10 Effective Ways To Remove White Facial Hair

All possible ways of keeping your face smooth and free of unwanted hair growth.

Medically reviewed by Dr Jovana Majstorovic, MD

Jovana Majstorović is a board-certified dermatologist with 10 years of experience. She is also the founder and owner of Derma Style in Belgrade, Serbia. She is also a fellow of the European Academy of Dermatology. She believes that the ski... more

Written by Arshiya Syeda, BA (Literature & Psychology), PG Diploma Experience: 7 years

Arshiya Syeda is a senior editor at StyleCraze with 7 years of experience. Prior to that, she was a content writer and combined her writing and research skills to write over 200 high-performing articl... more

Edited by Anjali Sayee, BTech Experience: 7 years

Anjali is an associate editor at StyleCraze. She specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. She has 7 years of experience, and her philosophy ... more

Fact-checked by Swathi E, MA (English Literature) Experience: 3 years

Swathi has a postgraduate degree in English literature from The English And Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and over three years of experience in writing on beauty, health, and lifestyle. She... more

• Nov 1, 2023

10 Effective Ways To Remove White Facial Hair

Image: Shutterstock

Dealing with facial hair is hard enough. Dealing with white facial hair is even more difficult! Therefore, if you are looking for ways to remove the white facial hair above your upper lip, on your cheeks, or between your eyebrows, you have come to the right place. When your facial hair begins to turn white, the reality of aging really sets in. Just like the hair on your head, your facial hair begins to turn white as you get older. Is this to say that it becomes more or less visible? That varies from person to person, depending on their skin tone. Nonetheless, no one likes looking untidy and would like to get rid of it quickly, feasible, and safely. However, before we look at how to get rid of white facial hair, let’s take a look at why it goes white in the first case. Keep scrolling!

In This Article

What Causes Facial Hair To Turn White?

All the hair strands on your head, face, and body contain cells called melanocytes. These melanocytes produce melanin that gives color to your hair. As you grow old, the melanocytes in your hair deplete over a period of time. This causes a reduction in the level of melanin in your hair that ultimately leads to your hair turning gray. When there’s absolutely no melanin left in your hair, it turns white. There are a few factors that could lead to your hair turning white (1), (2). These include:

Aging
Bleaching
Genetic factors
Certain types of anemia
VitiligoⁱXA condition characterized by partial loss of color from the skin due to improper functioning of the skin pigment-producing cells.
Thyroid dysfunction

In a study, researchers collected information from over 40,000 adults to determine the prevalence of vitiligo, a condition that causes loss of skin pigment. 23,170 were female, and 30,428 were White with an average age of 44.9 years.1.38% of the participants had vitiligo, with 0.77% diagnosed and 0.61% undiagnosed. This states that about 1% of adults in the US have vitiligo. This means there are approximately 1.9 to 2.8 million cases in the country as of 2020, including both diagnosed and undiagnosed individuals.

Well, just because your facial hair has turned white doesn’t mean that you have to keep looking at it. Here are a few safe and effective ways that you can remove white hair from your face.

Best Ways To Remove White Facial Hair

How to remove white hair from face safely? There are tons of different treatments or hair growth inhibitors that you can try out at home, at the salon, or at the hands of a dermatologist according to your preferences to remove white hair from your face. Here are a few that can get the job done quite effectively.

1. Epilation

Image: Shutterstock

Epilators are electric hair removal devices that pull out facial hair (or body hair) right from its roots. This may sound painful, but it is actually a relatively painless and mess-free way to remove hair when compared to waxing. It is also more effective than shaving as it removes the white facial hair from the roots, thus reducing hair growth over time and with repeated use. All you need to be mindful of is that the white hair has grown to at least a ¼ of an inch in length before using an epilator on it.

To prep your face for epilation, start by softening your facial skin with lukewarm water and applying a very thin coat of moisturizing cream to the area where you want to remove the white hair from. Then, glide the epilator in the direction opposite to the hair growth to pluck off your white facial hair. Rinse off your face and pat dry.

2. Tweezing

Image: Shutterstock

Now, here’s another method that will remove your white facial hair right from the roots. Tweezing your hair with a stainless steel and sanitized tweezer can prevent it from growing back for at least 4-8 weeks.

