Most people feel self-conscious about the facial hair growing around their upper lips and eyebrows, especially when they see an unusually high hair growth rate.
If that’s the case with you, and now you’re in search of the easiest, quickest, and pain-free method to get rid of the unwanted hair on your face, you might be thinking about using a depilatory cream.
After all, it’s an inexpensive technique that also ticks all the right boxes, including the ones we mentioned right now.
That said, while using a body hair removal cream on your face sounds like a straightforward process, it isn’t long when people leaning toward this approach also find out about its side-effects first-hand.
Case in point, more often than not, the constant use of body hair removal cream on the face outweighs its benefits, the aftermath primarily depending upon how chemical-sensitive your skin happens to be.
Therefore, if you’re wondering what happens if you put a body hair removal cream on your face, you can refer to the following section as your guide!
8 Side-Effects of Using Body Hair Removal Cream on Your Face
Below are eight major side-effects of putting a body hair removal cream on your face that you must know about before application!
1- Redness, Pain, and Mild Skin Irritation
Skin irritation is a usual reaction when you apply hair removal creams to any part of your body. The harsh chemicals utilized in the product lead to a burning sensation when the cream is still applied to the skin.
However, the reaction subsides within a few hours or a day or two, depending upon your skin type. The redness and slight pain also reduce afterward, along with the burning feeling.
Nevertheless, while this is a normal reaction that you might already be used to upon application of depilatory creams on your legs or arms, using the same product on your face may result differently.
Considering that the face’s skin is already too sensitive to tolerate harsh chemicals, the redness and irritation might only elevate with time if you don’t treat the burned skin immediately.
2- Allergic Reaction
Similarly, while a slight reaction is normal and even expected when applying a body hair removal cream, several people develop an allergic skin condition when exposing their face to the harsh chemicals.
Case in point, you may find many people dealing with dermatitis with extended use of body hair removal creams to remove facial hair.
With contact dermatitis, you may experience rash with any or most of the following symptoms:
- Redness
- Dryness
- Itchiness
- Oozing and crusting
- Blisters and bumps
- Burning
- Tenderness
- Swelling
This type of reaction might even elevate if you keep using a body hair removal cream on your face every couple of weeks without letting your skin heal adequately.
3- Strong Odor Lingering on Skin
While most brands have been trying their hardest to remove the strong, pungent smell usually accompanied with hair removal creams, their approaches haven’t worked out all that well yet.
Therefore, it’s safe to say you have to deal with the undesired odor lingering on your face for at least a few hours after application.
Moreover, considering that you can’t use any perfume-oriented products on your face after using any hair removal cream, you can do nothing but wait for the smell to go away naturally.
Another vital concern with these chemical odors is that they emit fumes that irritate not only your smelling sense but also your lungs.
This makes breathing a specially challenging task after product application for people with existing lung problems.
4- Chemical Burns
Not to mention, acquiring chemical burns is always a major issue correlated with body hair removal creams, especially when applied to the facial skin.
It’s essential to note that your skin is made of the same substances present in your hair.
Therefore, when you leave the hair removal cream applied for longer than necessary, it ends up breaking down your skin texture, causing first and second-degree chemical burns.
Furthermore, if you experience redness, blisters, and extreme pain on your facial skin, it is usually a clear indication to get in touch with a dermatologist as soon as possible.
5- Scarring or Darkening of Skin
It’s also worth mentioning that when you leave a body hair removal solution applied to your facial skin for too long, the burned skin looks like a scarred or darkened patch.
This is referred to as “inflammatory hyperpigmentation,” which is a skin condition more common in people with darker skin types.
The dark patches from burns can even irritate your skin, causing an allergic reaction when you leave the issue unattended without giving it the proper treatment.
6- Ingrown Hair Growth and Folliculitis
Ingrown hair growth is usually a consistent issue when using any hair removal growth method.
Furthermore, folliculitis is inflammation of the hair follicle, which happens when the ingrown hair becomes infected. This causes swelling, itching, pain, and even scars.
While ingrown hair and folliculitis are not that much of an issue when using hair removal creams to get rid of body hair, the same can’t be said about using this product for facial hair removal.
Since your facial skin is more sensitive, some people can’t tolerate the harsh chemicals used in the product and develop such skin conditions afterward.
7- Poisoning
It’s also best to remember that most body hair removal creams have poisonous substances in them, including calcium hydroxide (alkalis), sodium, thioglycolates, and barium sulfide.
While it’s likely they wouldn’t do any damage to your body due to high chemical endurance, using them near your eyes, nose, and lips can be quite damaging.
8- Eye Irritation or Serious Eye Damage
Lastly, it bears repeating that any contact of body hair removal cream with your eyes can cause severe retinal damage and irritation.
Since chances of this happening are fairly high when you’re already using a hair removal cream on your face, you can understand the repercussions of this approach quite fairly.
Is There an Alternative to Using Body Hair Removal Cream for Facial Hair Removal?
