For many people with deeper skin tones, removing hair on the face and body can bring additional concerns. Since many types of hair removal can cause skin irritation, you may be left with hyperpigmented skin, making it look like the hair is still there. Before your next hair removal session, consider ways to successfully remove unwanted hair while minimizing hyperpigmentation.

Choose The Right Method

Shaving and waxing hair are more likely to cause irritation or damage to the skin. If your skin tends to keloid after injuries, which is more common in deeper skin tones, you should avoid shaving. Tweeze small areas of hair, such as cleaning up your eyebrows or other sparse hairs. Threading is another good method of removing hair. As long as the thread used glides across your skin during the process, it should not cause skin irritation.

Another option for larger areas of hair is using depilatory creams, but they should be used with caution. Do a test patch on different areas where you plan to use the product. This will help you determine how long it takes to successfully remove hair since it will vary on different areas of your body. Additionally, after doing a test patch, wait a few days before proceeding  with removing hair. You need time to determine if you will experience any irritation, breakouts, or other adverse reactions.

Minimize Hyperpigmented Areas

If you currently have hyperpigmented areas, they will usually fade over time as long as you stop any hair removal methods that cause irritation. To help speed up the process, there are natural and retail products you can use. You can start by applying lemon juice to the affected area. With regular use, you should notice some lightening of hyperpigmentation. Since lemon juice is acidic, you should use it with care—it may cause burning if your skin is currently irritated or sensitive. The most common retail products to minimize hyperpigmentation are creams containing hydroquinone, which is a skin lightening ingredient.

Try Laser Treatments

For larger and more sensitive areas, such as your underarms and bikini area, consider investing in laser treatments to remove hair permanently and reduce the likelihood of subsequent hyperpigmentation. Many people with deeper skin tones do not consider laser treatments because they believe it is only effective on people with a combination of lighter skin and dark hair. Laser hair removal has greatly improved and people of varying skin tones and hair colors can finally rid themselves of unwanted hair. Before choosing a dermatologist, find one that is comfortable and highly experienced with using lasers on deeper skin tones. Ask for before and after pictures of clients with similar skin tones before making your decision.

Although removing unwanted hair is a common concern across many different skin tones, having deeper skin can bring additional worries. If you are concerned about hyperpigmentation from hair removal methods, there are options available to make hair removal treatments easier and with less chance of hyperpigmentation.