by Megan Stoddard

Created on: December 24, 2009

If you are a woman who is subject to mustache hairs and other facial hair growth, chances are you have tried many methods of removal. And chances are that you have found few, if any, of them satisfactory.

The Bellabe (pronounced Bella-bee) facial hair remover is not the perfect method, but it does have many advantages. Unlike commercial hair removal creams, it is chemical free. Unlike shaving, it removes hairs by the root, making them not so fast to grow back. Unlike laser treatments or threading done in a salon, it is self administered and much cheaper. It is quicker and (in my experience) somewhat less painful than tweezing. It does not affect the skin, and is safe to use over moles.

Consisting of a tightly coiled spring with a plastic handle on either end, the Bellabe  was designed as a simple method of threading. In traditional hair threading, which is commonly done in the Middle East, women remove facial hair by rapidly twisting a thick cotton thread against the face. This technique takes some practice to learn and is tricky to self administer. It is a service offered in salons, in areas where there is a significant population familiar with facial hair threading.

The Bellabe facial hair remover is meant to be self administered and easy to learn to use. Holding each handle between your thumb and your first two fingers, bend the spring into an upside down U shape. Place it against your face, where you want to remove hair. If removing mustache hairs, it helps to push your tongue against the spot you are threading, so as to make the skin taut. Then, twist the handles, rolling them inward and outward, back and forth.

If done correctly, the spring will yank the hairs out. Bellabe's website says that you may feel a "tingling sensation." In my own experience, it isn't tingling, it hurts. But it does not hurt as much as tweezing. Except in the most sensitive spot, which for me is right under my nose, it is mostly pain at too low a level to really be pain. I find that what soreness I do have is soothed if I put witch hazel on the treated spot afterward.

I have also found the hair removal to not be quite as quick and seamless as the product website makes it out to be. Often, I have to go over the same spot more than once to remove all the hairs. But the Bellabe does remove them, and it is much faster than tweezing. It takes about two to three weeks for the hair to grow back.

The Bellabe hair remover is only meant for use on the face. It is not to be used on eyebrows. While it is meant for women, it may also be used by men who have fine, light facial hair.

The Bellabe can be cleaned by running a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or witch hazel over it to remove the caught hairs. With proper care, the company claims it will last six to nine months. After four years of using it, I have found that mine seem to last about nine or ten months. I know it is wearing out when the spring isn't so tight anymore and it takes somewhat more time and effort to get the job done.

Sold only through its website, each Bellabe costs (as of Christmas 2009) $16.99 USD. Shipping is free within the U.S. and a dollar per item international.

Though not the perfect hair removal method, Bellabe does have advantages over the other available methods. It is cheaper than most, chemical free, and though not painless, less painful than some of the others.

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