Now that you know what happens if you put a body hair removal cream on your face, you might be wondering whether there’s a close-enough alternative you can use to remove your facial hair without such severe aftermath.
Fortunately for you, you can prevent all this potential pain and damage by making just one major difference.
That is, buying a facial hair removal cream instead of a regular body hair removal cream.
Facial hair removal creams are specifically designed to eliminate unwanted hair from your face with comparatively less chemical utilization and a prominent change of substances.
While you still have to be careful using this type of depilatory cream on your face (i.e., avoiding putting it on for too long or near your eyes), it’s undoubtedly a much better alternative.
That said, if you want to learn how to use a facial hair removal cream with the right tips and techniques, you can refer to the following section to get your facts sorted!
Checkout this important link.
How to Use Facial Hair Removal Cream the Right Way?
Not all hair removal creams are meant to be used on the face. That’s why it is crucial to ensure what you’re buying is specifically designed for facial hair removal.
Furthermore, you can even look into depilatory creams manufactured for specific types of facial hair, such as mustache hair or eyebrow hair.
Here’s the step-by-step procedure one must follow when using a facial hair removal cream to ensure they don’t encounter any hassle along the way:
Step 1 – Read Product Label
While the hair removal process using a depilatory cream is pretty obvious, it’s still essential to read the directions before application since there might be slight instructional changes from one brand to another.
Not to mention, reading the label can help you learn of potential side-effects of using the product.
Furthermore, you must always check the ingredients section to ensure there’s nothing in there that you might be allergic to.
Step 2 – Do a Patch Test
If you’ve never used the product before, doing a patch test on a small section of your face before a thorough application is crucial.
For example, following the package’s instructions, you should apply some cream to your jawline and remove it after the pre-specified time.
If you don’t notice any harmful reaction in the next twenty-four hours, it’s safe to use the facial depilatory cream on your face as required.
Step 3 – Wash and Dry Your Face
Ideally, your face should be clean and dry before applying any facial hair removal cream. It’s best to wet your face with warm water, apply a gentle cleanser, and then exfoliate your skin in a circular motion before rinsing it off with cool water and patting your face dry.
Step 4 – Use the Cosmetic Spatula for Application
When you buy a depilatory cream, it usually comes with a cosmetic spatula. You should squeeze the cream onto the curved edge of that spatula and coat your unwanted hair with that by applying a thick layer.
However, if you don’t have a cosmetic spatula for any reason whatsoever, you can use your fingers or a cotton swab to get the job done.
Note: When removing undesired eyebrow hair, you should outline your eyebrows with a brow pencil and then apply the cream to the hair that falls outside of the marked outline.
Step 5 – Scrub Your Hands with Soap and Warm Water
Whether you apply the facial depilatory cream with a spatula, a cotton swab, or your fingers, you should wash your hands immediately after application to ensure there’s no residue left on them.
Using soap and warm water, you should scrub and rinse off your hands gently, drying them off with a clean towel.
Step 6 – Leave the Cream Applied for Pre-Specified Time
Suppose you’ve been following the step-by-step procedure delineated in this article. In that case, you must have come across the label information regarding how much time you should give before rinsing off the cream from your face after application.
Most brands instruct users to leave it on for five minutes. However, it’s best to follow the package instructions as-is to avoid any mishappening.
If you have particularly thick years, you can leave the facial hair removal cream on for an extra minute.
Contrarily, if you have exceptionally thin hair, we would suggest applying the facial depilatory for one minute less than described on the package label.
Step 7 – Do a Removal Patch Test Before Wiping the Cream Off
Once the pre-specified time has passed after application, you should use the same cosmetic spatula or the end of a wet washcloth to remove a small amount of cream from your face.
If the hair comes off smoothly, you’re good to remove the rest of the hair from your face using a semi-warm, wet washcloth.
If not, you should leave the cream applied for another extra minute before removing the facial hair.
In any case, you mustn’t leave the hair removal cream applied for more than ten minutes to avoid chemical burns, redness, and irritation.
Furthermore, it’s crucial that you take extra care to ensure no cream slips inside your eyes, nose, ears, or mouth.
Step 8 – Splash Your Face with Cool Water
Once all the cream is wiped clean, close your eyes and rinse your face by splashing cool water until all residue and stray hair come off. Afterward, pat your face dry with a dry and clean towel.
Step 9 – Apply a Non-Perfumed and Non-Alcoholic Moisturizer
Finally, applying a hydrating moisturizer, one that is free of alcohol and perfume, is essential if you want to keep your face from accumulating redness and irritation.
Our Final Words
After going through this article, we hope now you understand what happens if you put a body hair removal cream on your face and why it is essential to use a facial depilatory cream instead.
However, suppose you notice redness, irritation, blistering, swelling, or extreme pain after applying facial hair removal cream despite following the right steps.
In that case, it is best not to delay your dermatologist appointment and stop using any facial cream until your doctor gives you the go-ahead.