Start out by sanitizing your pair of tweezers with isopropyl alcohol or sterilizing it in hot water. Then, simply pluck out your white facial hair, one strand at a time. Since this is a little more time consuming method, it’s better to tweeze out facial hair when you just want to clean up a few strands or between sessions of other hair removal treatments.

However, it may not be advised as a continued practice. Dr. Nadir Qazi, a board-certified physician and a fellow of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, says, “Plucking facial hair is not beneficial to the structure of the hair follicle. While plucking one of your white hairs will not do any immediate harm, it will still grow back in the future and may damage the hair follicle entirely through continual plucking.”

3. Waxing

Image: Shutterstock

Waxing white facial hair basically involves the same procedure as that of waxing hair from any other part of your body. Hot wax is applied to the facial area from which you want to remove white facial hair. A waxing strip is then stuck on and ripped off to remove the white hair right from its roots. While waxing your white facial hair regularly can reduce their growth over time, it is also a painful method to undergo that can leave your skin feeling quite sensitive.

Quick Tip

Avoid hot baths, hot tubs, saunas, steam treatments, and the like after waxing, as they may irritate the skin.

4. Hair Removal Creams

Facial hair removal creams (also known as depilatory creams) are probably the most painless way of removing white hair from your face. These creams basically contain potent chemicals that dissolve your hair, which can then be simply scraped or wiped away.

Before you use a facial hair removal cream, wash your face with warm water to soften the hair follicles. Then, apply a layer of the cream on the area that you want to remove the white hair from and leave it on for the time duration recommended on the box. Then, wipe the cream and hair away with a warm, damp washcloth. It is best to do a patch test before using these hair removal creams to make sure you are not allergic to them.

5. Facial Spring

Facial spring to help remove white facial hair

Image: kremmania.hu

A facial spring (or R.E.M Spring, as it is also popularly known as) is basically a metal spring coiled between two rubber handles. It effectively removes the tiniest and finest of white hair from your chin, upper lip, forehead, cheeks or under your jaw.

Start off by thoroughly cleansing your face to prevent any breakouts. Then, bend your facial spring until it’s in the shape of an upside-down U. Now, gently roll it over the area from which you want to remove the white facial hair. The spring grabs on to individual strands of hair and yanks them out by the roots. The prickling pain you feel when using this tool is similar to threading and something you get used to after a few uses.

Perhaps the best part of using a facial spring to remove white facial hair is that it is easy, convenient, cheap, and precise enough to remove every last strand.

6. Threading

Image: Shutterstock

Threading is probably the most common method of removing facial hair. In this method, a length of thread is twisted between the thumbs and forefingers and is glided against the skin to remove white facial hair. Since it only cuts off the hair shaft at the surface of your skin instead of pulling it out from the root, the results it gives are temporary and the white hair can grow back within a couple of weeks. It is also quite a painful method of facial hair removal.

Quick Tip

To limit the skin redness caused by threading, wash your face with cold water after the procedure.

7. Dermaplaning

Dermaplaning to remove white facial hair

Image: Shutterstock

DermaplaningⁱXA minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that involves shaving off the top skin layers to reduce hair growth and scars. is a method of exfoliation and facial hair removal that is used to get rid of dead skin cells, peach fuzzⁱXFacial hair that is lightly colored and softer and shorter than regular body hair. , and facial hair. In this method, an aestheticianⁱXA beautician or an individual who has knowledge and skills related to aesthetics. uses a 10-inch scalpel that curves into a sharp point in gentle upwards motion on your skin to remove unwanted hair. Not only is this a painless way to remove white facial hair, it also leaves your skin looking smoother and glowing.

8. Electrolysis Treatment Laser hair removal

Image: Shutterstock

A permanent method of hair removal could be the best option for ladies who have thick white facial hair. One of these treatments that you can get done by a dermatologist or trained cosmetologist is electrolysis. In this method, a fine probe that is attached to an electrolysis device into a hair follicle that then shoots a current of chemical or heat energy into it to kill it. The unwanted hair is then removed with the help of tweezers. You will need to undergo multiple sessions of electrolysis to fully remove the white hair from your face and it may work out a bit expensive for you, but the long term results are truly worth it. Dr. Qazi advises, “Electrolysis does work best in high contrast, so lighter skin people may want to dye their hair darker prior to each treatment for greater success.”

