Have Facial Hair? 4 Small Ways to Embrace It

Donna barbuta, sempre piaciuta is a famous Italian proverb, which translates to “a bearded woman is always liked.” While it’s nice to know that somewhere in the world, excess facial hair is celebrated and even considered attractive, in most contexts, it’s still something that society looks down on.

All women naturally have facial hair, the light-colored, fine variety often referred to as “peach fuzz.” Hirsutism is the phenomenon of excess hair in women. It is a condition where the hair grows coarse and dark and is associated with high testosterone levels. The most common causes of hirsutism are polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), adrenal gland disorders, and certain medications.

While excessive facial hair is not harmful or dangerous, the underlying causes may present health issues and uncomfortable symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you suspect that the reasons above are causing your excess facial hair. Facial hair removal options — such as laser hair removal, hormone therapy, waxing, and shaving — are available if the growth gets too much to handle.

However, if you’re dealing with peach fuzz, you may want to leave it alone and embrace it. You can help normalize facial and body hair on women for those living and dealing with more. Here are a few small ways you can show that you're cool with your facial hair.

Eyebrows are no longer just patches of hair that frame your face; they’ve also become fashion statements. With the popularity of so-called caterpillar eyebrows over the past couple of years, it’s unlikely that they’ll completely go away even with the resurgence of the pencil-thin brows of the ‘90s (looking at you, Bella Hadid). If you’ve got the goods — that is, bushy eyebrows that grow continually and evenly that they’re so easy to style — embrace them!

Baby hair was once considered unattractive because they create an irregular hairline and make the rest of the hair difficult to style. Since they’re so close to your face, they can be considered as facial hair, too. If you have baby hair and find them unsightly, try styling them. Lay them flat on your skin close to the hairline and create small swirls with hairspray for a trendy look.

One of the main reasons Filipino women wax their peach fuzz is because, unlike Caucasians, your natural facial hairs are not blonde or white. They’re usually brown or black and can affect the perceived brightness and clarity of your skin and face.

Some women resort to depilatory creams, dermaplaning, or waxing. Others opt for more long-term treatments, such as Revlite, a non-invasive laser treatment that almost instantly removes unwanted pigments on the skin. It also incidentally “whitens” peach fuzz to make them less visible. Both these routes are effective, but they can be costly, irritating, and a hassle to maintain.

If you’re dealing with small amounts of facial hair, leaving it alone will help give your skin a break and maybe even help you see that they’re NBD. To help brighten your skin, use POND's Triple Glow Serum, which uses Gluta-Boost C, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to smoothen, hydrate, and even out the skin. Top it off with POND'S Age Miracle Anti-Aging Day Cream, which protects the skin with SPF while promoting collagen production and skin renewal.

If you want to take your role as an ally to all women who have excessive facial hair, it may help to normalize it by rocking your peach fuzz in your next selfie. Sure, it’s a small thing and you shouldn’t expect it to start a wave of pro-facial hair posts, but it helps even one woman feel less alienated, it’s probably worth it.