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We don't know who needs to hear this, but facial hair on women is *very* common — and completely natural. While some are unbothered by facial hair, others may choose to remove it. For those in the latter group, you'll be pleased to find that you have plenty of options regarding the best facial hair removers for women. Semi Permanent Hair Removal
Clinical facial hair removal procedures may be well worth a shot, assuming you do your research and select an experienced practitioner. But, of course, at-home facial hair removal is often cheaper and less time-consuming. Our top pick is the Finishing Touch Flawless Facial Hair Remover; it's a handheld, virtually pain-free electric razor that leaves no bumps or nicks behind.
Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, is a New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist and Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College. She notes that safety comes first when performing any at-home hair removal treatments and advises making yourself aware of any "risks and potential side effects [irritation, cuts, burns, or scarring] to these procedures, and to therefore exercise caution while performing them."
With so many different tools and methods to choose from, it can be tricky to find which works best based on your individual needs — and that's where this guide comes in handy. From shaving and dermaplaning to at-home laser hair removal devices and depilatory creams, here are the best facial hair removers for women, according to dermatologists.
Best overall: Finishing Touch Flawless Facial Hair Remover - See at Ulta
Best permanent hair removal: Tria Hair Removal Laser 4X - See at Amazon
Best epilator: Braun Silk-épil 9 9-890 - See at Amazon
Best dermaplaner: Versed Dermaplaning Tool - See at Amazon
Best depilatory cream: Nair Hair Remover Moisturizing Face Cream - See at Amazon
Best razor: Tweezerman Facial Razor - See at Amazon
Best hair removal spring: Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover - See at Amazon
Best tweezer: Revlon Expert Slant Tip Tweezer - See at Amazon
Best sugaring kit: Schick Hydro Silk Easy Control Sugar Wax Wand - See at Amazon
Best waxing kit: GiGi Mini Pro Hair Removal Waxing Kit - See at Amazon
This handy tool has received scores of five star ratings, is conveniently pocket sized, and virtually painless to use.
The One Finishing Touch Flawless Facial Hair Remover has over 131,000 Amazon ratings (including 92,000-plus five-star reviews), and for good reason. This small-but-mighty hair removal device is battery-powered and great for on-the-go use thanks to its compact size, making it the best facial hair remover for women we recommend. The Finishing Touch hair remover is perfect for removing peach fuzz and hair on the face, and the built-in LED light makes it even easier to spot stray hairs. Simply hold the device to your face, and press down in small, circular motions — et voilà, no more peach fuzz.
If you're ready to invest in high-tech, at-home laser hair removal, this is the best you can find for a forever-smooth feel.
If you're looking for a permanent hair removal solution on your search for the best facial hair removers for women, consider splurging on the Tria Hair Removal Laser 4X. Suitable for use on both the face and body, this at-home laser hair removal device utilizes diode lasers, the same technology used in dermatologist offices and clinics. The built-in LED screen makes it easy to keep track of the device's remaining battery life. Choose from five levels (one being the lowest and most painless, five being the highest and most painful).
Permanent hair removal devices are often on the pricier side, so with Black Friday coming up soon, it's the time to grab great deals while they're here. Check our guide to our top early Black Friday deals this week.
This epilator kit has everything you need to achieve smooth skin lasting up to 4 weeks.
Per Dr. Shirazi, the Braun Silk-épil 9 9-890 is both easy to use and clean — and it's suitable for wet or dry use on the face and body. She describes this epilator as "very effective at doing a thorough job of removing the maximum number of hairs with each pass." It's also cordless and waterproof. Finally, if you're worried about pain, you'll be relieved to find that this epilator comes with a massage cap to help reduce discomfort so that you have a gentle, comfortable hair removal experience.
Safely rid yourself of peach fuzz with this dermaplaner's ergonomically designed slip-free grip handle.
At-home dermaplaning for exfoliation has become increasingly popular in recent years. Those interested in dermaplaning ought to try out the Versed Dermaplaning Tool, which comes highly recommended by California-based board-certified dermatologist Azadeh Shirazi, MD. She praises the tool's "slip-free grip" and "single-edge high-performing blade," which is key when it comes to removing peach fuzz and dead skin cells. The result? A brighter, smoother complexion. While this dermaplaner is not exactly cheap, it is reusable; plus, it includes two blades.
This budget friendly almond oil-infused option is great for detailing facial hair around the mouth and chin.
Keep peach fuzz at bay by using a hair removal cream (also known as depilatory cream), like this one from Nair. Clocking in around $4 per two-ounce bottle, it features an ultra-moisturizing formula spiked with vitamin E-rich sweet almond oil. It's ideal for use on the upper lip, chin, and cheeks.
Get rid of dull, dead skin and unwanted hair, all with this one easy-to-use facial razor.
