No woman likes to have hair on her face, especially dark hair as they are very prominent. Given below are various ways by which you can get rid of unwanted facial hair.

Threading and waxing
Threading and waxing are two most common terms associated with women’s beautification of herself. Both these two treatments are ways of getting rid of unwanted facial hair, either above the lip or in chin, near eyebrows or on the entire face. These days’ facial waxes have been introduced in markets to provide women with a much desired clean and smooth face.

Electrolysis is the only FDA and AMA approved method to get rid of facial hair permanently. During electrolysis, a small needle is inserted into the hair follicle and the growth center is wiped out chemically or thermally. It is vitally important to find a highly trained, recommended electrologist to get rid of your facial hair; lesser technicians with shoddy equipment will take your money without permanently getting rid of your facial hair. Also, don’t bother with a home electrolysis kit--it’s kind of like buying a home appendix removal kit. In the end, electrolysis is a highly effective, yet expensive, method to get rid of facial hair.

Laser hair removal is one the most effective and long-lasting methods for getting rid of facial hair. As with electrolysis, go to a professional that comes highly recommended and wouldn’t mind providing references . . . because they are going to be destroying your hair follicles with a laser. Because the procedure works through melanin (pigment), it is vastly more effective for light-skinned, dark-haired women. So, if you have dark skin or feel naked without your tan, laser hair removal probably isn’t for you. Be patient with this method--you’ll need to suffer a few sessions for results, and your hair may begin growing back and then wither.

A smooth upper lip

For mustache removal, waxing is often the method of choice. Big beauty salons often have a waxing section where technicians work on facial and leg hair, underarms and the bikini line. When you go in, the technician applies hot wax to an area of skin with a wooden spatula. After the wax hardens, the technician pulls it off. Waxing keeps the mustache area hair-free for about six weeks. The new hair that grows in is usually soft and silky. Some women find waxing painful, though. And it can irritate the tender skin above the lip.

Sugaring

Sugaring is similar to waxing without the tremendous pain, and it is a great way to get rid of facial hair. Sugaring is ages old, and many recipes abound online, or you can buy a cheap, environmentally friendly product from Moom. The sugaring concoction sticks to hair instead of skin, so the process is nothing like the scream-in-horror waxing of old. Sugaring should be done on dry, clean skin. Results should last for up to four weeks.

Bleaching

Bleaching does not actually remove the hair. It lightens the hair colour so it appears blonde or golden. Several highlights of hair bleach make it an appealing choice for some women - it is accessible, quick and, best of all, painless. All hair bleach kits come with two essential components: the actual hair bleach mixture, which is most often in cream form, and the activator mixture, which is always in powder form. Follow the instructions to obtain the proper proportion of bleach to activator.

Threading is a great way to shape eyebrows, but it is also effective at getting rid of facial hair. You’re probably not going to find a salon that does threading in small-town America, but this ancient hair removal technique is quickly spreading. With this method, two pieces of cotton are used to literally pluck the hair from the root. While it sounds similar to tweezing, it is much quicker and far less painful. Also, a skilled practitioner of threading will leave less chance of an ingrown hair or infection--especially if you utilize an antibacterial afterwards. Again, find an experienced practitioner; those who do it for a living are faster, kinder, and produce better results.

Along with trying out various cosmetic options from threading to waxing to bleaching, there are certain home made remedies to prevent excess growth of facial hair. The latter is usually a result of high testosterone in woman’s body and the level of this hormone can be naturally lowered through intake of spearmint tea. In addition, medical science has advanced far ahead and methods like laser therapy can also be leveraged for attainment of clean, clear, hair-less and a beautiful face.

Words of caution: Never combine the two until you are ready to begin bleaching; immediately discard any unused portions and never mix the two together in any kind of a metal bowl or container. Whatever bleach you get, be sure to do a patch test. Instructions for the patch test come with the kit. If no redness, irritation or eruption occurs, you can proceed with the full application.

To date, no evidence has been presented of harmful effects of bleaching to the skin. However, the bleaching agents that lighten the hair can also alter the pigment in the skin. This can result in a change to the skin texture, making it thicker, coarser and sometimes darker.

