Some of us naturally have excess facial and body hair while others are facing conditions like PCOS that contribute to our men-like hair growth.
There are many ways to remove these hairs but some of them are very expensive and others are temporary. So, what can we do? There should be a way to stop hair growth, right?
But, unfortunately, there are no methods with a 100% success rate that stops hair growth naturally.
Still, don’t be sad because if you cannot stop them, you can at least slow down their growth. How? This is what we are going to discuss in this article.
So, are you ready to reduce one of the biggest problems in your life?
What is Excessive Hair Growth and What Causes it?
Although it is natural for both men and women to have body hair but their growth pattern is different from each other.
Men usually have more facial hair as compared to females and their hair is more coarse and thicker as well. If a female’s body hair starts growing in a similar pattern to that of men, this condition of excessive hair growth is called hirsutism [1].
It is mainly caused by excess production of androgens in the female body which may be due to PCOS, Cushing Syndrome, any tumor, and medications like minoxidil.
Occurrence: It occurs in 5-10% of the total female population and is one of the most common complaints of females in the dermatology department.
How to Reduce Body Hair Growth in Females Naturally?
Some females have naturally more hair as compared to others while some females having hirsutism suffer from excessive growth of unwanted body hair. The methods we listed below can help both cases to reduce your hair growth naturally.
Maintain a Healthy Daily Routine
Changing your diet and having a healthy daily routine can help you with reducing hair growth. Wondering if it is really possible? Well, inorganic foods like packet foods, or refined food items can increase the levels of androgens thus increasing your hair growth. So, replace it with organic foods to stop the overproduction of androgens.
Green vegetables and blueberries can help as they are rich in antioxidants so there will be a reduction in unwanted hair growth while improvement in scalp hair growth [2]. Furthermore, Saw Palmetto also reduces facial hair growth by blocking DHT which triggers excess hair growth.
Use Supermint Tea
Supermint is a herb rich in antioxidants that aid in slowing down the growth of your unwanted hair. It directly affects your testosterone which is the main cause of excess hair or hirsutism. Taking the tea twice a day for five days decreases the levels of testosterone in your body [3] which helps with hirsutism and also PCOS.
So, making this natural remedy a part of your diet can help with the stress caused by the extra growth of your unwanted hair. It is also good for digestion and maintaining the balance of hormones in your body.
Eat Soy Products
Another addition you can make to your diet for working against unwanted facial hair is using soy products. For example, soy milk is milk derived from a plant that can help in reducing your facial hair. It lightens your skin, reduces hair growth, and decreases the dimensions of your hair shaft [4].
In addition to this, soybean is rich in proteins and fibres so they can also help with reducing hair growth and fight PCOS.
Intake of Vitamins
Vitamins play a major role in determining your health condition. If we specifically talk about hair growth and vitamins, you will be happy to hear that Vitamin E also works against excessive hair growth. It reduces the effect of testosterone by regulating the production of androgens.
Want to know some foods that naturally contain Vitamin E? They are broccoli, almonds, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. In addition to Vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin D supplementation can also aid in the reduction of unwanted body hair.
Home Remedies
Until now we have discussed how adding certain nutrients to your diet can help against hirsutism or PCOS and reduce hair growth. Now, we will discuss the topical application of some natural products to slow down your hair growth.
Turmeric
Antioxidants aid in slowing down hair growth and since turmeric is a good anti-oxidant so it can help in reducing the unwanted body and facial hair. You can mix turmeric with a variety of ingredients like milk or baking soda to make an effective paste. These mixtures can slow down hair growth and also remove the already present body and facial hair.
How to Make: Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda and add it to 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder. Now you need to make a paste by adding water and mix it thoroughly
What to do: Apply the mixture gently on your body and then let it dry for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use lukewarm water to remove the paste.
Lentils and Potato
There is no evidence about potatoes or lentils reduce your hair growth but their mixture in the right proportion can certainly get rid of unwanted body and facial hair. Moreover, potatoes also have bleaching properties so their use can lighten your hair color which is almost similar to having no hair, right? The addition of lentils makes the hair removal process easier.
How to Make: Soak lentils overnight and grind them in the morning. Now, extract some potato juice by grating the tomatoes and then pressing the grated tomato with a spoon. Mix both of these and add a bit of honey and lemon to the paste.
What to Do: Apply the mixture, let it dry for 15 minutes, and then peel it off.
Lavender and Tea Tree Oil
Lavender and Tea Tree oils are helpful in treating mild hirsutism which means they have the ability to reduce or slow down the growth of unwanted hair. Their topical application leads to some anti-androgenic activities which leads to reduced hair growth.
How to Make: Add 1 teaspoon of lavender oil in 3 drops of tea tree oil and mix them properly
What to Do: Take a cotton ball and apply this to your face twice a day. It may take up to 3 months to get your desired results so be patient and consistent after starting this home remedy.
For larger parts like legs or arms, you can mix these two oils in larger amounts.
Lemon and Honey
Lemon and honey are not clinically considered to have any effect on your hair follicles so it is still unclear about their relation with reduced hair growth. But, it is for sure that they can remove your hair by acting like wax. They not only remove your hair but also make your skin glowing, silky, and smooth.
How to Make: Blend two tablespoons of lemon with 4 tablespoons of honey
What to Do: Apply the mixture on your body or face and let it stay for 10 minutes. Then rinse it off.
If your skin is sensitive, then it is better not to apply lemon on your face or at least do a patch test before application.
Want to know about some other natural hair removal methods? Click, How to Remove Unwanted Hair At Home Naturally .
Basil Leaves and Onion
Onions and basil leaves are a must-have ingredient in your kitchen. There are not able to add taste just to your favorite dishes but can also reduce your hair growth by breaking down proteins present in your hair. Moreover, basil leaves have the ability to moisturize your skin and fight against fungus so they keep your skin clean and fresh.
How to Make: Mash 5-6 basil leaves with 1/4th of onion and make a paste of these two items
What to do: Apply this paste on the area where you want reduced hair for at least 20 minutes. Practicing this 2 times a week can show you beneficial results in a few months.
Conclusion
In the above article, we have mentioned some ways to reduce the growth of your facial and body hair naturally. They might not work for all but can be effective for most people. These natural ways can be time taking so the only way you can get rid of your hair long-lastingly is electrolysis.
It is an at-clinic procedure so if you want an at-home treatment, you can use the Ulike Sapphire Air3 IPL Hair removal handset that is as quick and convenient as your natural remedies but provides better results.
References
[1] Silonie Sachdeva (2010). HIRSUTISM: EVALUATION AND TREATMENT, National Library of Medicine.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2856356/#:~:text=Hirsutism
[2] Lim Ai Beoy,Wong Jia Woei,and Yuen Kah Hay1 (2010). Effects of Tocotrienol Supplementation on Hair Growth in Human Volunteers, National Library of Medicine.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3819075/
[3] Mehmet Akdoğan, Mehmet Numan Tamer, Erkan Cüre, Medine Cumhur Cüre, Banu Kale Köroğlu, Namik Delibaş (2007). Effect of spearmint (Mentha spicata Labiatae) teas on androgen levels in women with hirsutism, National Library of Medicine
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17310494/
[4] M Seiberg, J C Liu, L Babiarz, E Sharlow, S Shapiro (2001). Soymilk reduces hair growth and hair follicle dimensions, National Library of Medicine.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11737259/
