Is it Bad to Shave Facial Hair for Women?

Elevated view of a razor

Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Excessive facial hair on women may be due to genetics, stress, excess weight or hormonal changes. Whatever the reason may be, unwanted facial hair can affect a woman’s self-esteem. Although men often shave to get rid of facial hair, this method of hair removal is not recommended for women. Fortunately, alternative solutions are available.

Appearance of New Hair

Shaving can give the appearance of thicker and darker new hair, which will become far more noticeable.

Sensitive Skin

Women generally have softer and more sensitive skin than men. Using a razor against the face can lead to redness and irritation.

Coarse Hair Growth

Similar to what occurs with men’s facial hair, continuing to shave can lead to coarse stubble, which leaves a more masculine look on a woman’s face.

Temporary Results

Although no permanent treatment is available for hair removal, shaving only provides results for a few days at most, whereas alternative methods can prolong new hair growth.

At-Home Hair Removal

Fortunately, many products are available for hair removal to be done at home. Such products include bleaching, tweezing, depilatories and waxing.

Professional Hair Removal

Threading has become quite popular, due to its low pain factor. Both electrolysis and laser treatment may be expensive; however, these techniques often lead to better results.