Pluck Hair: Safety Tips, Side Effects and FAQs

Women often resort to plucking unwanted hair when they see a few stray hairs on their chins, upper lips, or eyebrows. Although commonly used for removing facial hair, many people tweeze hair from other parts of their bodies as well. You are all aware of the extreme pain you experience when you get hair strands out of the follicles one by one, right? But, there are many other risk factors associated with plucking as well. Plucking hair can be quite painful, and it also poses various risk factors that should be considered before proceeding. Therefore, we will explore the correct way to pluck unwanted hair, the side effects you need to avoid, safety tips to reduce the side effects, and FAQs related to plucking hair in this article.  In this article, we will provide you with essential guidelines on safe hair plucking practices, highlight potential side effects, and offer safety tips to minimize risks. Table of Contents: Part 1: How to Pluck Hair Safely at Home? Part 2: Side Effects of Plucking Hair Part 3: Safety Tips and Tricks to Pluck Unwanted Hair Part 4: A Safe and Nearly Painless Alternative to Plucking Hair Part 5: FAQs How to Pluck Hair Safely at Home? The risk of pain and other side effects is greatly reduced if you pluck your hair following all precautions. So, here is your step-by-step guide to plucking hair at home.  Get high-quality tweezers according to the area you are treating. For example, tweezers with angle tips work great for facial hair.  Choosing high-quality tweezers can make a significant difference in the effectiveness and comfort of hair removal. Then prepare your skin by washing it with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water. Preparing your skin ensures that the hair is easier to remove and minimizes irritation. Let the skin air-dry or use a towel to pat it dry. Patting your skin dry helps to avoid any moisture that could affect the plucking process. Apply a thin layer of powder on the skin so that the hair is clearly visible. Applying powder can enhance visibility, making it easier to see fine hairs for effective plucking. Grab your tweezers and hold the hair at its base. Holding the hair at its base gives you better control and reduces the risk of breakage. Pull the hair out with a single tug in the direction of the hair growth. Pulling in the direction of hair growth minimizes discomfort and helps prevent ingrown hairs. Remove every hair strand you see in the treatment area Thoroughly removing hair strands ensures a cleaner look and prolongs the time until regrowth. Wash your face again with cool water and apply a moisturizer  Moisturizing after washing helps to soothe the skin and prevent dryness, enhancing overall skin health. Side Effects of Plucking Hair It is often recommended not to pluck hair for several reasons mentioned in Why is plucking facial hair bad? Furthermore, here are the side effects of plucking hair you should beware of.   Understanding the side effects can help you make informed decisions about hair removal methods. 1. Painful The hair follicles receive active blood supply and deliver signals to the brain as well as neurovascular bundle lies near them. When a hair is plucked, it irritates the nerves and causes pain. Plucking hair follicles one by one can cause extreme pain. Moreover, the intensity of this pain varies from person to person.  2. Time Consuming You can not pluck multiple hair strands as you do in waxing or even threading. So, removing hair with tweezers even from a small area like eyebrows can take up to 15 minutes. Removing hair from the full face or other areas of the body can take an hour or more. So, plucking is not a good option for busy people.  3. Ingrown Hair At times, you break the hair strand midway in its length instead of removing it from the roots. These broken hair strands twist just under the surface of the skin and cause ingrown hair.  Preventing ingrown hairs can be challenging, but aware practices can help minimize their occurrence. This ingrown hair appears as a bump with a black spot in it. Also, it can get infected and inflamed resulting in folliculitis.  Infection risk is a concern with ingrown hairs, highlighting the importance of proper hygiene and care. 4. Skin Damage As hair growth does not stop after plucking, you have to pluck the hair again and again. This puts trauma on the skin and can cause hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, and scarring.  Repeated plucking can lead to long-term skin issues, so it's important to consider alternative hair removal methods if you experience these effects. Safety Tips and Tricks to Pluck Unwanted Hair While following the instructions as we discussed earlier, here are some safety tips you must follow for a good experience of tweezing hair.  Adhering to safety tips not only enhances your experience but also helps minimize risks associated with hair plucking. 1. Always Use a Clean Pair of Tweezers One of the side effects of tweezing is folliculitis. Also, unclean tweezers increase the risk of skin infections. So, always use a clean or sterilized pair of tweezers. For this, use rubbing alcohol to clean the tweezers before and after plucking your hair. Also, you can wash the tweezers with soap and water.   Using clean tweezers is crucial to prevent infections and ensure safe hair removal. 2. Do Not Poke a Specific Area Again and Again Pay attention to pulling the hair from the roots in one go by holding it from the base. However, only try once or twice to remove the hair if you break the hair strand or have an ingrown hair. Minimizing attempts to pluck hair can help avoid unnecessary trauma to the skin and potential complications. Do not poke the area multiple times as it might cause skin irritation, scarring, pigmentation, or infection. Avoiding excessive poking is essential to protect your skin from irritation and other adverse effects. 3. Mind the Direction of Hair Growth The correct way to pluck the hair is to pull it along the grain. Therefore, you should carefully look at the direction your hair grows and hold the tweezers at a slight angle in that direction.  Plucking in the right direction helps in reducing pain and preventing hair breakage, making the process more effective. 4. Only Pluck When Your Skin is Healthy  Plucking hair on the skin with active acne or compromised skin barrier aggravates the condition. Additionally, your skin is hypersensitive around your monthly periods. Therefore, pluck only when your skin is in good condition and you are done with your periods.  