Naturopathic doctor before taking this extract as it affects female hormone levels. It is advised that pregnant women, nursing mothers and people taking in antipsychotic drugs, consult a doctor before taking this extract.
10. Saw Palmetto Extract
Saw Palmetto extract is found to be very effective in treating women with hirsutism problems. It has anti-androgenic properties and will help in lowering the high levels of the male hormone called androgen seen in women. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is found in women with higher levels of androgen and this will result in hair growth in unwanted places like: upper lips, chin, breast and abdomen. This condition can easily be reduced by regular intake of saw palmetto extract.
How to Take?
Saw Palmetto extract must not be brewed as a tea and taken as the fatty acids of this herb will not be soluble in water. The capsule form of the extract can be taken by women suffering from hirsutism problems. This extract is derived from berries and is found to be rich in phytosterols and fatty acids. The recommended dosage level is 160 mg of saw palmetto twice a day. You will need to take this capsule for a long time in order to see effective results and to get rid of unwanted hair.
11. Turmeric
Turmeric can be used alone or in combination with other ingredients for hair removal. Turmeric has anti bacterial property and prevents skin infections. Here are different methods for using turmeric for hair removal.
Method 1 (Turmeric And Water)
Process
- Take two teaspoons of turmeric and mix it with water to make thin paste.
- Apply to the face and leave it on for about 10-15 minutes
- After the mixture dries, wipe it with a wet cloth to remove turmeric and excess hair
- Continue the remedy regularly for a few weeks to achieve full removal of unwanted facial hair.
Method 2 (Indian Nettle And Turmeric)
Indian nettle is a medicinal herb used in the treatment of asthma, pneumonia, bedsores, wounds, etc. it is also a good remedy for unwanted hair. When applied on the skin, the juice of the plant permeates the skin and causes thinning of facial hair. When used continuously for a period of time it prevents the growth of hair on the face. This works excellently for hair removal when used in combination with turmeric.
Process
- Take a handful of Indian nettle leaves and grind them to form a smooth paste.
- Grind fresh turmeric root to prepare 1 teaspoon of turmeric paste, or you can use 1 tsp turmeric powder, if fresh root is not available.
- Mix the turmeric paste with the nettle leaves paste and apply it on facial hairs that has to be removed
- Leave it on the face for 40-60 minutes. Let the paste dry and wash it off
- You can also apply this paste before going to bed and leave it overnight for better result. Wash the paste off in the morning.
- Repeat the remedy every day for at least two months to achieve complete facial hair removal.
Method 3 (Turmeric and Chick Pea Flour)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon chickpea flour
- 3 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh cream
Process
- Mix all the above given ingredients together to make a paste
- Apply this on face and massage for 10 minutes
- Leave it on the face for 20 minutes or till the paste dries
- Remove the paste after 20 minutes by rubbing it with palms in the opposite direction of hair growth.
- You can also use the mixture of besan or chickpea flour, turmeric and water in the same way.
12. Oat Meal Scrub
Oatmeal has a grainy texture which makes it a good exfoliating agent for facial skin. Though there are many commercially available scrubs, they may cause irritation of the sensitive skin. Oatmeal contains antioxidants belonging to the class avenathramide and hence is able to protect the skin from damages caused to the skin by the UV rays of the sun and reduces redness of the skin caused due to exposure to sun rays. When you use oatmeal with other natural ingredients as a scrub for hair removal, your skin becomes free of hair, smooth and hydrated. The ingredient like lemon juice causes thinning and bleaching of hair and honey acts a moisturizer and hydrates the skin.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Process
- Mix oatmeal, lemon juice and honey to get a paste
- Apply this paste on the face and leave it for 15-20 minutes
- After 20 minutes, rub the face gently in circular motion for about five minutes on the areas of hair growth against the direction of hair growth.
- Wash off the paste using warm water
- Repeat the remedy 2-3 times in a week till the hair is completely removed.
13. Potato, Honey Lentil And Lemon Juice Mask
Potato juice is a powerful hair remover when use in combination with lemon juice and honey, it makes the skin bright, smooth and moisturized. This is a popular method of hair removal from Ayurveda.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of peeled and sliced potatoes
- A cup of yellow lentils, soaked overnight in water
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
Process
- Extract the potato juice by pressing it on a sieve
- Make a paste of the lentils
- Now mix together lentil paste, potato juice, lemon juice and honey
- Apply this mixture on facial hair area
- Leave it on the face for 20-30 minutes
- Rub it on with your hands in the opposite direction of hair growth to remove hair.
14. Egg
Egg white is a very good ingredient that will help in removing your unwanted facial hair. This face pack of egg white and corn flour powder will be a bit painful as it will pull your facial hair off from your face.
Ingredients
- White portion of one egg
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of corn flour
Method
- Beat the egg white along with sugar and corn flour to make a smooth paste.
- Apply this paste on the portion of your face where there is unwanted hair or even apply it as a complete face mask over your face.
- Let it dry on your face. When the egg white dries, it will become a thin face mask covering your face.
- You need to pull the mask down with your hand firmly so that hair also gets pulled out.
15. Sugar
Sugar mixed with honey and fresh lemon juice can be used on your face to get rid of unwanted facial hair.
Ingredients
- One tablespoon of sugar
- One teaspoon of honey
- 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice or just a few drops
Procedure
- In a microwave vessel, take sugar and add honey and a few drops of lemon juice to it. Mix it well.
- Now heat the vessel in a microwave oven for 2 to 3 minutes to get the sugar melted and then mix well to make a paste.
- Allow it to cool down. When the paste is slightly warm, take it and apply it to the part of the face where you see unwanted hair growth.
- Cover the area with waxing strip or a strip of cloth and press it a bit.
- Now immediately pull the strip in the opposite direction to which your hair growing.
- You will see the hair plucked off from your face into the sugar solution mask.
The peel off mask and exfoliating scrub home remedies would help in removing unwanted hair from your face instantly. But, the other herbal remedies discussed above will take longer and even months to show positive results. It is important for you to select the right home remedy by understanding the underlying cause of unwanted hair growth on your face. You need to try many of these above mentioned remedies and see which one works for your skin perfectly.