This Tweezerman Facial Razor features stainless steel blades that effectively slough off dull, dead skin — along with peach fuzz and thicker facial hair — all from the comfort of your bathroom. Per the brand, this razor is best used either 1) after you've washed and moisturized your face, or 2) with your face wash still on. From there, simply hold it at an angle and make short downward strokes while delicately applying light pressure. Then, rinse and sterilize the razor with an alcohol wipe to prevent bacteria from building up. Lastly, it's recommended that you change the blades every two to three months.
This inventive device grasps hair from the root and comes with a complimentary tweezerette.
Remove unwanted facial hair with ease using the Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover spring, which Dr. Shirazi describes as "a quick way to remove hair with minimal pain." As a bonus, this tool kit comes with a free Tweezerette (AKA small tweezers that are great for quick touch-ups).
These state-of-the-art stainless steel tweezers have a chiseled angular tip for accurate plucking.
The Revlon Expert Slant Tip Tweezer boasts a sturdy stainless steel construction that offers an easy, comfortable, and secure grip. Meanwhile, its slant-tip design is perfect for precisely plucking unwanted hairs away. With these super popular tweezers, you can add a permanent secret weapon to your hair removal arsenal for as low as $6.
This vegan formula is an alternative to waxing that's suitable for sensitive skin.
Sugaring is similar to waxing, as both hair removal processes involve applying sticky substances to the skin to remove unwanted hair. However, sugaring is one of the best facial hair removers for women because it is gentler on the skin. According to Dr. Murphy-Rose, sugar wax is "warmed by your own body heat, so the risk of burning is mitigated." The Schick Hydro Silk Sugar Wax Wand for Face + Brow makes at-home sugaring a breeze: The wand allows the wax to glide on smoothly, while the Precision Stick is great for targeting specific, small, and hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Meanwhile, the vegan and paraben-free wax warms up in a matter of minutes. It can be easily rinsed off with water should you make any mistakes (we've all been there!). This starter kit includes 20 reusable strips and four sachets of post-wax soothing serum.
The GiGi Mini Pro Waxing Kit is an easy-to-use, professional-grade, at-home waxing kit that works to help remove both coarse and fine hairs.
According to Dr. Shirazi, the GiGi Mini Pro Hair Removal Waxing Kit is one of the best facial hair removers for women when it comes to a more gentle wax. The all-in-one kit also offers excellent value: one kit includes a selection of cleansers, lotions, and gels for pre- and post-waxing — along with cloth strips in different sizes depending on what area(s) of the face you're working on.
Dr. Murphy-Rose tells Business Insider that finding the best hair facial hair removal device for you begins with considering several factors. First, consider "the anatomic site, your skin type and skin tone, your skin's sensitivity level, your comfort level, and experience with the hair removal modality," explains the dermatologist.
Take laser hair removal, for example. According to New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist Bradley Glodny MD, those with fair skin and dark hair are "the absolute best candidate for laser hair removal," which offers long-lasting results. On the other hand, "If you have white hair that is unwanted, laser hair removal will likely not be the best device for you," he explains.
Those looking for a quick, easy solution that's inexpensive and (virtually) pain-free may consider dermaplaning, depilatory cream, shaving, or tweezing (which is especially great for plucking stray hairs by the eyebrows, lips, or chin). Waxing is another great option, especially for those with sensitive skin prone to irritation from friction. What's more, compared to shaving, waxing offers longer-lasting results (more on that below!) since the hair is removed at the root.
Every dermatologist we spoke to agreed that laser removal lasts the longest."I consider this a permanent or semi-permanent removal of unwanted hair," says Dr. Goldny. "Results following 3 to 6 treatments can last years."
Another form of permanent hair removal is electrolysis. "For those who are not good candidates for laser hair removal [such as people with light hair], I generally recommend electrolysis," explains Dr. Goldny. "This treatment involves sending electric currents down the follicles, hair by hair." Compared to laser hair removal, electrolysis is a much slower process, and per Dr. Goldny, it may take "10-20 treatments for significant results."
According to Dr. Murphy-Rose, shaving and dermaplaning last the shortest "because the hairs are removed at the level of the skin's surface or just below it." Dr, Goldny echoes these sentiments, telling INSIDER, "Any hair removal treatment that breaks, cuts, or denatures the hair above the skin-hair border will not last as long as treatments which remove the hair at the level of the hair bulb or hair root."
"Any method that removes the hair at a deeper level will last longer because it will take longer for the hair to grow back," says Dr. Murphy-Rose. For this reason, she notes that "waxing, sugaring, tweezing, and epilating last longer than shaving."
Short answer: no, it's a myth. Removing your facial hair through whatever method you choose does not change the color, thickness, or rate of growth of the hair. What you may notice when shaving, for example, is the bluntness of the hair follicle after it has been cut in half. Therefore, the hair may feel slightly more prickly or stubbly as it begins to grow back in.
Laser Hair Removal Facial Hair You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@insider.com.