5. Pre and Post Care is a Must  One of the ways to reduce the pain during plucking hair is to prepare your skin well. Washing the face removes impurities and using lukewarm water opens the pores. Consequently, hair removal becomes easy. Prioritizing skin preparation before hair removal can significantly enhance comfort and outcomes. Moreover, rinsing the face after plucking with cold water along with moisturizing calms the skin. Post-care steps are vital for soothing the skin and promoting recovery after plucking. A Safe and Nearly Painless Alternative to Plucking Hair  Whether you follow the safety tips or take additional measures to reduce the side effects of plucking, pain, quick hair regrowth, and time consumption stay constant. That is why we suggest you switch to the Whether you follow the safety tips or take additional measures to reduce the side effects of plucking, pain, quick hair regrowth, and time consumption stay constant. That is why we suggest you switch to the Ulike Air 10 IPL hair removal device.  This exceptional device has the following benefits in comparison to plucking unwanted hair.  No Side Effects As Experienced by Plucking Hair With Ulike Air 10, there is almost no pain in removing the hair. This is because you do not irritate the follicles as in plucking. Additionally, this device features next-gen ice-cooling technology to reduce pain. So, although you feel mild discomfort, there is no need to be afraid of severe pain.  In addition, 1 session of hair removal with Ulike takes 10 to 15 minutes for a full body in contrast to 1 hour on a single area as in plucking. Lastly, there is no risk of hyperpigmentation, ingrown hairs, folliculitis, or skin scarring.  No Need to Pluck Unwanted Hair Every Few Days IPL hair removal provides long-lasting results as it kills the hair follicles. Within 2 weeks, you will notice that your hair is growing at a slow rate and its density is also reducing.  IPL hair removal offers a more effective solution that can significantly reduce the frequency of hair growth, leading to a more convenient hair removal routine. Within a few more weeks, hair regrowth becomes minimal. Therefore, you can enjoy hairless skin without plucking your hair regularly.  Minimal hair regrowth allows for smoother skin and less time spent on hair removal, making it a desirable option for many individuals. No Need to Buy New Tweezers or Sharpen Old Ones  Ulike Air 10 comes with razors, an IPL device, a charger, and a storage case. This durable device can last for decades and needs no tweezer to remove hair.  Ulike Air 10 is designed for longevity and convenience, eliminating the need for ongoing purchases of traditional hair removal tools. Therefore, you do not need to worry about buying a new set of tweezers or sharpening your old dull ones every few weeks.  Suitable for Full Body and Facial Hair Removal Plucking of hair might be done on the face, axilla, and even pubic hair, but it is not a safe method of hair removal for the full body.  Full body hair removal methods often come with various risks, making devices like Ulike a safer alternative for those seeking effective solutions. In comparison, you can use Ulike on your face, intimate areas, limbs, armpits, and every area where hair grows. Also, it is FDA-cleared and dermatologist-recommended.  FDA clearance and dermatologist recommendations provide users with confidence in the safety and efficacy of Ulike for hair removal. FAQs 1. Which Areas of the Body are Compatible with Plucking Hair? Although people tweeze unwanted hair from almost every area of the body, it is not recommended to pluck the hair on the following areas,  It's important to prioritize safety when considering hair plucking in sensitive areas to avoid complications. Inside the ears or the nose Plucking hair inside the ears or nose can lead to irritation or infections, so it is advisable to avoid this practice. Strawberry legs or ingrown hair Strawberry legs and ingrown hairs can be exacerbated by plucking, potentially leading to skin discomfort. On face with compromised barrier Plucking hair on a compromised barrier may increase the risk of skin issues, as the skin is more sensitive. Area with active acne Active acne should be avoided when plucking, as it can worsen inflammation and lead to scarring. Hair grown in the moles Hair grown in moles should not be plucked, as this can irritate the mole and lead to complications. 2. Does Tweezing Unwanted Hair Remove it Permanently? No, tweezing only removes a single hair strand from the follicle. It does not destroy the follicle allowing it to regrow a new hair strand. Therefore, no matter how many times you pluck hair, they always grow back. However, the growth rate slows down if you pluck hair consistently.  Consistent plucking can lead to slower growth rates, but it will not prevent hair from eventually regrowing. 3. Does Hair Grow Back Thicker if You Pluck It? Plucking the hair from the follicles does not affect its density, texture, or thickness. It is because once the hair is removed, the follicle regenerates the same hair. So, it does not grow back thicker if you pluck it. 4. How to Reduce Pain Caused by Plucking Hair? You can reduce the pain caused by plucking by, Managing pain effectively can enhance your hair removal experience and make the process more tolerable. Scrubbing the skin well a few days before plucking hair Exfoliating the skin helps to remove dead skin cells, which can make plucking less painful and more effective. Opening the pores by rinsing the face with lukewarm water or keeping a warm towel on the face Warm water or heat can help relax the skin and open up the pores, making hair removal easier and less uncomfortable. Keeping your skin taut in the area you are plucking hair Tightening the skin reduces movement during plucking, which can minimize discomfort and improve efficiency. Letting the hair grow to an appropriate length before tweezing it Allowing hair to reach a suitable length can make plucking easier, as shorter hairs may be harder to grasp and remove. Taking an over-the-counter painkiller Using pain relievers can provide additional comfort before and after the plucking process. Conclusion  Plucking is the method of air removal in which tweezers are used to remove the hair from the roots. This method allows you to stay hair-free for a month. However, it can cause pain, ingrown hair, folliculitis, skin scarring, and hyperpigmentation. You can take safety precautions to reduce such side effects. Furthermore, you can avoid them by stopping to pluck unwanted hair. Instead, IPL hair removal can prove to be a better hair removal method for you. Considering alternative methods like IPL hair removal might offer a longer-lasting solution with potentially fewer side effects. Ulike Welcome to Ulike! We hope our expertise can bring value to you.