Facial hair removal is part of many people’s skincare routines, and it can some with some unwanted side effects, like redness, sensitivity and uncomfortable irritation.
If you have reactive or delicate skin, common skincare methods can disrupt the skin barrier, leaving your skin looking inflamed rather than being smooth. Here are some techniques for facial hair removal, that won’t give you redness or irritation.
Why Redness And Irritation Happen After Hair Removal
When you remove your facial hair, it disturbs your skin’s surface and hair follicles. which can cause immediate redness and short-term swelling, as the blood rushes to the area to start healing.
Different hair removal methods damage your skin in different ways. Shaving cuts hairs at the skin line, and can cause razor burn and ingrown hairs. Waxing and threading pulls the hairs from the follicle, often leaving tiny micro-tears and more pronounced redness.
Laser hair removal and strong chemical removal creams target follicles or skin proteins, which can cause even more irritation in sensitive skin.
The sensitivity of your skin and your pain tolerance affect how much of a skin reaction you’ll have. If you have naturally sensitive skin, you’ll see more redness and a longer recovery time.
Aftercare matters too. Gentle cleansing, cooling compresses and applying a soothing, non-comedogenic product reduces inflammation, and lowers the chance of infections or ingrown hairs.
Choosing The Right Method For Sensitive Skin
Always do a small patch of skin before trying any hair removal methods on your face, including hair removal creams, wax strips and at-home laser hair removal devices.
Tweezing, threading and sugaring (sugar paste) give you longer-lasting hair removal than shaving does, but it can still cause redness if your skin is reactive. Epilators and facial waxing removes hair from the root, but can irritate sensitive skin.
If you want a gentler, short-term option, use a clean facial razor or a hair removal cream labeled for sensitive skin. Choose products without strong fragrances or harsh chemicals, to reduce the risk of burning or rashes.
There are longer-term or more permanent hair removal options, you can consider laser hair removal and electrolysis.
How To Prep Your Skin Before Facial Hair Removal
If you have sensitive skin, choose gentler methods and skip using harsh products for a few days before doing any hair removal.
Wash your face with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser to remove oil and dirt, so your hair removal works better, lowering the risk of irritation.
Always do a patch test when trying a new product or method. Apply a small amount on a more inconspicuous area, and wait 24 to 48 hours to check if you get any redness or an allergic reaction.
Before you do your hair removal, exfoliate lightly 24 to 48 hours beforehand. The gentle exfoliation removes dead skin cells, and helps hairs to release. Avoid using strong scrubs right before you remove any hair, and stop using chemical exfoliants 48 to 72 hours before, to reduce sensitivity.
Avoid using retinoids and strong actives for several days being removing hair, as they can thin the skin causing an increase in redness after hair removal.
Benefits Of Using Dermaplaning For Smooth Results
Dermaplaning removes peach fuzz and dead skin cells to give you a smooth surface that makes your makeup applying so much better, and looks more even. I love dermaplaning for making my dry skin patches look a lot less noticeable.
You will also notice that your skin products also absorb better, as serums and moisturizers reach the top layers of your skin more easily, so the active ingredients work more effectively.
For dermaplaning, you can use at-home options like a DermaFlash or a dermaplane razor. Removing your vellus hair (the peach fuzz), won’t make it grow back thicker or darker.
The hair you remove is fine and soft, so the regrowth stays the same texture and color as before.
I love dermaplaning as it doesn’t give you any redness or irritation, and there’s no prep stages needed. It works well for my sensitive skin, and it gives you instant super smooth skin – perfect for when you want your makeup to look its best.