Facial hair for a woman is most definitely an unwanted occurrence. The underlying causes of some facial hair in women can be an undiagnosed medical problem such as an excessive production of certain hormones like dihydrotestosterone, a precursor to testosterone. Other common causes are obesity, insulin resistance or a family trait. Whatever the cause one thing is certain most women want a way to remove it and keep it gone for as long as possible.

Plucking

The most immediate remedy for unwanted facial hair is a good pair of tweezers. With these little wonders, you can pluck your way to a hair free face in no time. The hairs are completely removed all the way to the root leaving you hair free for quite some time. If you only have a hair or two to remove this is a viable option, but what about a chin full? The time it would take to pluck them all is simply unreasonable not to mention the irritation to the skin.

Chemical

Chemicals to aid in hair removal are all over the market today. The biggest downfall is that few are for the facial area and most of those are only available from a physician. These chemicals can be harsh to delicate skin or an allergen to some people leaving behind unsightly redness and or a rash.

Daily Process and the Razor

Many women find themselves in the dreadful position of shaving to remove facial hair. This is a fast way to get relief and does not require hours in front of the mirror or a prescription. The problem is this is only a quick fix, not an actual answer. Shaving may leave stubble, red skin or irritation and you could find yourself in the position of repeating the process daily. Shaving can help in a desperate situation but it is not the best answer to unwanted facial hair in women.

Long Term Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is a process that was tested experimentally for nearly 20 years before becoming available in the early 90s. Since that time, it has become a widely accepted practice in the dermatology field. In fact, there have been many studies printed in dermatology literature; one of the first was from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Selective photothermolysis, SPTL, is the process of laser hair removal. You see a strong beam of light passes harmlessly through the skin seeking out the melanin, which gives hair its color. When it finds the melanin at the root of the hair the follicle is then heated, damaging it and slowing the return growth of hair.

Many people think that laser hair treatment provides an instant permanent hair removal. While laser hair treatments will eventually provide hair free situation it is not instant. You will need to have several treatments over an extended period in order to become totally hair free.

The areas that are the best candidates for laser hair removal are the chin, ear lobe, upper lip and most other facial areas. However, you will not be able to use laser treatment for nose, inner ear hair and eyes. You could also consider laser hair removal for the legs, armpits and other bodily locations where you have dark unwanted hair.

When you consider the temporary and painful nature of the other methods, it is easy to see why laser hair removal has become so popular. You can reasonably expect to be hair free for weeks and months at least with even one laser treatment. If you continue treatment long enough you will eventually find yourself completely hair free for a very long time.