Hair on Shaft How to Get Rid of

Swapping tips with your close pals on where to get the best bikini wax is nothing new. But if you've spotted strays in less openly discussed spots, you're still in good company.

Never-before-seen body hairs pop up as a result of natural hormonal changes as you age: Estrogen levels dip, and testosterone levels can rise, says Sandy Tsao, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School. This change can trigger hairs to sprout in unusual spots. "My female patients jokingly tell me the world is a cruel place—they're losing hair on their heads and getting more in areas where they don't want it," she says.

If you notice a rapid growth of hair in the following spots, see your doctor to rule out underlying medical issues, like a thyroid condition. But if it's just a few new strays, you can't prevent them, but you can remove them, Tsao says. Here's how to pull it off—without any unsightly evidence that you did.

Chin

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It's not unusual to discover a few darker-than-normal hairs here, thanks to age-related shifting hormone levels.
Remove it: Go ahead and grab the odd hair with a pair of tweezers. For denser growth plucking may be too tedious, so consider seeing a professional for threading. It will gently remove hairs from the area, particularly ones you'd have trouble seeing on your own, like those under your jawline.
Tip: Avoid waxing this spot. Doing so can trigger irritation, particularly in women using the chemical exfoliant Retin-A, whose top layer of skin may come off (ouch!) along with the hair, says Arielle Kauvar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York Laser & Skin Care in New York City. Depilatories are also a no-no, since these hair-dissolving creams can create redness and irritation that will be far more noticeable than a hair or two, says Tsao.

MORE: The Risks Of Laser Hair Removal

Back or décolleté
Because hair growth associated with menopausefollows a "male pattern," strays can show up on your back and chest, too.
Remove it: Use a depilatory cream, which is ideal for tackling wide swaths of skin and easy to smooth on a hard-to-reach area like your back. If you're not down to DIY, schedule an appointment for a professional wax—they'll have a much better vantage point, and it should be relatively pain-free in this tough-skinned area.
Tip: If you can't keep up with the regrowth, consider a more permanent treatment like laser hair removal, recommends Kauvar. "It's efficient and effective on larger, dense areas of hair," she says.

Face
You may have dealt with this peach fuzz all of your life (it's genetic), particularly around your cheeks and near your hairline, but it can become more noticeable with age-related estrogen dips.
Remove it: Shaving, which causes stubble, isn't your best bet. Opt for electrolysis, which can give you the smooth skin you want and, unlike laser hair removal, works on hair of all shades, not just super-dark strands. You'll need several $25 to $150 sessions, depending on how extensive the treatment is (expect anything from 5 minutes for one-off hairs to an hour or more to tackle larger facial sections).
Tip: Facial ingrowns aren't common, especially if you're not shaving, but if one does pop up Tsao suggests applying a warm, wet compress to the area two to three times per day. Follow up by dabbing on an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to encourage the hair to work its way out.

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Nipples
A few rogue hairs here are a run-of-the-mill side effect of shifting hormones.
Remove it: If it's just an occasional hair, pluck it. Tweezing is a harmless way to remove nipple hair, says Tsao. If you can't keep up with this strategy, laser hair removal is safe and effective for the areola, says Kauvar. You'll likely need about 4 to 5 treatments, but the cost to treat the small area should be around $50.
Tip: Don't tweeze hairs two weeks before a mammogram. It can cause inflammation, which may affect the results, says Tsao.

Abdomen

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The navel is a common spot for excess hair in women, no matter what your age, says Kauvar.
Remove it: Your best bet is to try waxing—it's a quick method for removal. If your hair is dark and thick, laser treatments are a more permanent alternative. You'll need several treatments (about $75 a pop) to completely rid yourself of hair here, though the exact number you'll need varies from person to person.
Tip: Prevent ingrowns by keeping the hair follicle moisturized with a lotion spiked with gentle exfoliating acids, like Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Body Cream ($8, nipandfab.com). (Get a full body workout and a sexy flat belly, all with Prevention's new workout!)

Knuckles and toes
Many women begin to notice hair on their knuckles and toes around puberty, but age-related hormonal changes can cause hair to grow in thicker and darker.
Remove it:If the hair is light, try waxing or plucking (shaving will leave you with sandal-unfriendly stubble). Dark, thick, curly hairs are more susceptible to ingrowns, says Kauvar, so if you frequently suffer hair removal side effects, consider laser removal, which is perfect for targeting dark hair.
Tip:To avoid ingrowns, exfoliate with a foot scrub, likeNeal's Yard Remedies Pumice Foot Scrub ($22, nealsyardremedies.com), and moisturize the area the day or night before you plan to wax or shave.

Nose Hair
Men are more likely to deal with this than women, but if you do notice longer hairs in your nostrils, don't stress—it's one of the easiest hair issues to fix.
Remove it: Use a nose hair trimmer to clean up nostrils. It's easy, quick, and, because the hair is in your nose and you're not removing it from your skin, you don't have to worry as much about visible regrowth.
Tip:Women aren't often saddled with ear hair, but if you see a few, know that most ear trimmers work in the nose, too—we like Remington's Nose, Ear & Brow Trimmer ($14, ulta.com).

MORE: Hair Removal Tips For Every Body Part

Jessica Migala Jessica Migala is a health writer specializing in general wellness, fitness, nutrition, and skincare, with work published in Women's Health, Glamour, Health, Men's Health, and more.

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Hair on Shaft How to Get Rid of

Source: https://www.prevention.com/beauty/a20449778/weird-hair-growth-and-removal/