The 40s, 50s and 60s are great for some things and not so great for others. Do you agree? Unwanted hair is still an issue for some or it is a new menopause-induced nuisance for others. Some of you may have cruised through life with a normal amount of facial and body hair and are now suddenly facing the dreaded new menopause-induced hairs sprouting on your face. A lot of us have had a complicated relationship with body hair.
Moreover, just because you are in your 50s (or younger or older), does not mean you want to walk around with little hairs sprouting out of your face or other areas of your body. Am I right?!
If you are like me, hair is thinning in places we don’t want it to (scalp, eyebrows), disappearing in places we don’t necessarily mind (legs, arms, armpits), and growing in places I absolutely don’t want it to (chin, face).
I know everyone’s experience is different but this is how it went for me. Everything was fine during the younger years. I entered the “he/she” phase in puberty and that phase stuck around for a while. My cultural background and genes made this phase horrible and personally difficult to get through. Hair removal treatments were not really a thing so I had to just accept that I was a beast and deal with it!
Things improved a bit in my 20s, 30s and 40s as options to take care of the situation became more available and affordable. Problem is, these are the years when we educate ourselves, launch our careers and take care of children. Our bodies are not our first priority.
Fast forward to my 50s and the little buggers are surfacing again. I have hit pre-menopause and shudder to think what might happen when I am full swing menopausal. This time around, the hairs seems to be wiry and some of them are white hairs that really show on my skin tone. A quick look at women of similar age to me demonstrates that this is happening to many many of us when they are menopausal or are approaching menopause.
Let’s talk solutions! It’s not too late to take care of business! There are lots of options to consider and here are my experiences with some of them. Keep in mind that I am of South East Asian decent so my hair is – was – very thick.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is permanent, works on everyone and can be used to get rid of hormonal hair. This technique uses thin, tiny needles that penetrate hair follicles and emit electrical current to zap the hair follicles.
Electrolysis is a slow process (6-18 months depending on how much hair needs to be treated) as each hair is treated separately and sometimes the hair follicle lets out a side shoot in a couple of weeks. You have to go over the area repeatedly until the hairs thin out and eventually do not grow back. If you have a lot of unwanted hair and/or have low pain tolerance, this may not be for you.
Electrolysis great for the following people:
- You have nasty, thick white hairs which cannot be treated by laser treatments;
- You have moderate pain tolerance;
- You are patient and committed;
- Your unwanted hair does not cover a large area;
- You don’t mind if your skin becomes red, swollen and irritated for some time after treatment; and
- You have a budget for this treatment.
Laser Treatments
Let me start by saying – this works! The treatment works better if you have the dark hair, light skin combination but new machines have been working wonders for people with darker skin and dark hair. Blond and light red-haired people are not good candidates for laser treatments.
I have been told these treatments do not last forever especially during menopause when there is a hormonal shift in our bodies that causes hairs to once again make an appearance. I took my chances and am going on my 10th year after my last laser treatment. My daughter and I got some treatments done to our underarms and while it wasn’t perfect, it is much better than before the treatment. I can go days without shaving!
My daughter and I recently also invested in a home unit called the Rose Skin IPL. The acronym IPL stands for “intense pulse light”.
I would definitely endorse this product. It is affordable and not painful. You can use it in the comfort of your own home and treat any area of your body once or twice a week. Laser level settings allow you to control the amount you feel on your skin.
I used it for 20 weeks. I don’t have“before” and “after” pictures but imagine that skin with nasty black hairs growing in every which direction from using a depilatory for years. We love it and I really wish I had a photo to show you the shag I got rid of.
The process includes shaving the area, drying it and then using the unit to apply pulses of laser on the area you choose. I have kept it at the lowest setting so do not experience any pain at all. Since the unit is paid for, I don’t mind if my treatment lasts a couple of extra weeks. Just remember to wear sunglasses and do not look directly at the light generated by the laser.
Laser removal is great for the following people:
- You can tolerate a bit of pain (feels like small elastic bands being flicked on your skin);
- You are patient;
- The hair you want to remove is dark hair and you have light to dark skin;
- The area you need treated is large or small;
- You have a budget for this treatment (for in-salon treatment).
Plucking
This is the cheapest methods to remove unwanted hair. Hairs are individually plucked, usually from the eyebrow or chin areas. The more you pluck, the less painful it is.
Plucking is good in the following situations:
- You do not have much hair to pluck;
- You have decent far-sighted vision and can see you face clearly in a mirror;
- You are looking for a cost-effective and quick way to get rid of a few hairs.
Shaving
This is a tried, tested and true method to getting rid of hair on your legs or underarms. Some might shave in other areas but this is not advisable unless you don’t mind them coming in thicker. Warning, the hairs return quite quickly depending on their thickness. Not sure I would shave menopausal facial hair!
