Although many women have thin hair, it is thin, fine and light vellus hair, which does not harm women's self-confidence. However, some have thick, dark and long hair on their chin. This can be few or many and indicates an adrenal gland disorder such as Cushing's syndrome or a hormonal disorder such as PCOS .
Women remove these unwanted hairs using different methods such as shaving, plucking, waxing and laser hair removal. Here we want to talk about chin hair plucking in particular because it has been the most popular method of chin hair removal among women for centuries. We also want to compare it with other chin hair removal methods to find out if it deserves its place in your life.
Table of contents:
- Part 1: What is chin hair plucking?
- Part 2: Step-by-step instructions for plucking chin hair
- Part 3: Is it bad to pluck chin hair?
- Part 4: How to get rid of dark spots on chin caused by plucking hair?
- Part 5: How to treat scars from plucking chin hair?
- Part 6: Alternative methods for plucking chin hair
- Part 7: More FAQs about plucking chin hair
- Part 8: Conclusion
What is chin hair plucking?
Chin hair is the fully grown hair just below your chin. There may be a single hair breaking out in this area, or there may be several scattered strands of hair. Plucking is the most commonly used method of removing chin hair because it allows a few strands of hair to be removed immediately and precisely.
Plucking involves holding the hair with tweezers and then removing it from the root with a single strong tug. If done correctly, the strand of hair is removed and the results last for a while. However, the method can also cause the hair to break off halfway through and stimulate the regrowth of chin hair with blunt ends.
Step-by-step instructions for plucking chin hair
Here we have a step-by-step guide to remove chin hair by plucking to reduce the intensity of the negative effects of plucking.
Step 1: Preparing the skin
To prepare your skin, first use micellar water or toner to remove any cosmetics or other products you have on your face. Then wash it with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water.
After washing your face, place a warm washcloth on your chin and wait a few minutes. This will help open the pores and make picking easier. Then let your face air dry. You can also use a small amount of talcum powder on the area to absorb all the moisture.
Step 2: Preparing the tweezers
Now take a pair of tweezers. Choose a good pair of tweezers with well-aligned gripping arms and optimally filed tips. Clean the tweezers with an alcohol-based cleaner to remove all germs and dust particles. This reduces the risk of infection.
Step 3: The right technique
The right technique starts with choosing the right tool. Tweezers with a beveled straight tip are best for chin hair. They should also fit comfortably in your hand so that they don't slip out of your hand.
In addition, plucking should be done in a well-lit room to ensure precision and safety.
Step 4: Chin hair removal
Remove one hair at a time. Grab the hair with the tweezers close to the roots, just above the skin. Hold the hair firmly, not the skin, then remove it quickly in one stroke in the direction of hair growth. This method pulls out the hair strands instead of breaking them.
Step 5: Soothe the skin
Once you're done removing all the hair, wash your face with cold water to soothe your skin, then apply aloe vera gel to reduce redness.
If the pain does not subside or the inflammation is severe, you should apply a cold compress or a cortisone ointment.
Is it bad to pluck chin hair?
Advantages:
Below you will find all the benefits of using tweezers to pluck your chin hair. These advantages make it the most common method of chin hair removal.
- Cheap: All you need to pluck your chin hair is a pair of tweezers. You can buy high-quality tweezers at a reasonable price. A good pair of tweezers will also last a long time.
- Precise: Since there are only a few strands of hair in the chin area, they can be removed precisely by plucking each hair individually.
- Lasts for a month or more:If the hair is plucked at the root, the result can easily last 3 to 6 weeks. However, if it is broken off below the skin, the result will last up to 2 weeks.
- Suitable for all skin and hair types: Plucking works on all skin types and all hair colors. As long as the right technique and pre- and post-care measures are followed, it can even be done on sensitive skin.
- Few tools required: Unlike other methods of hair removal, which always require more than one tool, tweezers are sufficient for plucking.
Disadvantages:
- Pain: The pain of pulling out each hair on your chin one by one can be unbearable. And the pain does not subside even after several sessions.
- Ingrown hair: If the hair strand is not pulled out completely, it grows into the top layer of skin and causes ingrown hairs that are difficult to remove.
- Skin irritation and inflammation: Skin irritation and inflammation are common side effects of facial hair plucking. They manifest themselves in the form of redness, itching, pain, tenderness and swelling.
- Folliculitis: Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles that occurs when germs enter the skin pores through contact with tweezers under unsterile conditions.
- Hyperpigmentation: Plucking chin hair causes inflammation and this inflammation leads to post-inflammatory darkening of the skin.
- Scarring: Repeated picking or attempting to pluck ingrown hairs can lead to scarring in the chin area.
How to get rid of dark spots on chin caused by plucking hair?
Dark spots are caused by the post-inflammatory release of melanin in the skin. The immediate method to treat dark spots on the chin caused by hair plucking is to use a hydrocortisone cream, which reduces inflammation and prevents further darkening.
However, if you have already developed stubborn dark spots, use skin exfoliators and lightening agents to increase cell turnover and even out skin tone. Products containing mandelic acid, kojic acid, lactic acid, vitamin C and vitamin A are effective. Also, apply sunscreen to prevent UV damage.
How to treat scars from plucking chin hair?
