How Many Times Do You Have to Pluck a Hair Before It Stops Growing?
If you are having problems with unwanted hair, you might be wondering how to get rid of it for good. Shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams only work for so long, but what about plucking?
While results and regrowth periods vary greatly from one person to the next, plucking will usually remove a hair for anything from 3-6 weeks.
How does Plucking or Tweezing Work?
When you pluck a hair, you are using tweezers to hold on to one single hair and pull it out from its roots. For hair removal with plucking, you need to work hair by hair, which can take a long time, and can be a bit painful.
There are also other methods for plucking, that can hold onto many hairs at once, such as a spring tweezers. Also, an epilator is an electric device which has rotating tweezers that hold on to the hair and pull it out from the root. However when we talk about plucking, we mainly refer to the act of using tweezers to pull out a single hair.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Plucking?
If you have asked the question of how many times you have to pluck a hair before it stops growing altogether, then you probably already tweeze your brows, or you are considering this option as a way of getting rid of your hair on a more permanent basis. In this section, we talk about the pros and cons of tweezing.
Advantages of Plucking
Convenience – Tweezing unwanted hairs are quick, it’s easy, and it’s convenient. There is no preparation work required, nor do you need to buy any other products.
Short and Long-Term Results – While some people may pluck their eyebrows to meet with a specific style, this needs to be done with caution as plucking over time can cause the hair to regrow thinner and smaller. If you want to change the shape of your brows, then your options are limited because regrowth will be sparser.
Tweezing for All Over Effects – When you pluck a hair with tweezers, you are not limited to one area. A good pair of slanted tweezers can work on the shortest of hairs without the risk of breaking them.
Low-Cost – A pair of tweezers doesn’t cost very much. Considering they will last forever, and they can be used on all parts of the body time and time again; the cost vs. the return is exceptional.
Disadvantages of Plucking
Time Factor – For some people, especially those who want to know how many times you have to pluck a hair before it stops growing, the whole process of plucking over and over again is a daunting thought. Because you need to pluck each hair one by one, it is usually only suitable for smaller areas of hair. When compared with shaving or waxing, for instance, it is a time-intensive operation.
Risk of Scarring – Some people can dig into their skin when trying to get the tweezers to grab hold of the hair closest to the skin. This can cause scarring from any scabs or scrapes.
Mild Discomfort – As anyone who has ever plucked hairs will confirm, there is a mild level of discomfort associated with plucking. With the majority of people using tweezers to pluck unwanted hairs from their face, and this being a particularly sensitive part of the body, it’s no wonder that people will often resort to shaving or using depilatory creams, both of which will not cause any pain.
Is It Better to Shave or Pluck Unwanted Facial Hair?
There are many ways a person can get rid of unwanted hair on the face. Plucking and shaving remain two of the most popular ways to remove excess facial hair. Despite the very short-term discomfort that is typically associated with plucking, it remains to be the most effective way to remove hair.
With shaving, it is possible to incur irritation of the skin, redness, and in some cases, ingrowing hairs can result following a shave.
Waxing is another popular choice, and over time, it can result in a reduction of the hair growth in the area that is being waxed. For many, the sharp pain linked to waxing tends to put them off. Aside from this, you need to let your hair grow to a certain length before it can be waxed and for many, this just isn’t a feasible option. Especially when the hair is present on the face or other exposed areas.
All of these hair removal treatments are relatively inexpensive and require no training or skills to do them for yourself at home.
Laser Hair Removal, IPL, and Electrolysis are also becoming more popular in both men and women who want to reduce the appearance of unwanted hair. They are effective over the course of treatments which will always need to be undertaken by a qualified professional. The hair removal results are long-lasting as the majority of these treatments will serve to destroy the root of the hair. Regrowth of the hair is unlikely once the course is complete, and if it does occur, it is most likely going to be noticeably thinner and lighter.
When you pluck a hair on your body with tweezers, it will remove the hair shaft from the skin from the root. Experts suggest that if you have unwanted hair on your eyebrows, nipples, around moles or if you have ingrowing hairs; it is best not to pluck those areas.
Does Plucking Help to Stop Unwanted Hair Growth?
Plucking a hair regularly can have an effect on the hair follicle, some women say it helped making it more likely that the hair that regrows is thinner and shorter. However, this may take a long time, and does not cause the hair to stop regrowing.
If you are looking to permanently reduce or stop your hair growth, you should be looking for permanent or semi-permanent hair removal methods such as laser hair removal, IPL or electrolysis. Read more about them in our overview here.
