Being in lockdown, we all are having to take our hair removal treatments into our own hands. If you are someone who usually pops off to your local beautician to get your facial hair removal sorted, I have come up with a few easy tips to guide you on your home hair removal way.
Below I outline some guidelines for plucking the brow and waxing or using a hair removal cream on the lip. If you normally get threaded (which I definitely recommend trying after this, even though it can be quite sore, it’s the gentlest on the skin by far) you’ll have to adapt a new method for the time being.
Now, there is nothing wrong with allowing your body and facial hair to grow out. I could have nearly plaited my underarm hair a couple of weeks ago, as by day 35 in isolation I just hadn’t got round to shaving it. I was too busy painting the house and clearing the garden. It was actually quite liberating, but not the prettiest of looks!
For all of these methods, remove makeup and start with a clean, dry face.
To remove your own facial hair, it’s best to have a magnifying mirror so you can clearly see when plucking or waxing your brows and upper lip. If not, just get right up close to the mirror in good light.
Eyebrows
If your brows just need a simple tidy up – which is all most brows need, less is more - then brush your brows up and over with either a dry toothbrush or a makeup brow brush, making sure the hairs are all smooth and in the same direction. Carefully tweezer underneath the brows and only tweezer a single hair at a time. Pull your brow up with your finger to tighten the skin and enable you to clearly see the stragglers. Any stray hairs in between your brows need to be removed too. Veet make Thin Brow Wax Strips, which work wonders on taming and shaping a thicker, fuller brow. However, if you are just starting off doing your own brows, plucking may be the best option for now.The upper lip
Hair removal cream
If you have thicker facial hair on your upper lip, hair removal cream can be a really good option. Firstly, when using any new product, always conduct a patch test a couple of days before you intend using it. There are lots of different brands available, Boots Smooth Care Hair Removal Cream for the Face (€4.99 for 40ml) is a good option, as it is for sensitive skin. Nair is also a very good brand. Whatever one you can find, the most important thing is to make sure the hair removal cream is made specifically for the face. Using the spatula provided, apply a thick, even layer that covers the hair. Wait for the exact time as specified on your cream’s box. Follow the instructions specifically for your cream. Once you have removed all the cream with the spatula, splash your face with lukewarm water and pat the skin dry. Your skin will feel a tad numb or tingly for up to a few hours after. Wax
Veet Easy Grip Face Wax Strips (€7.99 from Boots) are a good option if you want to wax your lip. First rub the strip between your hands. Wax each side of your lip with a separate strip, as the hair grows in different directions and wax must be applied with the hair and removed against the hair. Doing one half at a time, place the strip down, smoothing it in the same direction as the hair. Pulling your skin taut with one hand, use the other to remove the strip in one, fast, fluid movement. Repeat on the other side. Use baby oil to remove any excess wax. It’s best not to apply makeup until the next day after removing hair from your lip. After removing hair from the face, apply aloe vera gel to the area or a fragrance-free moisturiser. Some people are prone to spots on their lip after waxing, to avoid this use Savlon Antiseptic Cream for a couple of hours afterwards.
Being in lockdown, we all are having to take our hair removal treatments into our own hands. If you are someone who usually pops off to your local beautician to get your facial hair removal sorted, I have come up with a few easy tips to guide you on your home hair removal way.
Below I outline some guidelines for plucking the brow and waxing or using a hair removal cream on the lip. If you normally get threaded (which I definitely recommend trying after this, even though it can be quite sore, it’s the gentlest on the skin by far) you’ll have to adapt a new method for the time being.
Now, there is nothing wrong with allowing your body and facial hair to grow out. I could have nearly plaited my underarm hair a couple of weeks ago, as by day 35 in isolation I just hadn’t got round to shaving it. I was too busy painting the house and clearing the garden. It was actually quite liberating, but not the prettiest of looks!
For all of these methods, remove makeup and start with a clean, dry face.
To remove your own facial hair, it’s best to have a magnifying mirror so you can clearly see when plucking or waxing your brows and upper lip. If not, just get right up close to the mirror in good light.
Eyebrows
If your brows just need a simple tidy up – which is all most brows need, less is more - then brush your brows up and over with either a dry toothbrush or a makeup brow brush, making sure the hairs are all smooth and in the same direction. Carefully tweezer underneath the brows and only tweezer a single hair at a time. Pull your brow up with your finger to tighten the skin and enable you to clearly see the stragglers. Any stray hairs in between your brows need to be removed too. Veet make Thin Brow Wax Strips, which work wonders on taming and shaping a thicker, fuller brow. However, if you are just starting off doing your own brows, plucking may be the best option for now.The upper lip
Hair removal cream
If you have thicker facial hair on your upper lip, hair removal cream can be a really good option. Firstly, when using any new product, always conduct a patch test a couple of days before you intend using it. There are lots of different brands available, Boots Smooth Care Hair Removal Cream for the Face (€4.99 for 40ml) is a good option, as it is for sensitive skin. Nair is also a very good brand. Whatever one you can find, the most important thing is to make sure the hair removal cream is made specifically for the face. Using the spatula provided, apply a thick, even layer that covers the hair. Wait for the exact time as specified on your cream’s box. Follow the instructions specifically for your cream. Once you have removed all the cream with the spatula, splash your face with lukewarm water and pat the skin dry. Your skin will feel a tad numb or tingly for up to a few hours after. Wax
Veet Easy Grip Face Wax Strips (€7.99 from Boots) are a good option if you want to wax your lip. First rub the strip between your hands. Wax each side of your lip with a separate strip, as the hair grows in different directions and wax must be applied with the hair and removed against the hair. Doing one half at a time, place the strip down, smoothing it in the same direction as the hair. Pulling your skin taut with one hand, use the other to remove the strip in one, fast, fluid movement. Repeat on the other side. Use baby oil to remove any excess wax. It’s best not to apply makeup until the next day after removing hair from your lip. After removing hair from the face, apply aloe vera gel to the area or a fragrance-free moisturiser. Some people are prone to spots on their lip after waxing, to avoid this use Savlon Antiseptic Cream for a couple of hours afterwards.
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