7 Ways To Get Rid Of Peach Fuzz On Your Face Once And For All

Body hair is nothing to be ashamed of. After all, everyone—and I do mean everyone—has it. Peach fuzz, specifically, is soft, very fine hair that grows all over your face and body, and even though it's barely noticeable in most cases, it's not abnormal to want to get rid of it.

The good news is that, in 2023, there are several expert-recommended ways to remove peach fuzz, and they all have their own sets of benefits and drawbacks. Some hair removal methods require a little more time and money, while others are inexpensive yet not as effective. The bottom line is there's a method out there for everyone.

Meet the experts: Delcy Stoddard is a medical aesthetician at SkinSpirit. Kiran Mian, DO, FAAD is a medical and aesthetic dermatologist in New York City. Stacie Harding is the senior corporate field trainer at European Wax Center. Umbreen Sheikh is the founder of Wink Brow Bar.

From shaving and waxing to laser hair removal and electrolysis, read ahead as a few experts take us through all the ways you can get rid of peach fuzz (and the do's and don'ts of each).

First, what is peach fuzz?

"Peach fuzz refers to those little baby hairs that glisten in the light, claiming real estate on your face, upper lip, cheek, and chin," says Delcy Stoddard, medical aesthetician at SkinSpirit. This is also known as vellus hair, and even though it grows all over your body, it's usually lighter in color and not as thick or visible as, say, the hair on your head.

How to remove peach fuzz from your face

There are a handful of ways to remove peach fuzz from your face, and whichever one you choose all comes down to what your preferences are.

Shaving

Shaving is the easiest and most inexpensive hair removal method there is since it’s very quick and painless, and it gets the job done without there being a lot of extra fuss involved. When shaving your face, Kiran Mian, DO, FAAD, a medical and aesthetic dermatologist in New York City, recommends using a small eyebrow razor, though you can also use an electric or disposable razor. “Hold at a close angle against the skin and gently glide down in small strokes going with the direction of hair growth,” she says. Shaving should also be done on clean, dry skin, and Dr. Mian suggests using a blade that has an angle “so it can fit the curvature of the face.”

• Pros: Very easy, painless
• Cons: Can cause ingrown hairs, cuts, or razor burn if done incorrectly

Waxing

Waxing removes the hair from the roots with help from a sticky wax that’s applied to the area before being ripped away along with all of your unwanted hair. You can get pretty much any part of your body waxed, and the good news is that a wax can typically last you four to five weeks. The only real downside is that waxing can be painful, and the skin can become irritated afterward if done incorrectly or if the wax is too hot. To prevent irritation and dryness, Stacie Harding, senior corporate field trainer at European Wax Center, says to pay attention to what you’re putting on your skin before and after waxing. “Keeping the skin hydrated and moisturized regularly will assist in alleviating dry, flaky skin,” she says. “You should also avoid tanning in the sun or in a salon to prevent irritated or burned skin.”

Additionally, Harding recommends you stop using products containing retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, astringents, or vitamin C the week before you wax. While waxing can be done at home, you’re more likely to get more precise results if you see an aesthetician or professional.

• Pros: Lasts a few weeks at a time, inexpensive
• Cons: Painful, can be messy

Depilatory creams

These are hair removal creams that can be applied to pretty much any part of your body like a lotion in order to break down the hair on a given area and ultimately remove it. They’re most commonly used on the face, legs, and bikini area, and they’re meant to be wiped or washed off after a few minutes—essentially it’s an alternative to shaving and waxing that’s very quick and painless! If you happen to use a hair removal cream on your face, Dr. Mian recommends following the instructions on the packaging and ensuring that you don’t leave the product on for too long to avoid irritation. She also notes that hair removal creams are only meant to be applied to external areas, meaning that, in this case, they shouldn’t go inside your nose. “Applying a bit of Vaseline to the areas you don't want the cream to end up first will help protect that sensitive skin,” she says.

• Pros: Inexpensive, easy to do at home
• Cons: Can be irritating for sensitive skin, results aren’t long-lasting

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Threading

Threading is an ancient hair removal technique that’s ideal for small areas of the body, though it’s most commonly associated with the brows. “It’s where we take a twisted cotton thread and use it to gently pull the hair from the follicle,” Umbreen Sheikh, founder of Wink Brow Bar, told WH in a previous story. The good news is that threading isn’t just for your brows, and any place that you go to get your brows threaded should also be able to use the technique to remove hair from other parts of your face as well.

Threading is a great option for people who don’t want to risk irritating their skin with hair removal creams or want something a little more precise than waxing. "I prefer threading over waxing, as it minimizes tension and pulling on the skin and is less forceful," says Dr. Mian. "This type of hair removal is best for fine straight hair. If you have thicker or curly hair, it can cause ingrowns." According to Sheikh, threading should last you about two to four weeks, depending how fast your hair typically grows.

• Pros: Inexpensive, can last a few weeks
• Cons: Should only be done by a professional, slightly painful

Laser hair removal

Laser hair removallaser hair removal

Laser hair removal is most effective when done by a professional, though there are plenty of devices out there that allow you to zap away body hair from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, it works best on darker hair colors. “The one limitation of laser hair removal is it cannot be done on white or gray hair, only hair with pigment,” Dr. Mian says. And while pain is subjective, if you’re getting laser hair removal for the first time, you shouldn’t expect to feel a lot of pain—most people would compare the feeling to being snapped with a rubber band.

• Pros: Very effective, hair takes longer to grow back in between sessions
• Cons: Expensive, not a great option for people with white or gray hair

Electrolysis

For people with blonde, white, or gray hair, Dr. Mian recommends electrolysis, a method that uses electric pulses to destroy hair from the root. “Electrolysis decreases the amount of hair over time similar to laser hair removal, but can be more painful,” she adds. With this technique, each follicle is heated up one by one using a metal probe.

• Pros: More effective than shaving and waxing, great for people with lighter hair colors
• Cons: Painful, expensive

Dermaplaning

"Dermaplaning is a form of manual exfoliation used to slough off the outer layer of dead skin cells, debris, and vellus hair, revealing a smoother, brighter complexion," Stoddard says. "Once the top layer of dead skin is removed, it allows for deeper penetration of topical skincare products, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and allows for a more flawless makeup application."

While dermaplaning can remove hair and peach fuzz from the face, it’s not the same as shaving, since this is typically done with a scalpel, whereas shaving is done with a razor and isn’t meant to exfoliate.

This is another technique that can technically be performed at home, though it might be safer and more effective to see a professional about it. The results may give you smoother, softer skin, it’s something that has to be done repeatedly, and it isn’t permanent. “Dermaplaning is great for removing unpigmented hairs, but does not decrease the amount of hair overtime and will need to be done continuously,” says Dr. Mian.

• Pros: Painless, exfoliates to leave the skin softer and smoother
• Cons: Has to be done continuously, in-office treatments can be expensive

Will peach fuzz grow back thicker after removing?

A common misconception among people with facial hair is that shaving or dermaplaning the hair will cause it to grow back thicker or more prominent. Rest assured, that's actually not the case. "The results from dermaplaning will leave you defuzzed and as smooth as a glazed donut," Stoddard says. "The hair will grow back in four to five weeks after the treatment, but it will not change in color or thickness, and new skin cells will grow, which eventually turns into dead skin."

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Danielle Jackson

Senior Beauty Editor

Danielle is the senior beauty editor at Women's Health. Her apartment is currently littered with beauty products, but when she's not testing them all out, you can find her watching facial ASMR videos on YouTube, binge-watching The Golden Girls on Hulu, and reading rom-coms.