Family Encyclopedia >> Beauty & Style

Face:7 tips to get rid of hair for good

The face has a shorter hair cycle than the body:about six months, compared to a year to a year and a half. Which is good news when considering permanent laser or permanent (electric) hair removal, because the treatment takes less time. On the other hand, if you want to use more “classic” methods, such as wax or tweezers, be careful! The face is an area where hair is largely hormone-dependent:this means that when you pull out a hair, you stimulate the entire area around it, even the down, which can then turn into intermediate hair...

The Frida Kahlo-style mono-brow

The hair under the magnifying glass. Eyebrows protect the gaze area (they block rain, sweat, etc.) and convey feelings such as anger or astonishment (situations where they are frowning). What puts us to shame? When you have a single eyebrow or if the hairs are located on the forehead, because those are useless!

Depilation operation. The whole area is “calm”, that is to say that it is not hormone-dependent. Concretely, this means that pulling out the hair does not stimulate it, so there is no risk of seeing more hair grow back. If you have little to remove, you can use tweezers. The laser is recommended if you have a lot, at the rate of six to seven sessions. Be careful not to tweeze the eyebrow too much because it quickly becomes thinner and, eventually, you can end up with sparse areas.

Werewolf cheeks

The hair under the magnifying glass. Originally, there is just down that protects the cheek. For aesthetic doctors, this is a “cursed” area:the high cheekbone is extremely stimulable. Thus, the torn down quickly becomes an intermediate hair, always thicker and more pigmented.

Depilation operation. Whatever the method used, we are sure to stimulate the hair (and therefore to make it thicker and blacker when it grows back). When it is in the down or intermediate stage, there is no question of depilating it. The best option is to use an eflornithine cream (on prescription), called Vaniqa:this molecule blocks the enzyme that activates testosterone, which actually slows down hair growth. It takes two months to see the first results, at the rate of two applications per day. But if the hair is at the terminal stage, the doctor may recommend laser sessions, then electric hair removal.

Elvis-style legs

The hair under the magnifying glass. Long and thin, they are hybrids:not really body hair or hair. And their color depends on that of the hair.

Depilation operation. The good news is that they are on a quiet zone, so waxing them does not stimulate them. With laser, the treatment is long because these hairs have a life cycle that lasts between two and six years. If we want to eliminate them permanently, it takes two years of treatment, at the rate of four or five laser sessions per year. But as always, the laser only works on well-pigmented hair:if it's blond, it's impossible. In this case, we are forced to choose electric hair removal.

The José Bové mustache

The hair under the magnifying glass. The down of the upper lip, which almost all women have, serves to protect the mouth. Almost invisible at the base, it progresses to the intermediate (even terminal) stage as hair removal with wax or tweezers progresses.

Depilation operation. As the area is relatively calm, the laser is recommended:in general, four sessions spaced three weeks apart on a terminal hair can eradicate it.

Hair protruding from the nose

The hair under the magnifying glass. Here are some that have a real role:the hairs on the inside of the nose are used to filter odors and dust. Except that... when they protrude from the nostril, it's not very pretty (hey no! it doesn't only happen to men!).

Depilation operation. No question of getting rid of all the hair, they are too useful. You can remove with forceps those that are at the edge of the nostrils, but it hurts. The best option:the trimmer (there are mini ones, special for the nose and ears, often in the men's department). And that's it!

Itchy cheeks


The hair under the magnifying glass. Also called the "mandibular line", the jaw area corresponds to the beard of the man. No doubt:she is very dependent on hormones, so easily stimulated. Very many women have hair (usually in the down stage) in this area.

Depilation operation. If it is down or even a few hairs in the middle phase, the doctor does not touch it and prescribes Vaniqa cream. If you have a lot of terminal hair, you can do three or four laser sessions, then electric hair removal sessions, the number of which is to be determined with the doctor depending on the hair growth.

Granny's goatee

The hair under the magnifying glass. Just like those of the jaw, the hairs of the chin correspond to the beard of the man. Please note:as long as you can, do not touch this hormone-dependent area.

Depilation operation. If we only have one down, we treat it with Vaniqa cream. Just a hair or two? They can possibly be removed with tweezers, provided that the area is cooled with an ice cube just before, to avoid stimulating it. If you have a lot of them, the best option is once again the laser, with fairly close sessions, the number of which varies depending on the person.

Thank you to Dr Catherine de Goursac, aesthetic doctor, author of T’as bonne mine ce matin! , Ed. Josette Lyon.