How to Remove a Widow's Peak Permanently

Electrolysis is the only way to permanently remove a widow's peak, which is a V-shaped hairline on your forehead. This professional hair removal procedure eliminates each hair along the widow's peak and halts regrowth. As the only FDA-approved way to permanently remove hair, electrolysis is the preferred method of reshaping your hairline.

Electrolysis Basics

During an electrolysis treatment, the technician uses a probe, or epilator, with a needle to target the hair follicle of each hair that creates your widow's peak. The probe sends an electric current into each hair follicle to destroy the hair bulb. Once that bulb is destroyed, no new hair can grow, and the existing hair is eliminated.

Duration and Number of Treatments

During your electrolysis consultation, your technician will develop a treatment plan based on the amount of hair on your widow's peak, hair type and skin type. Expect several treatments, ranging from two or three to more than a dozen, that take 15 minutes to 1 hour each. Your technician will establish a weekly or biweekly schedule for widow's peak removal based on your specific needs.

Nonpermanent Widow's Peak Removal

While electrolysis is the only permanent way to eliminate that widow's peak, a variety of treatments can temporarily eliminate those unwanted strands along your hairline.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is a temporary if you have the right coloring. In this procedure, a laser uses heat energy to destroy hair follicles along your hairline. However, the laser targets dark pigment, so if you have a blond, white or gray widow's peak, this method won't work well for you.

Waxing and Sugaring

Applying a layer of hard wax to your widow's peak and then removing the wax results in the removal of that unwanted hair. Likewise, a heated sugar mixture can be applied to your widow's peak and then removed to pull out the hair from the root.

Tweezing

A pair of tweezers is all you need to remove widow's peak hairs, but only one at a time. This method isn't permanent, but does allow you to quickly pull out those stray hairs along your hairline. If you have a thick or long widow's peak, tweezing may be too tedious -- not to mention painful -- of a process. But, for a few sparse hairs, this quick at-home remedy can effectively clean up your hairline.

Depilatories

Depilatory creams can be applied to your widow's peak to dissolve the hair on the surface of your skin. This hair removal option may be effective in temporarily removing your widow's peak, but you should always test the cream in an inconspicuous spot -- such as under your arm -- first to ensure your skin doesn't react poorly to the chemical solution.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when applying depilatory creams. Leaving the cream on your skin for too long can result in irritation or even burns.

Shaving

You can take a razor to your widow's peak, but the results don't last for long. Use a clean, sharp razor and shave your widow's peak when it is wet in the direction that the hairs lie. Drawbacks include stubble and potential razor burn, nicks or cuts from a shaving session gone wrong.