Myth: Any skincare procedure you need must be done by a medical professional.
Truth: There are procedures that don’t need a medical professional.
As I was saying…
I talked about exfoliation and what you can do at home to get good results, even if they’re not as good as the results to be had from professional procedures. But there’s one other skincare procedure that can be done at home, and that’s hair removal.
From me, you get the truth.
I admit I’m not a fan of facial hair on men. It hides the face. But I understand that many men do grow their facial hair by choice. Many of them feel that it gives them a more grown-up look and makes them come off more authoritative and commands more respect. I won’t argue with either reason but I will tell you that you must keep your facial hair neat. Your mustache must not fall into your mouth and even if you want to wear a long beard, keep it shaped.
Having said all of that, facial hair is more of a masculine thing, which is why very few women want to keep their facial hair. Many women do have some form of facial hair whether it be peach fuzz (inconspicuous baby hairs) or more contrasting hairs. And most, if not all, women want that hair gone. Plus, there are the eyebrows. A neat, clean, shaped set of brows frames the face and showcases the eyes. While there’s nothing wrong with thick, full brows (if they flatter the face), there is something wrong with messy, overgrown brows. So hair removal is an issue there too.
The good news is that while there are professional procedures to remove hair from the face, there are also good options for doing it at home. Those options are inexpensive and not difficult. It’s a matter of what works best.
For upper lip and chin hair, it just depends on what works best for you.
If there are only a few hairs, you might want to just tweeze them. A really good pair of tweezers is useful to have, not expensive, and will last unless you lose them. But they do have to be good quality. Poor-quality tweezers won’t grab the hairs correctly and might leave you with ingrown hairs. But even with good tweezers and even with tricks to minimize the pain, it does hurt.
If there are a lot of hairs and you want them gone for a while, then waxing may be your best bet. There are at-home kits to be found and they’re not expensive. Be aware that if you’re using certain prescription face creams or potions, you may not be a good candidate for waxing. And honestly, waxing hurts. Some women prefer waxing simply because they can get the pain over with quickly.
If you’re not a good candidate for waxing or if you don’t like the pain involved, you might prefer a depilatory cream. Those are fast and easy and not expensive. They dissolve the hair and then rinse off with water. But they do sometimes have an unpleasant odor (that washes away) and they might irritate sensitive skin.
All of the above methods remove the hair from below the skin surface. That means that you need to exfoliate regularly to prevent ingrown hairs. You do need to exfoliate anyway so this is just a bonus.
If you don’t like the smell of depilatory creams or if your skin doesn’t like them, your best bet may be shaving. Regular razor blades can be found at drugstores and they’re not expensive. The blades are smooth and they get the hairs close. They also give a mild exfoliation. However, they can leave you with stubble, which makes your face feel scratchy. And if you’re not very careful, they can cut your skin.
Dermaplaning is a form of exfoliation that I mentioned. I do it at home once a week (I alternate with microdermabrasion) and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth. The bonus is that it removes unwanted facial hair. Just don’t get too close to the brows or your main hairline because you don’t want to use the blade to take off hair in those areas.
For the eyebrows, if you’re going to groom them at home, tweezers are the only way to go. You’re only trying to remove stray hairs and other hairs that throw off the shape and so you need the precision of tweezers. Before you tweeze, always brush your brows upward and trim any hairs that extend above the line. This prevents you from tweezing any needed hairs that are just overgrown. You can get a brush and brow scissors in drugstores and they’re not expensive.
If you want to have your brows waxed or threaded, you must have those done professionally. They’re not precise enough to do at home. I had a friend who would have her brows waxed because she would get the pain over with all at once. And she must have had a good brow specialist because her brow jobs were always good. Threading involves a strand of cotton thread that removes several hairs per swipe. Again, this is not precise enough to do at home.
Are professional hair removal procedures worth it? For many women they are. And I’m not arguing with that. But for those of us who don’t have the money or who just appreciate the convenience, the at-home procedures do work.
Whether you choose to remove hair at home or have it done professionally, remember that this is about looking and feeling your best. We all deserve that.
To be continued…
Meira E. Schneider-Atik is a wardrobe organizer, personal shopper, jewelry designer, and fashion writer/blogger and speaker. She helps women look great while saving time, effort, and money, all within tznius guidelines, and she’ll add to that with custom-designed jewelry. Read more about her ideas on her blog- www.truetzniutistruebeauty.wordpress.com. She also has a YouTube channel, “Look Your Best in Mitpachot,” where she does head-wrapping tutorials, and she is also available for private demonstrations. She can be reached at (718) 644-6135 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
