Hair Removal for Redheads and Ginger Hair
Some of the most beautiful Hollywood stars have been redheads: Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore. At Tej & Co, we celebrate your flaming locks, but we realise you need specialist help with hair removal. Fortunately, we are experts in hair removal for sensitive-skinned redheads, including men, women and transgender clients.
Lasers are not your friend
Lasers have limited success because your red hairs don’t have enough melanin pigment to absorb the laser light. (Laser targets and destroys brown, melanin-rich pigment at hair follicle base). Redheads have very light facial and body hair with sensitive porcelain skin thanks to the MCR1 gene, which regulates your skin pigment and hair colour. (To learn more about the MCR1 gene responsible for your red hair, read our blog post: Redhead Skin.
Electrolysis for facial hair removal
Electrolysis is by far the most effective permanent hair removal for redheads. This quick, safe and virtually pain-free method targets and removes individual hairs. In the short term, your hairs grow back finer and more slowly, and after several treatments, they’ll be gone altogether.
Electrolysis uses a fine needle to inject a tiny burst of heat into your hair follicle root, which weakens the hair and gradually destroys it over the treatment course. It’s especially effective for your upper lip, chin, cheeks and eyebrows.
Case Study – Zoe’s story
Zoe has been a client at Tej & Co since September 2021, when she developed facial hair following the birth of her son.
“After the birth of my second son, I grew a full beard. It rivalled my husbands and was something to behold! I was shaving twice a day because it was bad, really noticeable.
I was constantly aware of regrowth and couldn’t look at people directly because of shaving rashes and spots; it was constantly sore. I would wear my hair down so it could hide my face. I’ve been with my husband for 11 years and hated him touching my face, even when he looked at me lovingly. I was a shadow of who I am today.
Before going to Tej, I couldn’t find anyone in my situation, so I got disheartened. Three years later, there’s a massive difference between what I see and how I feel. My skin is much better because I’m not shaving it daily. My skin was really dry, and I had to put loads of cream on my face, which irritated where I’d shaved, leaving lots of red bumps that looked like acne.
Hopefully, if one person reads this and is in a similar boat, it will give them hope.”
Zoe’s Electrolysis journey at Tej & Co.
“Lasers weren’t going to work on ginger hair. I googled electrolysis for ginger hair, and Tej was the nearest to me and had the best reviews, so I booked a consultation. I cried for ages afterwards when I realised I could get rid of it.
Tej made me feel comfortable and was really supportive. But starting treatment was hard as I needed to grow out the hair, so I didn’t socialise with anyone except my husband, mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. The first session was an hour – only about a thumb-sized area of hair removal to begin with, and I was so disheartened, thinking this would take forever.
I started having two-hour sessions twice a week. It was intense, but they wouldn’t quite get it all, and that was weekly. Now I’m down to fifteen minutes, and what comes through is much lighter and softer. Unless you shine a light, you really can’t see it. I’ve had Sarah for the last two years; she is wonderful, friendly, and calming. She always checks if I’m okay.
Now I’m so confident in my skin. I work full-time and am much more social; I wear my hair up more and hold my head up in conversation with anyone. And best of all, my husband touches my face, and I don’t wince. I’m on the last stretch of this journey and feel free rather than worried and reclusive. I’m looking forward to enjoying facials and massages, which was a distant and unachievable thought three years ago.”
Waxing for redheads and ginger hair
Shaving gives sensitive redheads a raw deal, leaving your skin red, tight and irritated. You are already disadvantaged because your leaky skin barrier lets moisture out and irritants in. By targeting hairs above the surface, shaving can often lead to an ugly rash as hair grows back.
At Tej & Co., we recommend waxing your body instead – as long as it is done by a therapist experienced in redhead skin and body hair. Unlike shaving, waxing removes your hair right at the root, so it takes longer to grow back. We use only the best quality Outback Organic hypoallergenic and vegan-friendly wax, which has a low melting point and is fast drying. Yes, it can be a little uncomfortable at first, but it’s quick and gets easier with each wax as your hair grows back more sparsely. Our highly experienced therapists pride themselves on minimising the ouch factor for you!
(For intimate waxing, our specialist non-strip wax sticks to the hair, not the skin, shrink-wrapping each hair, so it is much more comfortable).
If you would like to talk to us about your skin or unwanted hair concern, email us we’d be happy to help.