Prescription Treatments that Get Rid of Unwanted Facial Hair

Vaniqa (Eflonithine) is an FDA approved topical prescription medication that doesn’t get rid of facial hair, but it significantly slows down facial hair growth. Vaniqa inhibits hair growth by blocking an enzyme that fosters hair production. Vaniqa is best used in tandem with one of the facial hair removal methods above; it can greatly reduce the amount of times you’ll need to sugar, pluck, or drop cash on more expensive schemes. The results of Vaniqa vary greatly: for some it hardly works, while others report that their hair stopped growing after a number of months. Like nearly all hair removal methods, once you stop the treatment, your hair production will revert back to what it once was.

If facial hair growth is caused by an excess of male hormones (hirsutism) or a hormonal imbalance, oral contraceptives and antiandrogens may be prescribed. Hormonal problems such as hirsutism are more common than people think; up to 12% of all women experience the disorder at some point in their lives. Again, these prescriptions can and should be used alongside other hair removal methods for optimum results.

There are many options available to remove unwanted hair, but few options to get rid of hair permanently. The different methods of hair removal from the old stand-by, shaving, to the new treatments, lasers and Vaniqa, are discussed here. Each person should chose a method or combination of methods that works best for them depending on cost, time available, skin type, and the desired hair-free area.

Hair Growth
phase is the growth phase, the Understanding how hair grows helps us understand how to keep hair from growing. Each hair is contained in a pilosebaceous unit, which consists of a hair shaft, hair follicle, sebaceous gland, and erector pili muscle. Hair growth and shedding is a continuous cycle through 3 phases. The anagencatagen phase is a transitional state, and the telogen phase is the resting phase. Hairs spend a variable amount of time in each phase determined by genetics, hormones, and area of the body. Hair in the anagen phase is more susceptible to injury than hair in the telogen phase. All of these factors must be considered when choosing a method of hair removal.

Bleaching
Bleaching is actually not a hair removal method, but rather a way to make the hair less noticeable. This is especially useful for areas that already have thin but dark and therefore noticeable hair like the arms, face, or neck. Bleaching is performed by applying a chemical to the desired area, which removes the pigment from the hair.

Hair Removal with Shaving
Shaving is the most temporary method of hair removal because it merely cuts the hair off at the skin surface. Shaving does not make the hair shaft thicker, darker, or grow faster or slower. However, the short hair shaft may be more noticeable as it grows out because it has a blunt tip instead of the normal tapered tip.

Shaving should be done after applying some type of moisturizer to the skin to help the razor glide over the skin, not cut or scrape it. Common moisturizers include water, shaving cream, hair conditioner, or body wash.

Physical Hair Removal
Physically pulling the hair out of the follicle is a common and fairly inexpensive method of hair removal. None of these methods changes the color, texture, or density of the hair. The hair takes longer to grow back because it must grow to the surface of the skin before it is noticed. Because hair grows at different rates, some of the hair that has been physically removed may take more time to grow back in. Repeatedly pulling hair out of the follicle may damage the follicle enough over time to keep it from producing more hair.

Physical Hair Removal - Plucking
Plucking hair with tweezers is an effective way to remove hair but can be very time consuming. The hair shaft must be long enough to grasp with tweezers.

Physical Hair Removal - Waxing
Waxing is an effective method of removing large amounts of hair at one time. In this method wax is warmed to allow it to be spread easily over the skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax, which cools and firms up grasping the hair. The wax is then quickly pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth, pulling the hairs out of the follicles. Cold waxes are available usually attached to strips, which are patted onto the skin. Wax that is still left on the skin must be peeled or scratched off. Caution must be used when heating wax so as not to burn the skin.

Physical Hair Removal - Sugar Waxing
Sugar waxing is a popular form of hair removal that works in the same way traditional waxing does. A thick sugary substance similar to caramel is spread on the skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the caramel. A cloth or paper strip is patted onto the caramel and then pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth, pulling the hairs out of the follicles. The advantage of this method over traditional waxing is the clean up. The sugar substance is water-soluble and can be removed easier than wax by rinsing with water.

Hair Removal with Depilatories
Depilatories use a chemical called thioglycolate mixed with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide to literally melt the hair away. Thioglycolate disrupts disulfide bonds, which are chemical bonds that hold skin and hair cells together. The disulfide bonds that hold hair together contain more of the protein cystine than do the disulfide bonds that hold skin cells together. Thioglycolate is more effective on disulfide bonds that contain cystine. The major side effect of a depilatory is skin irritation because the chemical can melt away skin cells.

