Removing unwanted hair from sensitive facial skin can be a daunting task. Here we tell you about the nasty after-effects of facial fuzz elimination, best methods to combat irritability, and the most effective aftercare solutions to embrace.
Getting rid of unwanted facial hair is no fun, especially if you have super sensitive and acne-prone skin. No matter how much you try to be gentle with your face, you end up causing intense pain and discomfort.
The process involves a lot of pulling and tugging, which cause adverse effects to the skin and make it even more reactive. It can be frustrating to discover that you are upsetting your skin every time while battling the facial fuzz.
To break that vicious cycle, you have to start by figuring out how the procedure actually triggers your skin. Choosing the best possible alternatives to traditional hair removal methods will do the job without hurting your skin.
Also, do not forget about the right aftercare to enjoy a smooth, fuzz-free face. So, let’s get started.
How Does Facial Hair Removal Affect Sensitive Skin?
Beware of those gentle and soothing hair removal products that claim to be perfect for your skin. Even the most sensitive formula or method can also take a toll on your sensitive skin. So, before you believe them to be worth considering, check out all possible side effects.
Pain with Facial Hair Removal
Besides shaving and depilation, all other traditional methods of hair removal i.e. waxing, plucking, and tweezing, cause pain. They can even become more painful based on the sensitivity of your skin.
Suggested Article: 7 Helpful Hacks to Make Facial Waxing Less Painful.
Redness with Facial Hair Removal
Your skin may turn mild red or bright pink right after removing unwanted hair. It may also feel tender to touch. However, these are temporary and usually disappear by the next day.
Suggested Article: Skin Redness – 7 Reasons Your Skin Is Red And Sensitive And How To Fix It.
Irritation with Facial Hair Removal
If you already have irritable skin, the process of hair removal can irritate your tiny hair follicles even more. Furthermore, it can lead to a condition called ‘irritant folliculitis’. These small temporary bumps also subside within a few hours. folliculitis folliculitis
Rashes with Facial Hair Removal
Removal of fuzz can make sensitive skin itchy and lead to rashes that typically last for a couple of days. They can even spread and become severe when the skin is acne-prone.
Sun Sensitivity with Facial Hair Removal
Certain methods of hair removal can lift parts of the epidermis away along with those short fine hair strands. This makes sensitive skin more vulnerable to sunburns.
Allergic Reactions with Facial Hair Removal
Reactive skin may respond negatively to various ingredients that are used in commercial hair removal products. You may end up developing mild to severe allergies from exposure to them.
Bleeding with Facial Hair Removal
The fuzz removal session can damage the epidermis of the skin by eliminating some of its parts. This often leads to light bleeding, which actually increases the sensitivity of the skin.
Infection with Facial Hair Removal
The damaged area of your skin can develop an infection over time, which can cause swelling and oozing.
Scarring
While expecting a smooth and hair-free skin, you can actually pose yourself at risk of getting scars left by infections, sunburns, etc.
Suggested Article: Lighten Pitted Acne Scars and Body Blemishes with Natural Home Remedies.
How to Prep Your Sensitive Facial Skin for Hair Removal
Getting rid of unwanted hair from irritable facial skin should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision. Rather, you should prepare beforehand to enjoy a less-painful experience by escaping inflammation and minimising discomfort.
Just have these tricks up your sleeve for long-lasting smoothness:
Check Hair Length before Hair Removal
The length of the facial hair must not be too long nor too short.
Removing long hair may leave the sensitive skin irritated and flushed whilst getting rid of too short hair is a bit tricky. So, let your hair grow to the one-eighth of an inch before removing.
Exfoliate Lightly before Hair Removal
Gentle exfoliation is the key to a successful fuzz removal session. But it is important to do it at least one day in advance so that your skin does not turn any more sensitive.
Also, make sure that you don’t use any harsh exfoliators nor scrub vigorously. Just rub your damp face lightly with a washcloth and the dead cells from your skin’s surface will be sloughed off.
Moisturise Thoroughly before Hair Removal
If you want your sensitive face to look super smooth after hair removal, take moisturisation seriously. Load up on water and slather on moisturiser to keep yourself hydrated from both inside and outside.
Important: You must not moisturise the skin on the day of the hair removal.
Cleanse Properly before Hair Removal
Cleanse the face properly and pat it dry before doing away with the hair. Any acne-prone skin can turn even more sensitive when you try removing hair with your makeup on.
