Laser on the chin can bring more hair, not less: experts explain which facial hair removal method suits whom

Removing facial hair looks simple: you want it gone, you find a method that takes it out. But on the face, not everything works the same way or comes with the same guarantees. The type of hair, the area, how sensitive the skin is, and even the hormonal quirks of certain areas mean that a method that works brilliantly on your legs can be a bad choice for your chin or neck. So before you choose between laser, razor, threading or electrolysis, the important question is: what kind of hair do I have, and what do I actually want to achieve?

Laser doesn't work the same across the whole face

In recent years, laser hair removal has become one of the most widely used methods for reducing body hair. But the protocols for legs, underarms and bikini line can't simply be transferred to a woman's face. "The female face, and especially the chin, is a region with completely different biological behaviour," explains Abigail Arduan, a specialist in advanced facial aesthetics and director of the Arduan clinics. The chin, jawline and front of the neck are hormone-dependent zones, and their follicles react particularly sensitively to hormonal stimulation. "These are very reactive follicles," she says. Under certain circumstances, wrongly applied laser can cause hair to appear or increase instead of reducing it.

Can laser bring more hair?

It can. The phenomenon is called paradoxical hypertrichosis - hair appears or thickens around the treated area. It's one of the reasons laser on the face needs a much more careful assessment than laser on the body. The risk doesn't mean laser is off-limits for the face, or that this is bound to happen. It means not every hair is a good candidate: you need to assess whether it's fine or coarse, what colour it is and which area it grows in. "What works on the leg can become a risk factor on the face. Advanced aesthetics isn't about applying technology, but about knowing how to read the tissue and how it changes over time," says Arduan.

The problem mostly arises when fine facial hair in hormone-dependent zones is treated with laser. A few dark, coarse hairs on the chin need a different strategy from fine peach fuzz on the cheeks. And if the hair is new, abundant or persistent, it's worth checking first whether there's a hormonal factor behind it - before any treatment at all. How often have we picked a treatment just because it's the best known, rather than because it's right for us?

Dermaplaning: not the dermatologist's first choice

If the goal is just to remove fine hairs that show up in certain light, the alternatives are dermaplaning or threading. Dermaplaning removes hair with a blade and at the same time scrapes off surface cells from the skin's outer layer. It can temporarily leave the skin smoother and brighter. "It can be an option for people who want to remove fine hair and temporarily improve texture and glow," says Dr Cristina García Millán, a dermatologist specialising in sensitive skin, aesthetic and paediatric dermatology. "But it's not my favourite option for these goals, because there are other alternatives."

She doesn't recommend it for active acne, folliculitis, infections, dermatitis, eczema or any other skin disorder, for very sensitive skin or a damaged skin barrier, or after recent aesthetic procedures or laser. It can cause irritation, redness and small cuts, and in some cases spots or folliculitis. If a small injury occurs, it can also leave a dark mark.

Threading, razor or electrolysis: what suits whom

• Fine hair on a small area - threading is practical for the upper lip or eyebrows, although it can irritate very sensitive skin.
• A few coarse, dark hairs, especially on the chin or neck - electrolysis is a particularly interesting alternative, as it treats each follicle individually.
• A larger area of hair - laser can be considered in certain cases, but not automatically just because it's the face. On the chin and neck, the risk of paradoxical growth is always taken into account.
• Very delicate skin, with the goal of just making hair less visible - the dermatologist suggests bleaching it with products made for sensitive skin rather than removing it.

The question isn't "which method removes the most". The best choice depends on what kind of hair you have, where it grows and what kind of skin you have. When it comes to the face, the goal isn't just to make the hair disappear. The goal is not to create a bigger problem than the one you wanted to solve.