Should You Wax Your Chin or Use An Alternative Method?
Chin hair is also commonly removed by tweezing - the process is slower but allows more precision and minimal effect on hair regrowth.
Facial hair on women can be both hereditary and hormonal. This means that some of us are more likely to have to deal with it from puberty - if your mother has facial hair then you probably have it too.
This also means that some of us may not have to worry about it until one day, possibly after a hormonally-charged life event (pregnancy, menopause, illness), hairs start growing here and there. Or sometimes it just appears with no plausible explanation.
So what options are there? Should you just start waxing the hair and hope for the best? Or are there alternative, better options than waxing?
Can you actually stop the hair from ever coming back?
Waxing your chin – the pros and cons
The great thing about waxing is that, when it is done correctly, it pulls the hair out from the root and leaves you skin smooth and hair-free for up to a month.
While not entirely painless, it is a fast procedure and usually doesn’t leave any traces, apart from some slight redness for up to an hour or so after treatment.
It is important to exfoliate the area before waxing and to follow guidelines correctly to avoid the onset of ingrown hairs which can end up being quite unsightly and painful, and not something that you want to appear on your face.
This seems like an easy option, right? Especially if you already wax your eyebrows and upper lip and are happy with the results. The thing is, you may actually not receive the same results on your chin.
If you look closely your chin hair is probably pretty diverse in length and texture. Some hairs may be thicker and coarser while others are short and soft, down-like.
The importance of a good wax is that it pulls the hair out of the skin from the root and doesn’t break it. Breaking it doesn’t halt the growth and the hair will be back in the same spot within days, unless it decides to curl around and grow back into your skin.
Waxing isn’t very effective on hairs that are shorter than ¼ of an inch and can lead to the breaking of hairs. Also, if you are planning on trying a more permanent form of hair removal in the future there is the possibility that waxing actually strengthens the hair root and can make laser hair removal more difficult to accomplish.
This is why, before running straight to the wax option, it may be a good idea to look through the other available options and see if any suit you better.
Recommended Facial Wax Product
Dermatologist tested cold facial wax strips with essential oils and velvet rose scent.
$4.99
Tweezing
While time consuming and not the best option for removing a large amount of hair, this could be the best and cheapest option for you if you are just looking at remove one of two hairs here and there from time to time.
It is important to invest in a good pair of tweezers and to not rush the process so that you pull the hair from the root and don’t break it in half. This is only really an option on darker, thicker hairs that you can see – it won’t really work on lighter hairs as you risk just breaking them (unless you are a professional with a magnifying glass and a lot of experience).
Recommended Tweezer Products
Tweezerman Stainless Steel Tweezer
Stainless steel with enamel colour finish, guaranteed to grab the hair every time.
$21.01
Crave Naturals Precisio Tweezers
Highly accurate stainless steel tweezers with case.
$13.88
Shaving
While shaving the face is not really a recommended technique for women, it does work for some, especially when it is used as a touch up between more permanent treatments such as laser hair removal and/or electrolysis.
The good sides of shaving are that it’s a quick fix and you will have smooth skin right afterwards.
The cons are that it doesn’t really last and once you start you have to continue shaving, with the risk of ingrown hairs and razor burn on your face.
Once you stop you will have to deal with the appearance of stubble when the hair grows back due to how the hairs are sliced with the razor.
Recommended Razor Products
Panasonic ES2113PC Pivoting Facial Trimmer
This lightweight trimmer gently and painlessly trims unwanted delicate facial hair quickly and effectively.
$17.68
Gabriella Women's Facial Razor
Gabriella eyebrow razor removes the fine hairs of the eyebrow, neck and face as well as unnecessary hairs elsewhere.
$4.49
Bleaching
A great alternative to waxing and shaving is one that often falls by the wayside: facial hair bleach.
When used correctly it lightens darker hairs so that they blend in with the skin tone and are therefore less visible.
This is a good option for those who have fine hair in the first place and are not interested in full removal, or for those who just want the hair to be less visible.
Just make sure to follow the instructions and to not leave the cream on for longer than advised as it can leave the skin red and irritated (a tingling feel is normal, a burning sensation is not).
Recommended Tweezer Product
Sally Hansen Creme Hair Bleach For Face
Quickly and easily lightens dark, unwanted facial hair.
$8.50
Hair Removal Creams
It’s the same with body hairs, depilatory creams are the option that hovers between shaving and waxing.
Hair usually grows back within 3-5 days, and it’s a good option for those who don’t mind waiting the 5-10 minutes it takes to work. It may not be the best option for sensitive skin though, as it can leave the skin feeling raw and red, especially if left on for too long. This is not something you plan on doing right before a night out!
Recommended Depilatory Cream Product
Olay Smooth Finish Duo for Face
Quickly and easily lightens dark, unwanted facial hair.
$14.00
Laser and Electrolysis
All of the above are quick fixes and will not stop hair from growing back.
If you are interested in investing in a more permanent option then laser hair removal or electrolysis may be good choices for you.
It is important to keep in mind that hair in the facial area, and especially the chin, is mainly driven by hormones and hormonal fluctuations, so while laser may seem like a great option at first, and you may see great results after a few sessions, after a few months you may see hair growing “back” again.
This is not old hair growing back, but dormant follicles that have woken up. This is why electrolysis is really the best option for the chin area.
Each hair is treated one by one, and a talented electrologist will be able to target all types of hair types and colors and treat each one correctly.
While the treatment is slow and may end up being lengthy, it does have permanent results. If you consider that the price is about the same as a chin wax , the end result may seem all the more worth it.
Conclusion
While waxing is definitely an option for removing hair from the chin, it is a good idea to explore all options to see what works best for you.
Maybe that is tweezing, or it could be that you prefer to just go for a permanent option like electrolysis.
Whatever option you go for know that none of them makes hair grow back thicker or darker – only hormones will do that to you!
