How To Tweeze Chin Hair, The Right Way

Young woman with her chin forward
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Whether you have a few or a lot to remove, plucking chin hair (or any hair, for that matter) is always an obnoxious task. However, it's not unheard of to do it right; it just takes a little skill. Below, our tips for the proper way to pluck chin hair.

Invest In The Proper Tools

To prepare, buy a good pair of tweezers (we like the Tweezerman pair below). If your tweezers are sliding off, it's going to take you a lot more time to get the job done. Worse, if they're ineffective, they're probably breaking hair above or below skin's surface instead of removing it from the root. When this is the case, the hair is going to pop back up days later instead of weeks. Before you get started in front of the mirror, if you have long hair, pull or pin it back. You want to see your face clearly, so you can get the best results.

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Prepare Your Skin

Starting off, you should wash your chin with warm water. You want skin nice and clean, because otherwise you're practically giving yourself acne. Warm water also helps to relax skin, so the hair can be more easily removed. If you haven't exfoliated recently, now is a good time to do that, so there isn't a build up of dead skin cells around the hair. Wipe off your face, and pat it dry to remove any moisture.

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Use the Proper Technique

Now, it's time to actually tweeze the hair. Standing in front of a mirror with good lighting, hold skin taut with your free hand. Doing so will mean less tugging and pain, so grab onto hair as close as you can near the skin, and remove it in the direction that it grows. If you're actually worried about the pain, apply a numbing spray to a cotton swab and then apply that to the area. Careful, though, because you don't want to totally desensitize yourself and go overboard. There is such a thing as too much. Begin with only the thick, dark hair first and see if that does the job. Don’t dig your tweezers into the skin to grab really short hairs, or you could end up injuring your skin and make it scab up. Wait until it grows out in a couple days for removal. 

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Go After the Finer Hairs Last

If the finer hairs are still bothering you, then remove them in the same way. If you're having a hard time seeing them, apply a little baby powder to the area and the hair will be more noticeable. While working, dust off any hair with a towel to keep the place you're plucking clean and clear. Finally, soothe the skin. If you've finished and your skin is red or irritated, you can apply an aloe-based lotion or gel with a cotton square.

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