Excessive picking, repeated picking and repeatedly penetrating the ingrown hair can damage the skin and cause scarring. They can also be caused by infections. That is why you need to protect your skin from the sun and also treat the infection by applying an antibacterial and steroid cream and using a generous amount of sunscreen.
Additionally, use products with skin-healing properties such as aloe vera, green tea and essential oils to nourish and moisturize the skin. You should also gently exfoliate the area, apply a silicone sheet to aid healing and apply retinoids to cleanse the scar.
Alternative methods for plucking chin hair
Here are the alternatives to plucking chin hair. Let's look at the pros and cons of plucking.
Plucking vs. shaving chin hair
The easiest way to remove facial hair is to shave.
Shaving involves using a sharp razor with a tilted head to trim the unwanted hair in small strokes, as opposed to plucking, which involves pulling the unwanted hair out from the roots with the help of tweezers.
Along with the hair, the superficial layer of dead skin cells is also removed, which is not the case with plucking. Moreover, shaving is a better choice when the entire chin area is full of hair than plucking, which is suitable for a few stray hairs.
Advantages:
Below you will find the benefits of chin hair shaving and chin hair plucking.
Shave |
Pluck |
· Removes all chin hair quickly and with just a few strokes · No pain at all · Pocket-friendly · Beginner friendly |
· Leaves the skin intact · Lasts a month or more · Perfect for a few hairs · Minimum requirements for the aids |
Side effects
Below you will find the side effects of shaving compared to plucking chin hair.
Shave |
Pluck |
· Risk of cuts · Skin redness and irritation · Dull hair grows back within a few days |
· Incomplete hair removal causes ingrown hairs and bumps on the skin · Hyperpigmentation · Inflammation and folliculitis |
Plucking vs. waxing chin hair
Another effective method for removing unwanted chin hair is waxing or sugaring. It is just as effective as plucking because it removes the hair from the root, just like plucking chin hair.
Chin hair waxing uses an adhesive material that sticks to the hair strands and removes them from the roots with force. Although soft wax can be used along with waxing strips for chin hair, hard wax is best for chin hair as it is gentler.
Plucking, on the other hand, is the manual removal of chin hair using tweezers. Different types of tweezers can be used, such as straight tweezers, but angled tweezers are best for chin hair.
Advantages:
Although they are very similar, let's look at the benefits of both methods of chin hair removal separately.
Waxing |
Pluck |
· Lasts up to 4 weeks · Peeling for the skin · Relatively little pain · More quickly |
· Lasts up to 6 weeks · Precise and accurate · This can be done for sensitive skin · 1 tweezers last a long time |
Side effects
Below you will find the side effects of both methods for removing chin hair.
Waxing |
Pluck |
· Skin burns from hot wax · Does not remove shorter or finer hair precisely · Causes ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation |
· Time consuming for multiple hairs · Painful · Can stimulate the growth of more hair · Can cause ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation |
Plucking vs. IPL chin hair removal
Last but not least, we have a permanent method of hair removal for you. It is a laser device for use at home.
With IPL hair removal, the skin to be treated, eg the chin area, is shaved and "flashed" with low wavelength light. This light penetrates through the pores to the hair roots and acts on the "cause" of the unwanted chin hair by destroying the follicles. Although this method of hair removal is non-invasive, it goes deeper than plucking.
Plucking simply removes unwanted hair on the chin without taking any action to remove the hair root.
Advantages:
Here are the benefits of IPL hair removal for you.
IPL hair removal |
Pluck |
· Pain-free · Lasts a long time · Long-term economic · Minimal side effects · Gentle on the skin |
· Cheap · Easy to use · The eyes do not need to be protected · Works on all hair and skin types |
Side effects
Below you will find the side effects of plucking and IPL hair removal.
IPL hair removal |
Pluck |
· A little more expensive as a one-off payment · Does not work on dark skin and light hair |
· Painful · Irritates the skin · Causes persistent scarring |
The best method for removing chin hair
With the methods described above, we can be sure that IPL hair removal is the best of all as long as you can afford it. So, we have an affordable IPL hair removal device for you.
With the affordable Ulike Air3 IPL hair removal, you can completely remove your chin hair without the frustration of it growing back. So, boost your confidence with Ulike Air3.
More FAQs about plucking chin hair
Does plucking chin hair make it grow stronger?
Unfortunately, yes, plucking chin hair can cause it to grow more. Although removing hair at the roots in areas like the legs makes hair grow finer, research shows that plucking chin hair stimulates the follicles and causes them to produce dark and thick hair. The number of hairs can also increase.
Can plucking chin hair stop it from growing?
Well, yes and no. Plucking the hair will cause the hair to disappear and not grow back from the skin for up to 4 weeks. Eventually, however, it will grow back and in some cases be thicker. So plucking the chin will not permanently stop the growth.
Conclusion
Chin hair is detrimental to self-confidence, and removing chin hair using the wrong hair removal method or inappropriate technique poses a risk to the skin. We have talked about chin hair plucking and its side effects, with hyperpigmentation and scarring being the most obvious.
That's why you should learn about other methods of chin hair removal that are gentler on the skin, cause less damage, and help you boost your confidence without worry.