Female body does not look good with hair on body and face. However, they grow remarkably in some females. Know all the available hair removal treatment. Homemade remedies for facial hair and hair on other parts of the body are given. Try these facial and body hair removal tips that can be done at home using simple ingredients.

Hair Removal & Treatment

Women get concerned if they have unwanted excessive dark or dense hair growth (known as hirsutism) on their face or any other part of the body including facial hair and pubic and bikini hair. Both the men and women have the same number of hairs, but the men's hair are denser and darker due to the presence of male hormone testosterone in their body.

In women this may be caused by hormonal changes at puberty, pregnancy, irregular periods, menopause, stress, or it may be hereditary or a result of a drug. Sometimes it could be a side effect of a steroid cream or hormone pills taken to treat other conditions.

Facial & Body Hair Removal

The following can be used to remove your hair on face and body including underarms, legs, pubic, bikini area.

  1. Apply a mask of a paste made of sugar, lemon and water in the direction of hair growth. Rinse after 10-15 minutes. Apply twice a week.
  2. Apply a mask of a mixture of 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 4 teaspoons honey in the direction of hair growth. Rinse after 10-15 minutes. Apply twice a week.
  3. To turn hair golden brown, apply before bedtime a paste of 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice and ½ teaspoon sugar, 3-4 times a week for 2 months.
  4. Mix turmeric powder with milk and apply on the face. Scrub it off slowly moving your fingers in circular motion, and then wash with cold water.
  5. Blend one egg white with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of corn flour until it becomes a sticky paste. Apply the mixture to your face. When it dries gently peel it off. Repeat this 3-4 times a week.
  6. For Legs hair removal:Mix well ground white pepper with camphor and a few drops of kerosene. Apply on the legs and leave for a 10-15 minutes. The hair will fall off.
  7. Body hair removal: Body Sugaring

How to make Sugaring Solution at Home?

Take ¼ cup of water, 2 cup sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice in a pan and heat (or Microwave) on a medium heat until it bubbles up into a smooth consistency. Let the solution cool down to warm condition, a temperature you can touch it.
Application for Removing Hair:
Dust with some cornstarch or plain flour to absorb body oil. Spread a thin layer of the sugaring solution on your skin in the direction of the hair. Then press 1 to 1¼ inch wide cotton cloth strips, rub your hand on the strip and wait. When the solution cools down and hardens, pull the cloth away quickly in the opposite direction of your hair growth. It will be slight painful, but tolerable. Repeat it 2-3 times.
The unused solution can be stored in an airtight container which can be put in hot water to melt it when you want to use it next time.

Hair Removal on a Child

  1. Apply a besan (gram flour, chana flour) haldi - turmeric powder paste. Take 75% besan and 25% haldi. i.e. for 3 tsp of besan mix 1 tsp of haldi. Both the ingredients are available from Indian grocery stores.
    After sometime when it starts to dry, scrub it off gently. This would gradually reduce body hair over a period of time.
    It is not possible to give an exact time for hair to vanish. In some parts of India, this is done for about 1.5 months to new born babies on whole body and they are almost hairless.
  2. Massage the baby with almond oil or any other oil.
    (Note: You can use besanhaldi paste and oil or wheat flour and ghee paste massage for even a new born child for 2-3 months, every alternate day. If the baby has too much hair, they will vanish over a period of time.)

Other Solutions for Facial and Body Hair Treatment

  1. Waxing
    Waxing is the easiest and most convenient way for removing hair and can be done at home with ease. Waxing pulls the hair out from below the top layer of skin and leaves your skin smooth. In waxing, a thin layer of melted wax is applied to the skin in the direction of the hair growth. The wax is then pulled off quickly in the opposite direction of the hair growth, taking the hair with it.
    In the sugar form of waxing, sugar is used instead of wax to get rid of the hair from face and body. Sugaring is easier to apply and easier to cleanup the mess.
  2. Tweezing and threading are considered to be the safest method of removal of unwanted hair but these are extremely time-consuming. Tweeze eyebrows using a sharp, clean pair of tweezers. Place a warm damp cloth over the brows for 5-10 minutes before plucking to soften the area or tweeze immediately after shower.
  3. Bleaching:
    Bleaching is a good option if the hair is dark but not dense like those on the upper lip or other parts of the face, neck and arms. There are many options for facial bleach products at the drugstore or on the Internet.
    Mix six per cent hydrogen peroxide with household ammonia or ammonia water. For each 10 drops of ammonia mix 15 gram of peroxide apply immediately after mixing. Leave it for 20-30 minutes. If the result of first application is not satisfactory, repeat it the next day.
  4. Shaving
    Shaving is mostly used for legs and bikini line, but the hair grows back too fast after shaving. Also the skin becomes red after shaving or even red bumps can develop. You can use a shaving gel for sensitive skin and apply a solution containing 1 or 2 aspirins in 1/4 cup water with cotton. The anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin cures the redness or red bumps even when applied to the surface of skin.
    You should never shave on dry hair. Wet hair is soft and easier to cut. It is myth that shaving increases the rate of growth of hair. Note that shaving does not change the texture, color, rate of hair growth and hair density which depend on hormones.
  5. Depilatories
    Depilatories use calcium hydroxide and sodium or calcium thioglycolate which dissolve hair. But it involves severe irritation and/or burns to the skin and eyes for some people. Therefore, depilatories should never be used for eyebrows and on broken skin. First test the depilatory on your arm to check for allergic reactions. Hair comes back in a few days after application because depilatories remove the hair on the surface.
  6. Electrolysis
    Electrolysis use electric current to remove hair. Electrolysis is considered a permanent hair removal method because this technique destroys the hair follicle. The technique, however, needs repeats and thus costly.
    There are two types of electrolysis devices are in use: the needle epilator and the tweezers epilator. The major risks of using electrolysis include electrical shock, infection from a non-sterile needle and scarring caused by improper technique.
    Home electrolysis kits are also available. But because these use very low voltage, they are not very effective.
  7. Laser Hair Removal
    Laser hair removal is superior to other forms of hair removal but is not permanent and it can include skin discoloration (either darkening or lightening of skin), swelling, inflammation and infected hair follicles (Source: Journal of Dermatological Treatment, p72-83, April 2004).

Excessive Hair Remedy Method / Results / Cost
Shaving / 1-3 Days / Inexpensive
Sugaring / 2-5 Weeks / Moderate
Waxing / 3-6 Weeks / Inexpensive
Epilation / 2-6 Weeks / Cheap
Hair Inhibitors / Varies. Manufacturers say a short period, but in practice it is not so. / Inexpensive
Electrolysis / Permanent, treatment time is long. / Very Expensive
Laser Method / Not Permanent / Very Expensive