A depilatory is applied to the area with unwanted hair and left on for 3 to 15 minutes. During this time the chemical dissolves the hair and the resulting jelly-like substance is wiped or washed off after the appropriate time. The chemical should be tested first on a small skin area at least 48 hours before applying it to a large area. Applying a hydrocortisone cream after hair removal may help decrease irritation.

Hair Removal with Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the hair follicle and applying an electrical current to the follicle root. This procedure actually burns the hair root theoretically preventing it from producing more hair. Each hair follicle must be treated individually and may take several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is a permanent form of hair removal but it has several drawbacks. First, there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis so finding an experienced, effective technician is difficult requiring talking to clients who have experienced permanent results. Second, this method requires repeated treatments for up to 12 to 18 months. Hair follicles that are in the telogen phase are more difficult to destroy than hair follicles in the anagen phase. Shaving approximately 3 days before an electrolysis treatment ensures that the hairs that are visible are in the anagen phase. Finally, side effects can include pain, infection, keloid formation (for people who are susceptible), hyperpigmentation, or hypopigmentation.

Hair Removal with Laser
Laser treatment of various skin conditions has blossomed, as laser technology has become more understood. Hair removal is a common application of laser technology, but it is not permanent and not for everyone. Lasers work by emitting light at various wavelengths, energy output, and pulse widths. The wavelength used determines the skin structure it will affect such as veins, melanin, or water. Most lasers used for hair removal target melanin and are therefore designed to burn structures that contain melanin. The more melanin, the more damage. It makes sense that laser hair removal works best for light-skinned people with dark hair. As with electrolysis, hair follicles in the anagen phase are more easily destroyed than those in the telogen phase. Therefore, laser treatments for hair removal must be repeated. At this time it appears that laser treatment, while not causing permanent destruction of all hair follicles, does retard the regrowth of new hair.

Hair Removal with Vaniqa
Vaniqa is a prescription-only topical cream that has been FDA-approved for reducing and inhibiting the growth of unwanted facial hair. The active ingredient in Vaniqa is eflornithine hydrochloride, which has been used to treat African sleeping sickness and certain cancers. Vaniqa works by inhibiting an enzyme that is needed for cell reproduction and other cell functions necessary for hair growth. Vaniqa is applied twice a day to areas of unwanted facial hair. Noticeable results are usually observed after 4-8 weeks of therapy. Application must be continued for as long as inhibition of hair growth is desired. Vaniqa continues to reduce facial hair growth for up to 8 weeks after discontinuing treatment.

Facial hair can be very embarrassing, in case of women. If you are having unwanted facial hair, you may also be wondering on the best way to deal with it. Generally people go in for simplest methods like shaving and tweezing.

All lot of women use waxing treatment, this is done by applying hot or cold wax to the hairy spots and then using a tiny cloth pad the hair is pulled out in a jerk. This hurts a bit, and also the hair grows back. You have to get this done every four weeks or so, and is also expensive. Hair-removing chemicals, commonly known as depilatories, are available in various forms like cream, lotion, spray and gel. But these chemicals may cause irritation and it's better to keep away from them.

Here we are some effective treatments that help you in eliminating unwanted facial hair with minimal side effects.


Vaniqua:

This is a prescription skin cream that can reduce the rate of hair growth. But it can be applied only around your mouth and chin. Like depilatories, it can irritate your skin. This hair-removal method can cause ingrown hairs that can be unsightly, and harmless.

Electrolysis:

It is a more expensive and often extensive treatment. In this method, a tiny metal probe will be put into each hair follicle. Then the hair base will be destroyed by delivering an electric current. This treatment has to be repeated many times. But the hair loss will be permanent. It can be painful and may also cause scarring. There are also electronic tweezers available in the market. But they can not be effective and cannot permanently remove hair.

Lazer Treatment:

It is also an expensive and often extensive treatment. It is a surgical technique. This should be done by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. You can get this treatment done in a salon with the help of a supervising physician. This process generally requires multiple treatments and hair loss also may not be permanent. You can expect only hair reduction and not complete hair elimination. You may have to make return visits to the salon. So plan your budget well before going for laser treatment. It works best for light-skinned and dark hair. But it is not effective for removing blond or gray hair.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Some women get unwanted facial hair on the face, usually on the upper lip and chin, for many reasons like hormonal changes during menopause, genetics and side effects of some medications. Simple and non-surgical methods like tweezing, waxing and depilatories are the simple and best choices. If you can not notice enough difference, consult a dermatologist or a qualified physician for getting electrolysis or laser treatment.