How To

How to Get Rid of Unwanted Hair

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(52 Ratings)

Sick to death of the mustache shadow under your ladylike nose? Want your legs to feel silky smooth for that special someone? You have plenty of options when it comes to hair removal. Follow these steps to get rid of unsightly hair.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  1. Step 1

    Consider bleaching. Although this does not get rid of unwanted hair, it does lighten hair to a soft blond hue, rendering mustaches almost invisible. Some women also bleach the hair on their arms.

  2. Step 2

    Try depilatories'cream-based products you apply on top of unwanted hair. Depilatories, popular for the bikini area, come with specific instructions for how long to leave the cream on. When you rinse away the depilatory, the unwanted hair should wash away with the cream. However, results vary widely.

  3. Step 3

    Use that old standby'shaving. It's fast and easy, but the hair grows back quickly. Women should never shave a mustache, as it will grow back stubbly and not soft.

  4. Step 4

    Consider plucking, which is effective for small patches of hair. Keep in mind that repeated tweezing of the same hairs over the years can damage the hair roots enough to result in permanent hair removal, so be careful when tweezing eyebrows'if styles change, you may not get your old brows back.

  5. Step 5

    Evaluate waxing'especially popular for eyebrows and the bikini area. A mixture of hot oil, rosin and paraffin is spread over unwanted hair. Once the wax cools, it's ripped off, along with the unwanted hairs. Though this method can be uncomfortable, the advantage is that the hair doesn't return for several weeks.

  6. Step 6

    Investigate sugaring, a technique devised by the ancient Egyptians that uses all-natural ingredients. A paste of sugar and water is applied over unwanted hair. When the sugar mix dries, it's yanked off, along with the hair. As with waxing, the advantage is that the hair doesn't return for several weeks; the discomfort is similar to that of pulling off a bandage with hair underneath.

  7. Step 7

    Look into electrolysis, which involves removal of each hair with an electric current and a fine needle. You must continue electrolysis for several months or even years to remove all unwanted hair, and the process can be quite painful.

  8. Step 8

    Investigate laser removal of unwanted hair. The light emitted from the laser vaporizes the pigment located in the hair follicles, destroying or disabling several hair follicles at a time. However, it may not result in permanent hair removal.

Tips & Warnings
  • Use sunscreen on skin you've treated with a depilatory cream.
  • Keep in mind that stubble cannot be waxed or sugared.
  • Never have electrolysis performed on unwanted hairs on your eyelids or inside your ears and nose.

Comments  

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sweetace said

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on 6/15/2009 there is a little spring-like gadget that removes hair on the upper lips easily. i have been using it for years, and it solves all my facial hair problems!!! it is absolutely cheap n very handy too.

bthurmn said

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on 4/3/2008 After threading facial hair or waxing, in between these methods I get a darkening in the areas where hair has been removed, a shadowy look. Looks like dark hair growth, but it's a dark discoloration...any advice?

angie26c said

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on 10/24/2007 If your desperate like me and have NOTHING to use, do what I do and use a bandage...cut it in half where the gauze part is and the place the strips on with the gauze part facing down, place the strip on an angle in direction of the hair growth, take your one hand and pull back the skin (hold your hand on your cheek and pull out and downward to make skin taut and use the gauze part as a gripper and rip it off quickly...It doesn't take ALL the hair away but it removes most....it could depend on the bandage how sticky it is...mine were cheap and I got satisfactory results.!!...Good luck and happy hair removing

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 1/25/2006 I've had threading done on my face for many years, and it's the best method of temporary hair removal that I know. It is more precise than tweezing, giving my eyebrows a perfect shape.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 When waxing, use a wider strip. The reason for this is because it covers more hair.

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