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While on a press tour in LA late last week, standing around rubbing elbows with members of media during a cocktail party, myself and two other writers were having an in-depth conversation about something significant and worrisome. And no, I’m not talking about politics, patriarchy or the terrorist attacks happening around the world. I’m talking about body hair. Did I mention it was a cocktail party? Therefore, topics of conversation stayed on the playful/laid back/shallow side.
I can’t even tell you how it started, but one of the women shared that she had a laser hair-removal procedure done down there because she was sick and tired of dealing with pubic hair. It took a whopping 14 sessions to rid her of any signs of a bush, and it wasn’t cheap, but she was happy with the results, going as far as to even recommend it to her mother. That catapulted into a conversation about body hair in general, including hair on one’s breasts and that pesky nipple hair.
“Sometimes I look down, and there are these ridiculously long pieces of hair on my chest,” said the other editor. “I usually pluck them out, but they come back even longer sometimes.”
I went on to say that I often shave those hairs off from time to time (in between pulling at them and curling them like the bows on gifts when I’m bored). But just like the other women, mine (which are more on my breasts than my nipples) always grow back here and there and grow back longer and longer. And while they’re not thick patches or anything that noticeable, they’re definitely annoying.
So how do you deal with them?
After doing my research, I found that my shaving method to get rid of breast hair is not a good idea after all. Same for depilatory creams. According to New Health Guide, the skin around the areola is quite sensitive so it could become irritated and your mammary glands could be affected. And according to Go Ask Alice:
“…one of the downsides to shaving hair in this sensitive area is that it could potentially lead to blocked follicles which may turn into benign yet un-fun sebaceous cysts. Other options like plucking, waxing/sugaring, and depilatory creams have similar potential for causing blocked follicles, ingrown hairs, infection, hyperpigmentation (discoloration of the skin), scarring, and just generally for being unpleasant in many cases.”
Both electrolysis and laser treatments, obviously the pricier options, are recommended for being a permanent option. But if the irritation or the extensive treatments aren’t your thing, scissors are also an option–though they won’t necessarily put a halt to the hairs and would just trim them. And plucking out the hair may not be so bad after all, because successfully pulling strands straight out could keep ingrown hairs from popping up.
But as women, most of us know that odd hairs come with the territory. Whether they’re popping up here and there on your cheeks, your chin, your stomach, in between your chest, all over your arms or on your breasts, the strand struggle is real.
I say all that to say, a few hairs here and there around the areola or breast, in general, isn’t a big deal. However, if you do see a noticeable increase, you might want to speak up about it with your doctor or gynecologist.
