Spearmint oil for facial hair: Does it really work?

Excessive facial hair is a very unpleasant and distressing thing that can greatly undermine female confidence. Nevertheless, due to increased androgen levels (especially caused by underlying conditions like PCOS), hirsutism affects roughly 5-10% of women globally. If you are among them and are looking for ways to combat this issue, you can come across multiple life hacks and natural remedies thought to work. One of them is the use of spearmint oil for facial hair.

Some studies suggest that spearmint has anti-androgen properties, which can potentially help reduce androgens and combat facial hair. To gain these benefits, you can mix a few drops of spearmint oil with a moisturizer and apply it to affected areas. Also, it’s possible to drink spearmint tea to balance your hormones.

Nevertheless, more studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this method.

Excessive hair growth (hirsutism) can be a very unpleasant thing to deal with for a woman. Studies show that this condition affects roughly 5-10% of women across the world, and is often a sign of other underlying issues. Nevertheless, if we drop the medical side of the question, there is a big beauty-related concern–how to deal with excess hair on the face. In this article, we’re going to explore one of the common natural remedies–the use of spearmint oil for facial hair and explore how effective it really is.

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Understanding the Causes and Potential Treatments of Hirsutism

In order to define whether using spearmint oil for face can help reduce excess hair, it’s important to understand the initial causes that result in hirsutism.

In a nutshell, hirsutism is an excessive, male-pattern hair growth, primarily seen on the face, chest, back, and belly area. Since it’s a male-pattern issue, the primary cause of this phenomenon is the excessive production of male hormones known as androgens (mainly testosterone) in females.

This imbalance of androgens is commonly associated with such underlying conditions as:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Cushing syndrome
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Tumors

Additionally, hirsutism might be caused by the intake of certain medications. These can include medications used to treat endometriosis, topical products that contain androgens, etc.

How Can You Treat Hirsutism?

Since it results from inner hormonal imbalance, the key to treating hirsutism is to identify its primary cause first. After a comprehensive diagnostic, a healthcare provider can suggest possible treatment options. In most cases, they will include hormonal management and lifestyle changes that will help you address the imbalance.

And, of course, apart from addressing the issue “on the inside,” there are also management options that target the result- excess hair in unwanted areas. For the most part, these include different hair removal techniques, including waxing and laser removal. But there are also natural alternatives that are considered helpful, such as using different essential oils to stop hair growth on face, and spearmint oil, in particular.

Spearmint Oil for Facial Hair: Assessing the Effectiveness

So, does spearmint oil remove facial hair? In order to answer this question, we need to evaluate the overall properties of spearmint and its effect on your body.

Multiple studies reveal that Mentha spicata (spearmint) has a variety of beneficial properties, including:

• Antimicrobial
• Antioxidant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Digestive support, etc.

Thanks to these properties, this plant is widely used in different cultures for supporting health. But does it actually have any effect on hirsutism?

The potential of spearmint oil for facial hair has been discovered quite a while ago. The reason is its anti-androgenic effect. A randomized controlled trial has revealed that spearmint herbal tea can indeed reduce androgen levels in PCOS women. 

Another study in a PCOS rat model found that prolonged use of essential oil of spearmint has reduced:

• Body mass index
• Testosterone level
• Number of ovarian cysts
• Atretic follicles

These findings suggest that the use of spearmint oil can help you address the primary cause of hirsutism–increased androgen levels. However, more studies are still needed to confirm its effectiveness.

How to Use Spearmint Oil for Facial Hair

In order to use spearmint oil for hirsutism, you need to mix two to three drops of oil with your moisturizer and apply the blend to the affected areas. Given that this remedy is rather new, there are not many specific instructions on how many times per day or during which time of the day it’s best to apply spearmint. Yet, some people who share their experience on social media report they’ve noticed a reduction in hair growth on their face within several weeks of using this method.

Alternative Ways to Use Spearmint for Hirsutism

While the mechanism of using spearmint oil for facial hair reduction isn’t completely clear yet. There is also a more understandable approach that you can try–drinking spearmint tea.

According to some researchers, internal consumption of spearmint can reduce your androgen levels and potentially balance your hormones, which may help with combating excess facial hair. To see notable results, it’s enough to drink a few mugs of spearmint tea every day.

Other Essential Oils to Stop Hair Growth on Face

It’s no secret that essential oils have been broadly used in beauty and skincare for decades. People who advocate for the daily use of essential oils reassure that different oil types can give you a number of benefits, among which is the possible reduction of unwanted facial hair.

Apart from spearmint, here are a few other essential oils to stop hair growth on face:

• Lavender oil - Lavender is known for a broad range of benefits, including relaxation, anti-inflammatory effects, antioxidant properties, and antimicrobial and wound healing effects.
• Tea tree oil - Tea tree extracts are also known for their beneficial properties. According to science, oils with this extract have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and soothing properties. Due to these reasons, tea tree oils are widely used for improving skin health and reducing acne.

Apart from their overall health and beauty benefits, lavender and tea tree oils are also thought to potentially aid with hirsutism. A controlled study on two groups of people revealed a significant decrease in hair diameter and hirsutism total score in a group that used a facial spray with lavender and tea tree oils for 3 months.

This study reveals the potential antiandrogenic activities of these essential oils. However, more studies are needed to confirm the efficacy.

FAQ

Does spearmint oil remove facial hair?

A growing body of studies confirms the anti-androgenic property of spearmint. Some trials on people and rat models with PCOS showed that spearmint tea and essential oil can reduce the number of androgens and thus, potentially improve PCOS symptoms. These studies suggest that spearmint oil for face can potentially improve hirsutism. However, more studies are needed.

How to use spearmint oil for facial hair?

Currently, there are no specific instructions on using spearmint oil for face hair that would be backed by science. Nevertheless, people who are using this method and advocating for it on social media recommend adding a few drops of oil into your moisturizer and applying this mix to affected areas.

What are other ways to combat unwanted facial hair?

Women who are dealing with hirsutism are actively seeking effective coping methods. Although topical solutions and natural remedies might be among the options you can try, there are more time-tested ways to reduce unwanted facial hair. These include different methods of hair removal, such as waxing, depilation, laser removal, and others.

Conclusion

Dealing with excessive hair growth on the face can be very daunting for a woman. Given social pressure and stigma, hirsutism is broadly associated with significant self-insecurities. So it’s natural to seek effective solutions if you are dealing with this problem.

Luckily, there are quite a few methods to combat excessive facial hair. First of all, hormonal therapy can help address the issue on the inside by reducing the level of male hormones and reducing the hair growth rate. Additionally, different hair removal techniques can help get rid of hair that has already appeared on your face. And, lastly, natural topical solutions like spearmint oil for facial hair can also contribute to success.

As you now know, using spearmint oil for face hair can have certain benefits thanks to the anti-androgenic properties of spearmint. Although more studies are needed to explore this solution in full, some people already report positive changes after applying this essential oil on their faces. So this might be one of the solutions you can consider.

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