The Treatment Files

Beauty. Hair. Life.

How to blast facial hair for good (if you want to)

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Around 40% of British women have facial hair – that’s two out of every five of us (how’s that for a maths calculation?). If you’re among those that want to banish it, chances are you’ll be familiar with waxing, threading, shaving and bleaching (throwback to the ’90s).
We know that fighting the facial fuzz can sometimes feels like trying to defeat the Stormtroopers in the Galactic Empire…they just keep coming back, episode after episode. Happily, there’s a handful of more permanent ways to send it packing for good.
  • 1 Shock it with electrolysis

    Electrolysis works on fair hair and all skin types and it's one of the most effective ways to get rid of unwanted hair. That might just be because it uses electricity to kill off your hair matrix cells – permanently. If that conjures up memories of accidentally touching an electric fence on a country walk (hey, they're hard to see), don't worry – it's no way near as strong as that – and it's totally safe.

    Your technician pops a probe straight into each of your hair follicles (they won't pierce the skin) and blast them with a small current. It'll take a few sessions to get every last bit, as your hair doesn't grow all at the same time

  • 2 Zap it with lasers

    In keeping with the Star Wars theme here. Strictly speaking, the results of laser hair removal aren't permanent, but they do last for years and years. Most treatments work best on pale skin with dark hair (although some, like Nd:YAG and Alexandrite, are good for darker skin tones too).

    Here's the sciencey bit: lasers work by targeting the pigment in your hair follicles, heating them up and destroying them. The technician will pop it on one setting at a time so they can easily adjust the frequency to suit your hair colour.

  • 3 Light it up with IPL

    Intense pulsed light therapy, to give it its proper name, is similar to laser treatment. But instead of using one beam, it blasts a whole spectrum at your follicles. It's most effective if you've got dark hair and pale skin.

    A good technician will do a small patch test before getting started, and after a few sessions your face should be silky smooth.

    With Treatwell, you can book beauty online at all your favourite salons – simple, hassle-free, and you can do it on the go. Click here to discover amazing salons in your area.

Image credits: Shutterstock, @beautycarebyjas, @enchantedbeautybar_au, @patikartofficial