Owner and founder of Body Sense Beauty, Kerry Douglas covers some very frequently considered concerns when it comes to hair removal options for teens…
In my opinion, every option can be tricky when it comes to teens, and this is always something I struggle with, because each treatment has its pros and cons! However, I’m going to share my opinion on the subject of facial hair…
Facial hair is often a sensitive topic; should it be left, should it be removed, should it be bleached? When is the right time to start, is it ever the right time to start?! The first thing I would say is, this is a very individual thing and there is no right or wrong answer. But one thing I can say for certain is that there needn’t be any fear when it comes to which treatment to go with… They are all perfectly safe, and no one treatment is necessarily better than the other.
Sadly for teens these days, they suffer so much more from hormonal side effects than generations previous. As young girls start to experience these hormonal changes in the body, these fluctuations can often present an increase in facial hair. This isn’t always a permanent problem; sometimes as hormones settle, the hair growth can often reduce. However, we often see softer hair starting to become courser or darker following frequent removal from the root. Removing a hair from the root causes trauma (that’s the technical term but it’s not as scary as it sounds I promise.) This trauma results in an increased blood supply, which in turn, can encourage a healthy, strong hair growth. Whilst the growth may not necessarily be made worse, it could be made permanent, which is not what you want to happen if it is indeed just a temporary period of hormonal hair growth that is occurring, so this is something to always be mindful of.
Hair removal cream used to be the age-old favourite to begin with; it always feels a little less aggressive and used to be seen as the ‘safer’ option for younger skin. However, notice how I mention that it is ‘age-old!’ Hair removal creams, even when used on adult skin, tend to cause sensitivity to the skin over time, though they can be a good suggestion for occasional use. They are best used for new, soft, downy hair that is only very slightly noticeable – not to be relied on for more frequent use or for coarser, darker hair.
Bleach is sometimes another option, but it can make the hair look slightly thicker, and even a little orange-y, so it’s not always the most ideal route to go down.
Both hair removal and hair lightening creams only work on the hair above the skin, so they don’t actually have any impact on blood supply or stimulation to the hair. Therefore, these may be considered a good starting point for softer hair.
Then, we have waxing and threading (I know, I know, a lot of options, but bear with me because hopefully by the end of this blog you’ll feel a little better equipped when it comes to making a decision!) So a big thing to consider is the fact that some hair can be hormonal and temporary just as hormones surge.
So… I’ve gone through the most popular options when it comes to treating teen facial hair, but after all that, which one would I professionally recommend? The answer is that generally, I tend to veer towards threading on teens, focusing more on the corners of the lip where the hair is often denser or darker, rather than removing every single hair be it with threading or with a wax. This goes for blonde and fine hair or dark and coarse hair. This method is not so harsh, yet still reduces the appearance of the hair itself. Waxing can still be an option, but young, delicate skin is often more sensitive to wax, and in teen years, exfoliating products are frequently used to keep acne at bay. These products only increase sensitivity, so it’s necessary to be extra cautious if this is the case. Factors like these lead me to recommend threading if we are dealing with hormonal hair.
The main thing that we like to focus on when it comes to hair removal treatments at Body Sense Beauty Salon, is making sure that we inform our clients as best we can, and that we encourage them to appreciate that facial hair is perfectly normal, nothing to be embarrassed by, and that we will always find the best solution for each individual!