You probably shave if you:
- Want a quick and easy do-it-yourself way to eliminate hair;
- Do not want to spend a lot of money;
- Are willing to keep purchasing shavers and refills;
- Your hair is thin and does not grow back to quickly.
Waxing
Two types of wax is available for hair removal. Room temperature wax and wax that needs to be heated before it is applied on the skin. I am told that if you have patience to keep getting an area waxed, the hairs will become thinner and eventually not grow back.
I am not a big fan of waxing perhaps because I tried doing it myself. It is painful and messy and I simply do not have the patience for this technique. I tried waxing my eyebrows and was left feeling like my eyelid skin would eventually droop.
I would recommend going to someone who is specialized in wax treatments.
Waxing is good for people who:
- Have a high pain tolerance;
- Do not mind the mess;
- Have patience to wait for the hair to gradually thin out.
At-Home wax recipe:
This natural technique costs less than salon treatments and natural is always better!
Before you start, you need to grow your hair to at least ¼ inch for the hair to adhere to.
You will need:
1 cup of granulated sugar
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water
Mix all ingredients in a small pan and heat on low until the mixture becomes a waxy ball.
Remove from heat and let it cool until you can handle it safely and without pain. Spread the wax in the same direction of hair growth and cover with a piece of material.
Let it sit for a few seconds before pulling the fabric upwards while holding your skin taut.
Depilatory Cream
These creams work by dissolving hairs but only near the surface of the skin. If you can’t be bothered with the other treatments this might be for you. The creams formulations these days don’t smell as bad as they used to. Be sure to use the cream at the end of your shower as it will dissolve quicker. Also, be sure to buy a cream specifically for the face if that’s where you plan to use it. You face will thank you.
Do not leave it on longer than what is recommended on the package – you can burn your skin!
Depilatory creams may be for you if:
- Your hair is thin;
- You don’t mind the smell;
- You are looking for a pain-free method;
- You want smoother skin than what you get with razors;
- You don’t mind your hair growing back within a couple of days.
Bleaching
You are an excellent candidate for bleaching if you have light skin and light hair. I have seen women with dark hair use bleach and it does not look elegant on tanned or dark skin. Bleaching works by breaking down the hairs colour pigments (melanin). I have seen women use this technique on their upper lips, cheeks, arms and chests.
This stuff is strong and may make your eyes water. If left on for too long, it may irritate your skin.
Bleaching is for you if:
- You have light skin and light hair;
- Your hair is thin;
- You do not have too much hair to lighten.
- You are looking for an inexpensive treatment.
Threading
This is actually a very old technique used in some Asian countries. It has made an entry on the North American scene but I have not seen too many places that offer this service.
Thread is twisted and rolled over the hairs to pull them out. It is a bit painful and leaves the skin red and sensitive. The sensation is slightly more painful than plucking. You are at the mercy of the technician who is threading the hair and have to trust that they will thread as per your instructions. The person that did my eyebrows over-plucked and left me quite unhappy.
Like plucking, this technique is temporary. It pulls hair from the root so it lasts longer than using depilatory creams.
I would definitely not recommend trying this on your own unless you have a bit of training.
Threading may be for you if:
- You found waxing not precise enough;
- You are prone to ingrown hairs;
- You want a more natural technique (cotton thread is often used).
Natural at-home techniques
Here are a few natural ways known to remove hair.
To be frank, I have tried some of these and felt that my hair is too thick and would have to continue for who knows how long before I saw result. It’s possible that I just gave up too soon. I can tell you one thing for sure – they did wonders for my skin so that’s something. Why not give them a try – maybe they’ll work for you!
Turmeric Mask
Turmeric has been used to remove facial hair for a very long time in India. Hair will become less thick after using regularly for a couple of months.
You will need:
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp milk or yoghurt
½ tbsp. gram flour (chick pea flour)
Mix ingredients to make a thick paste. Rub paste on face and leave until dry. Rub the paste off and then wash face with lukewarm to cold water.
The lactic acid in the milk (yogurt) will nourish your skin.
Oats Mask
The texture of oats exfoliate skin as well as remove unwanted hair.
You will need:
½ tbsp ground oats (keep coarse)
1 tbsp honey
¼ ripe banana
6 drops of lemon juice
Mix ingredients and leave the mixture on face until dry. Warning: it’s not pretty! To remove, massage the mixture using a circular motion before rinsing with a washcloth.
Apply your favourite moisturizer when you are done to avoid drying out your skin.
Honey and Lemon Homemade Wax
You can replace waxing with this method. Honey is a moisturizer so this is great if you have dry skin.
You will need:
2 tbsp sugar and
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
Mix all ingredients and heat for about three minutes in a pan until you get a thin paste.
Let the paste cools down and spread in the direction of hair growth. Apply a waxing strip or a piece of cotton cloth to the wax, and pull the hair out in the opposite direction of growth.
Leave a Reply