Bleaching Facial Hair vs Removing Facial Hair

Bleaching facial hair is sometimes suggested as a alternative to waxing, shaving, or threading, but is it as effective? And is it always suitable?  

Bleach is suitable for fine, small areas of facial hair. If your hair is coarse, plentiful, or in an area you consider unsightly, you may wish to remove it instead.
Some people prefer to bleach instead of wax due to skin irritation or ingrown hair. Others choose to remove the hair as the results last longer.

Facial hair bleach lightens your facial hair. This makes the color of your facial hair appears as your facial skin color, which gives an illusion that the facial hair has disappeared.

So, bleaching only conceals the dark unwanted facial hair, it does not remove it.

Bleaching facial hair vs Removing facial hair

Bleaching facial hair will hide your unwanted dark facial hair. Facial hair removal methods like shaving, threading, waxing or tweezing will remove the facial hair. But, it can grow back after few days or weeks depending on the method.

To remove facial hair permanently, you should try either laser hair treatment or electrolysis method for facial hair removal.

Bleaching is a painless alternative to the facial hair removal methods. That said, bleaching facial hair is not appropriate for dark skin. Instead of hiding the hair, it can make it more obvious. Also, bleaching is less effective with thick hair.

The results of bleaching facial hair are not permanent. The dark hair that grows back may contrast with the lightened hair.

How bleaching facial hair works

Bleaching facial hair works by applying a bleaching substance to your face to hide the unwanted facial hair. It is a painless procedure. 

The bleaching substance is hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is also the active ingredient in commercial bleaching products.

Asides hydrogen peroxide, there are other ways to lighten your facial hair. These ways are natural, safe and effective.

Tips to apply hydrogen peroxide to lighten your facial hair

• Don’t mix peroxide with ammonia, it can damage your skin and hair follicles.
• Ensure to dilute the hydrogen peroxide with water to reduce its potency before applying it on your facial hair. We recommend 3% hydrogen peroxide.
• The areas you want to lighten should not be damaged or irritated. Peroxide will aggravate the issue.
• Before you apply the chemical on your face, first watch your face with pH neutral soap, to keep it free of other substances such as make-ups or creams.
• Patch it on your face and wait for 30 minutes to allow the chemical sit on your face.
• After applying it on your face, get some sunlight for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Rinse your face with cold water to wash off the remaining peroxide.
• Moisturize your face after applying the treatment
• Ensure to do a patch test to see how it reacts before applying it to other areas.
• If your skin is comfortable with the treatment, you can apply it weekly or every two to four weeks.
• Don’t expose your face to sunlight without sunscreen after the treatment. The chemical is sensitive to the sun.
• It must not come into contact with your eyes. If it happens, rinse well with lots of cold water. If the pain continues, seek medical attention immediately.
• If you are using a commercial product, follow the instructions on the label on how to use it.

If you find hydrogen peroxide harsh for your skin, you can consider these natural ways to lighten your facial hair. These home remedies are safe and effective.

Natural ways to lighten your facial hair

1. Apply Lemon juice to your face.
2. Apply a half cut tomato over the unwanted facial hair or mix a tomato paste with lemon juice.
3. Mash a papaya fruit, mix it with lemon juice and apply it on the affected areas

Though, these treatments are natural, they can cause skin irritation or allergies. So, first, do a patch test and wait for 24 hours before applying the treatment on other areas.

Bottom line

Bleaching facial hair is not the same as removing facial hair. Bleaching facial hair involves hiding unwanted facial hair and removing facial hair involves using facial removal methods such as tweezing, waxing, or threading to remove facial hair. However, not everyone is a good candidate for facial hair bleaching, but you can find a facial hair removal method that will be ideal for you.