9. Laser Hair Removal

Image: Shutterstock

Laser hair removal is considered to be one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures around the world. In this method, beams of highly concentrated light are directed at the hair follicles that are absorbed by the pigment present in them, thereby destroying the hair. Though laser hair removal is usually not very effective on blonde, red, gray, and white hair, there is progress being made in this technology to cater to light hair needs. You can consult your dermatologist before undergoing this treatment.

10. Sugaring

Sugaring is a safe, natural, and temporary method of getting rid of unwanted body hair. It is done by applying a sugar, lemon juice, and water mixture on the skin. With a quick flick or pull, the mixture is removed such that it removes the hair along with it. It is considered a less unpleasant alternative to waxing. It is all-natural, so there are no harsh chemicals involved. It is also less painful than waxing as the paste does not stick to the skin once it is cleaned, which reduces discomfort. Also, since it is done in the direction of hair growth, it is less likely to cause ingrown hair.

Apart from these methods, anecdotal evidences also suggest using gram flour, egg whites, aloe vera, papaya and turmeric mask, sandalwood with rose water, oatmeal, honey, lemon juice, tea tree oil, and many more techniques like sugar waxing for removing white facial hair but the research is quite limited.

No matter which of these white facial hair removal methods you go for, there are a few precautions you need to be mindful of to prevent any adverse reaction from occurring on your skin.

Tips And Precautions To Be Taken When Removing White Facial Hair

It is imperative that you keep your skin clean and well moisturized before you undergo any facial hair removal treatment to make it less painful.
Thoroughly cleanse your face before and after each hair removal treatment to prevent breakouts and infections.
No matter what method you opt for, make sure you do it at regular intervals to ensure that the white facial hair growth reduces over time.

Infographic: A Brief Guide To Facial White Hair Removal Methods

Facial white hair can be removed using more than one method. As each method has its own pros and cons, with some being more suitable than others, it is important to consider all options before narrowing down on the one that best suits you.

Check out the infographic below for a quick glance at all the common ways to remove facial hair.

a brief guide to facial white hair removal methods (infographic)

White facial hair is difficult to deal with, but there are a few effective ways to remove it. Using an epilator, a pair of tweezers, hair removal cream, or a face spring helps remove white facial hair. Waxing, laser hair removal, electrolysis hair treatment, dermaplaning, threading, and waxing are also effective in removing white facial hair. In addition, following a few preventive tips, like moisturizing and cleansing your face before hair removal, helps improve the effectiveness of these methods. Just make sure that you follow all the instructions carefully to prevent ingrown hair or an infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does laser hair removal get more painful?

No, laser hair removal does not cause pain. However, it may cause slight discomfort due to the heat from the laser.

Is threading harmful for the face?

Facial threading may cause irritation, folliculitis, skin infection, or warts on your face (3).

Can threading darken skin?

No. In fact, threading may improve overall skin texture and color (4).

Is hair removal cream safe for the face?

Yes, hair removal creams are generally considered safe for the face. But ensure you read the instructions and conduct a patch test before using one.

Does tweezing damage your skin?

While tweezing itself does not cause any skin damage, using incorrect methods can cause scarring, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hairs, and inflammation. Taking professional help is recommended.

Will baking soda remove facial hair?

Anecdotal evidence suggests that using baking soda may help remove facial hair. However, there are no scientific studies that support this claim. Hence, practice caution.

Does turmeric remove facial hair permanently?

Studies suggest that using turmeric may slow down facial hair growth (5). However, more studies are warranted in this regard.

Key Takeaways

Aging, genetic factors, thyroid, and vitiligo are some of the reasons that may cause white facial hair.
You can get rid of white facial hair temporarily by using methods such as epilation, depilation, tweezing, waxing, and threading.
Electrolysis or laser hair removal is the best way to get rid of unwanted and white facial hair permanently.
You should always consult a dermatologist or esthetician for treatments like Dermaplaning, electrolysis, and laser hair removal.

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Educate yourself on the most important, need-to-know facts about laser hair removal before you decide to undergo this treatment. Check out the video below to know more.

References

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.