Health

How to get rid of female chin hair: All your options (and some natural ones too)

Jan 26, 2016

Female facial hair, especially on your chin, can make you feel very self conscious. You might be worried that because there’s a few hairs, you might get many more but in fact having a few stray hairs pop up on your chin is very common.

Up to 15 per cent of women experience hair growth on their chin, upper lip, or cheeks after menopause, according to the North American Menopause Society.

Changes in oestrogen and androgen levels during menopause are to blame for these changes in our body hair. There are a number of standard solutions for getting rid of unwanted chin hair:

Tweezing, bleaching and waxing

If you have only a couple of stray hairs, doing one of these three things can be just the ticket. The downside is they can be painful and temporary, plus you have to let the hair grow out between treatments, which can heighten the embarrassment. Waxing also can irritate the skin, particularly on your face. Creams can be better to remove hair but you do still need to wait a while between applications.

Shave it off

There are razors specifically made for shaving your face, and they are a quick way to get rid of a hair in a flash. The only problem is that it is a very temporary fix and you will need to constantly shave if you have multiple hairs.

Get a prescription

Aside from your HRT, you can ask your doctor for something that can help to act against the hormonal changes in your body. A topical cream such as eflornithine can slow the growth of facial hair but can take four to eight weeks to see results.

Laser treatment

By far the most effective treatment, laser hair removal damages the hair follicle to slow down hair growth. The problem is that if you have grey or light hairs, the treatments won’t be effective. Dark hairs on fair skin are optimal.

Electrolysis

This can be performed in beauty salons and involves inserting a needle into the hair follicle and passing an electric current through it to destroy the hair. It can be fairly uncomfortable and time-consuming but will work well on all types of hairs.

Every woman will approach thinning hair and facial hair differently. For some, it isn’t a big deal, but others feel very self conscious. Wherever you sit, know it’s a completely normal part of ageing and menopause, and talk to your doctor about your options if you’re concerned.

Natural treatments

There are a number of ways to eliminate chin hairs that don’t involve the above methods.

1. Sugar lemon mix

Exfoliate your face with this natural lightener and skin polish. These three ingredients combined will help effectively remove hair on your face.

Mix 2 tbsp sugar with 10 tbsp water in a bowl until dissolved, then add the lemon juice. Apply to your face in the direction of hair growth. Leave for 15-20 minutes then wash off.

2. Molasses wax

Mixing sugar with molasses is quite effective in removing unwanted hair and keeping it at bay.

Add one cup of sugar and a drizzle of molasses to a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for two to three minutes until dissolved then add half a lemon’s juice. Stir well and allow to cool. When warm, apply on face and place thin cloth or waxing strip over it. Press down and pull off.

3. Egg mask

Egg white is very easy to pull it off your face, along with the unwanted facial hair.

Combine one egg white, half a tbsp of cornflour and one tbsp of sugar in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Apply this as a face mask and allow it to dry on your face for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Peel off and repeat two to three times a week.

4. Banana and oat scrub

Banana is a natural ingredient that can be used to remove unwanted hair from the body when mixed with a roughening ingredient like oats so it can exfoliate your skin.

Mash up a banana into a paste then add two tsp of oats and mix well. Apply to your chin and rub in circular motion. Allow to sit on the area for 15-20 minutes and wash off. Repeat as necessary.

5. Gelatine peel-off mask

One of the easiest ways to get rid of unwanted facial hair is to use a gelatine face mask.

Add 2 tbsp milk, 1 tbsp gelatine and a drop of lime juice to a bowl and mix well. Microwave for 20 seconds and apply to your chin. Wait 5 minutes then remove!