Use Talc Powder before Hair Removal
Applying a thin film of talcum powder to the area of hair removal can soothe it and make it less sensitive to the procedure.
Apply Mint Toothpaste before Hair Removal
Massage the sensitive facial skin with a small amount of mint toothpaste in order to cool it down and reduce sensitivity.
Stop Using Retin-A before Hair Removal
Give yourself a break from retinoids around 2-3 weeks prior to undergoing facial hair removal. Doing so will prevent them from sensitising the skin.
Best Methods for Hair Removal from a Sensitive Face
Unfortunately, there is no magic method to clean up your stubborn peach fuzz without causing aggravation to your sensitive skin. But we have the right choices for you (sans painful tweezes or razor bumps) that will be kinder to your sensitive skin.
Homemade Sugar Wax
Sugaring helps eradicate hair strands right from their roots with the help of an all-natural ‘wax’. This primarily contains sugar and lemon juice. More so, unlike regular waxing, this process involves minimal pain and irritation, which is great for skin sensitivity.
Natural Kitchen Ingredients
There are a handful of kitchen ingredients that can be used for preparing natural and gentle hair removing masks.
Choose from cornstarch-egg white, lemon-honey, oatmeal-banana, papaya-turmeric, turmeric-rose water, lentil-potato, lavender-tea tree oil, onion-basil, fenugreek-green gram powder, wheat bran-gram flour, oatmeal-orange peel, sugar-molasses, etc. based on your preference.
Suggested Article: Create An All-Natural Skincare Routine with Home Ingredients.
Brow Shaping Blade
An eyebrow-shaping blade is perfect for removing fine hair from other parts of the face too. It is absolutely pain-free and gives a smooth look with no redness or rash.
Suggested Article: How To Groom Each Eyebrow Type.
Depilatory Cream
Look for depilatory creams that are exclusively made for irritable skin to enjoy a virtually pain-free procedure. Just read the label carefully to pick the least irritating formula and make sure to follow the instructions given on the packaging.
Tip: Always perform a patch test before applying depilatory cream to sensitive facial skin.
Facial Buffer
If your sensitive skin is also quite acne-prone, try a facial buffer. This will exfoliate the skin while removing hair from it, thereby reducing breakouts to a large extent. All you need to do is gently massage the fuzz away with it.
Laser Hair Removal
Want to get rid of all hair removal consequences that are affecting your ultra-sensitive skin? Opt for laser hair removal that offers long-term results by disabling hair follicles permanently. As it almost has no interaction with the skin, you can stay away from redness, irritation, and pain.
Post Hair Removal Care for Sensitive Facial Skin
Prepping the sensitive skin ahead of time is crucial to cut down on irritation. However, post-hair removal bumps and pimples can spoil the hard work. Only proper aftercare can reduce the intensity of such issues or, better yet, prevent them completely.
Keep Your Skin Clean
Wash your facial skin with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water as soon as the hair is removed. Never ever use harsh soap or scrub for this purpose. Be careful to be extremely gentle throughout the process.
Cool and Soothe Your Skin
Wrap an ice cube in a clean washcloth and apply the cold compress to reduce pain and sensitivity right after fuzz removal. More so, rubbing some fresh aloe vera gel over the hair-free part of the face will also give you instant relief from irritation and redness. Other effective ingredients include chamomile oil, liquid witch hazel, etc. that come with natural soothing effects.
Tip: Do not get closer to extreme heat or hot elements just after hair removal as it makes the face more irritable.
Apply a Suitable Lotion
Hydrate the skin properly with a lotion or moisturising formula that suits extra-sensitive skin and makes it silky smooth. It should contain calming ingredients for healing the tender and swollen facial skin fast after hair removal.
Take Care with Natural Remedies
Application of certain ingredients can make the facial skin less sensitive. It may also help it look healthier naturally after a hair removal session. These include raw milk, coconut oil, banana, cucumber juice, lemon-honey, and vitamin E oil.
Suggested Article: Make Your Own Natural DIY Face Masks for Every Skin Type.
Provide Good Sun Protection
As the face remains ultra-sensitive after the removal of peach fuzz, protect it from the damaging UV rays of the sun. Choose an oil-free broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or greater. Also, avoid direct sunlight and limit long exposure to the sun to avert sunburns.
Suggested Article: How To Choose The Right Sun Protection For You.
If none of the methods works well for your sensitive facial skin, make sure to seek professional help for this purpose.
All in all? Be diligent and remember to gently exfoliate beforehand and use aloe vera to soothe the skin after.