From eyebrows to the bikini line, women know all too well that hair removal methods in these sensitive areas can cause as much if not even more frustration than the hair growth does in the first place. But using the best method for your skin type can transform the experience from one dotted in angry red bumps to a landscape of smooth, silky skin.

Green beauty expert Hibba Kapil of Hibba NYC shares tips on how to find the best hair removal strategy for you.

EYE BROWS

• If you have rosacea, dry skin or use Retin-A products that can make skin delicate, consider threading instead of waxing. Threading gives the brow specialist more shaping precision and control with the use of a thread that wraps around each hair, and doesn’t involve pulling the surface of the skin like wax. “Threading also lasts longer than waxing and tweezing,” says Hibba.
• Waxing is better suited to normal to oily skin types, who are not easily irritated by the process. “Don’t tweeze for at least a week before your appointment,” instructs Hibba, so that there is enough growth to wax.
• If you want thicker eyebrows, be sure to communicate that to your specialist. And have patience. “It might tkae more than two sessions, but will happen once you both understand your growth patterns,” says Hibba.

BIKINI

• If you are prone to painful and unsightly ingrown hairs, consider sugaring instead of waxing. Sugar gel is all natural, and made of sugar, lemon and water. The mixture sticks to hair and not skin so that the hair removal process is less painful, and is known to cause far less frequent ingrown hairs than waxing – if any at all. “Sugaring also works like a slow laser over time, reducing hair growth,” says Hibba.
• Before shaving or waxing, exfoliate the area with a body scrub to make results last longer, and to also prevent ingrown hair formation.
• “For beach emergencies, just shave the bikini line instead of the entire area,” says Hibba, in order to minimize the risk of razor burn. And try to shave at least four hours before heading to the beach or pool, as immediate sun exposure on the fragile area can cause redness and sunburn.
• Regardless of your chosen hair removal method, it’s wise to use a glycolic acid-containing product on the bikini area to speed up cell turnover in order to prevent ingrown hairs if you are prone.