Why Is It Not Recommended to Wax Vellus (Lanugo) Hair?

You might know vellus hair by the name “Peach fuzz”. Some people do not bother them, while others prefer removing them as it makes the skin smoother. Also, the makeup application becomes easier when there is no hair on the face.

Most people opt for waxing to remove these thin, unwanted hairs from their bodies and faces. But is waxing the right way to remove vellus hair? Are you facing problems after waxing vellus hair? Here is why you should not wax them and what to do instead!

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: What Are Vellus Hair?
• Part 2: Why Is It Not Recommended to Wax Vellus Hair?
• Part 3: How to Remove Vellus Hair?
• Part 4: Will the Vellus Hair Grow Back Thicker if I Remove Them?

What Is Vellus Hair?

Lanugo hair is soft and thin, is present in unborn babies, and falls off before birth. Only a few babies are born with lanugo hair, which is later replaced with vellus hair. Vellus hair is thin, fine, and light and is present on your body to keep it warm.

They also cool you by wicking off sweat, so these hairs are known to regulate the body temperature. They are usually present on the legs, arms, trunk, neck, and face, including the earlobes and the nose. In appearance, they are tiny, blonde to brown in color. With age, their number decreases, so older individuals have very little vellus hair.

During puberty, this hair grows darker and thicker and turns into terminal hair. Sometimes, medications can also make the terminal hair turn back into vellus hair.

Why Is It Not Recommended to Wax Vellus Hair?

Vellus hair removal can be a bit more difficult than removing the thicker terminal hair as they are small and located in sensitive skin areas. Most people opt for waxing when it comes to removing the thin and fragile vellus hair. But, here is why you should not wax them!

Irritation and Skin Sensitivity

First of all, using wax to remove vellus hair can cause skin irritation and increase skin sensitivity. Waxing strips off a thin protective layer of the skin. Since vellus hair is more visible on sensitive areas like the face, applying wax to the face can irritate the delicate facial skin.

However, it also increases skin sensitivity. Even small irritants can make your skin itchy. Since the protective barrier weakens, the skin becomes sensitive, and the risk of developing infection also increases.

Pain

Waxing itself is already a painful process. When you wax on the sensitive areas, the pain might be more than usual. This is because the wax does not only stick to the hair but also to the skin. As the hair is forcefully removed, the roots with wax, so the experience can be painful.

Now imagine waxing on the neck and face. These are the areas where you feel more pain than the other areas. So, waxing in these areas to remove the vellus hair would be a no-no, especially if you have a low pain threshold.

You will have to use the wax made for sensitive areas but the chances of pain are still not zero.

Unreliable Results

Vellus hair is very short and thin, so it is not necessary for the wax to stick to it. As a result, achieving completely smooth skin might not be possible. The wax will only remove the upper skin layer, not your hair.

Furthermore, there is also the chance that the wax sticks to the hair but does not remove all the hair. Some of the hair might break during the removal of the wax strips, which can lead to a patchy skin appearance. The broken hair might also curl back into the skin, leading to painful ingrown hair.

How to Remove Vellus Hair?

Here are some ways that can help you remove the vellus hair safely.

Shaving

Shaving is one of the oldest hair removal methods. It works equally well for all hair types and on all areas of the body. Shaving allows you to achieve a closer shave, so even small and thin hair, like the vellus hair, can be removed easily.

However, since these hairs are shorter in length, you must be careful while shaving them off. Before removing the hair, take a warm water shower as it will make it softer and easier to remove. Also, use a sharp blade while shaving to ensure that the hair cuts off in a single stroke.

Depilatory Creams

Depilatory creams can also prove a suitable option for the removal of vellus hair on the body and the face. These creams remove the hair by destroying the structure of proteins that make the hair. Therefore, they can easily work on vellus hair and remove them effortlessly.

There is no pain while removing the hair using the depilatory creams. Additionally, unlike shaving, there is no risk of cutting your skin with a razor blade. But these creams have chemicals in them.

So make sure that you use separate creams to remove facial and body hair. Facial hair removal creams tend to be more gentle.

Threading

If you dislike shaving or the use of depilatory creams, you can also try threading instead. Threading means removing hair using a thread. All you need to do is move the thread in the right way, and it will cut off all the hair easily.

In the beginning, threading can be a bit difficult and painful, but you get used to it with time. It offers precision. Additionally, several hairs are removed in a single stroke, so it is really quick. The method involves the use of a thread only, so it is pocket-friendly as well.

IPL Hair Removal

IPL hair removal offers a long-lasting solution to the small and fragile vellus hair that is difficult to remove with temporary hair removal methods like waxing, shaving, or threading. It uses heat to burn the hair follicles to retard hair growth leading to a reduction in hair growth.

Cannot afford to go to clinics every month just for hair removal? Try the Ulike IPL Air 10 handset. This handset can help you achieve smooth skin at home. It has four modes that can work for all types of hair, including thin vellus hair and stubborn thick terminal hair.

In addition, it has sapphire ice-cooling technology that retains the temperature within range to prevent burns and reduce pain during the session. You will also notice visible results within just two weeks of use.

Electrolysis

Lastly, you can also opt for permanent hair removal with electrolysis. In this procedure, electric current flows through the hair deep into the hair follicles and damages them completely. This prevents hair regrowth for a lifetime.

It is precise and works well for all types of hair, including vellus hair. Unlike semi-permanent procedures, the method is independent of hair and skin color. Hence, you do not have to worry about your blonde vellus hair before undergoing electrolysis.

However, since the technique involves the use of current therefore ensure that it is performed by a trained professional to minimize the risk of skin damage or burns during the treatment.

Will the Vellus Hair Grow Back Thicker if I Remove Them?

The hair follicles remain intact when the hair is removed by shaving, waxing, epilation, or threading so the hair will start growing back in a few days or weeks. The hair regrowth time depends upon the method used to remove the vellus hair.

However, there is a concept that the vellus hair will grow back thicker and darker after you have removed it once. This is completely wrong. The thickness or color of the hair is independent of the hair removal method used to get rid of the unwanted hair.

If you remove them by shaving, the hair can look thicker, but it is not. Shaving creates blunt hair ends that appear to be thicker. Once the hair is fully grown, you will notice that it is thin, just like before.

A reason the vellus hair is becoming thicker and longer might be your age, not the hair removal. As you age, the production of androgen hormones increases, which causes the small vellus hair to turn into thick terminal hair.

Conclusion

Vellus hair is tiny hair on the body and face that has been present since birth. It starts as lanugo hair and then becomes vellus hair, which turns into terminal hair with age due to the increased production of androgens as one hits puberty.

Vellus hair can make your skin look rough, so wanting to remove them is normal. However, you cannot wax them as easily as you can the other areas of the body. This is because waxing the vellus hair can be painful, and the results are not always 100%.

To achieve smooth skin in safer and less painful ways, you can opt for shaving, depilatory creams, IPL, or even permanent hair removal with electrolysis.