From magnifying mirrors to HD cameras and the selfie culture, peach fuzz can become a source of anxiety. Here’s how to remove it if you want to and a case for leaving yours be.
Peach fuzz: it sounds cute and friendly, but can be a pain in the butt if you’ve got a lot of it, particularly on your face. The better cameras get and the more Insta obsessed we become, the more we perceive fine, downy hair on the face as noticeable and troublesome. But, just to preface this article with a self-acceptance pep talk, we’ve all got it! So, unless you’re zooming in during selfie mode in full sunlight, we promise we can’t see it. For some, it is admittedly a legitimate problem and confidence sucker. But, if you’ve never thought about it before, or are suddenly gripped with peach fuzz paranoia, please don’t leap to drastic measures to mow it off your lovely visage. If it’s a beauty issue for you, here are a few peach fuzz facts, along with some “dos” and “don’ts”.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines it like this:What is peach fuzz?
- “The down on the chin of an adolescent boy whose beard has not yet developed.”
- “Some people are just hairier than others- no different from the hair on our head or our eyebrows. We all have different amounts and thicknesses of facial and body hair. Women are simply not hairless! We all have hair in places we wish we didn’t, it’s just that it may vary in amount and thickness.”
- “Sometimes the best ‘treatment’ is to simply accept what we have and try not to feel in any way ashamed. It’s vital to remember that many pictures online and on the pages of glossy magazine are not real. Clients always think they are the only one with the problem. But, when I tell them that I perform electrolysis all day long it reassures them. My advice to young girls in particular is to leave hair alone if possible. You could regret harsh or extreme treatments years down the line. If they do want to pursue a treatment, then I urge them to look for a reputable clinic.”
We’re going in with the big guns here, but this treatment has stood the test of time in the sense that everyone from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe to Elizabeth Taylor has partaken in a version of dermaplaning to achieve a polished complexion. In short, they shaved their faces, and while that’s most definitely a ‘thing’ on the Internet, we’d advise professional dermaplaning over taking your Venus to your face any day (on NO day use your body razor to shave your face…bacteria and…just no).Dermaplaning
Dermaplaning is not actually a hair-removal treatment, but rather a dermatological one that has the side-effect of ridding your skin of peach fuzz for quite some time. Cosmetic doctor Dr Rabia Malik explains what you’re in for:
- “Dermaplaning is an effective method of exfoliation. Using a scalpel blade, dead skin cells are removed from the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Along with exfoliating, dermaplaning also helps remove the unwanted vellus hairs from the face.”
- “Usually, you can see a difference after the first treatment. Not only will you achieve smoother, brighter skin but you’ll be free of peach fuzz and despite popular belief, the hair will not grow back thicker.”
All-over facial threading is offered by professional brow bars up and down the land and an expert threading specialist can nix peach fuzz in no time. Prepare for a lot of eye watering. A little redness and irritation can occur post-treatment, and it can take up to three days for this to subside. Avoid harsh treatments, retinol and exfoliating acids both beforehand and during recovery time, and avoid heavy and perfumed creams, as these could provoke flare-ups and breakouts. As peach fuzz eliminators go, this is also one with heritage- both women and men have been threading their faces for centuries.Threading
The sensitive facial variety is best, but even these can cause irritation and burns if not used correctly. Stick strictly to the development time on the packet and patch test before you go all in.Hair removal creams
If your peach fuzz is on the thicker side, this approach will work for you and it’s the only method of permanent hair removal for this type of hair currently available. Electrolysis expert Rachel gives us the lowdown:Electrolysis for peach fuzz
- “Electrolysis uses a very fine needle that the therapist inserts into the opening in the skin that the hair grows from (the follicle). Note that electrolysis is only as good as the therapist performing it. It’s a very skilled treatment and will only achieve permanent results when performed correctly.”
This can work well, but your skin may pay. It’s an aggressive hair removal solution for your full face and definitely not recommended for sensitive, acne or rosacea prone skin. It’s vital to go gentle on the aftercare too: aloe vera all the way, ditch the acids, avoid sun exposure and ramp up the SPF. Ripping, tugging and ingrown hairs could all be part and parcel of a full facial wax. You have to be really peeved with your peach fuzz to go here.Waxing
While bleach won’t zap hairs, if your peach fuzz is on the darker side this will lighten it so that it’s less noticeable, although it won’t escape the glare of sunlight or zoomed camera lenses. Then again, no one wants to live their life under a lens. In reality it’s probably far less noticeable than you think.Bleach
As popularised by the likes of beauty blogger Huda Kattan, shaving your face at home isn’t something we’d recommend, and here’s why: It might have worked for Huda, Monroe and other blogging and Hollywood heavyweights, but the risk of infection, nicks and rashes outweigh the obvious time and money benefits.Shaving your face
Don’t go there if your peach fuzz is light in colour! Laser will do more damage than good as laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment in the hair. You could end up with burns, permanent hyperpigmentation or scarring, with no reduction in peach fuzz. Laser is normally not the one, but if you’re peach fuzz is veering into full facial hair territory, it could work for you. Book a consultation with an expert to discuss your options.Laser treatment for peach fuzz
Rachel slaps this one down:Tweezing
- “Plucking is possibly one of the worst things a client could do in this case as over time this will stimulate the blood supply to the follicles, resulting in thicker and stronger hairs.”
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