Chin Hair in Women: Why It Grows and How to Remove It
The short answer
A few coarse, dark hairs on the chin are common in women and usually harmless. They appear when androgens, hormones every woman makes, turn the fine, pale hair on the chin into thicker, darker hair, and that switch is most likely during hormonal changes such as perimenopause or with a condition like PCOS. If chin hair arrives suddenly, spreads quickly or comes with other changes, see a doctor first. For long-term removal, laser hair removal works well on dark hair, while grey and white hairs need electrolysis, because a laser cannot see them.
- 5–10%of women have hirsutism, coarse dark hair in places such as the chin, according to the Endocrine Society.
- About 7%of women with excess androgens in a study of 873 had a specific condition such as an adrenal problem; most of the rest had PCOS.
- 112 → 21 minWeekly time spent removing hair fell from 112 to 21 minutes after five laser sessions in a trial of women with PCOS.
Why chin hair grows in women
Everyone has hair on the chin. Most of it is vellus hair: short, fine and pale, the “peach fuzz” you barely notice. The chin, jawline and upper lip are androgen-sensitive, which means that when androgens act on those follicles they can switch from making vellus hair to making terminal hair, the coarse, dark kind. Once a follicle has made that switch it tends to stay switched, which is why a chin hair you pluck comes back exactly where it was.
- Perimenopause and menopauseOestrogen falls while androgens decline more slowly, so androgens have relatively more influence. This is the most common reason chin hair appears in the forties and fifties. More in our guide to menopausal facial hair.
- PCOSPolycystic ovary syndrome raises androgen levels and is the most common cause of hirsutism. Chin hair alongside irregular periods or acne is the classic pattern. See laser hair removal for PCOS.
- GeneticsHow sensitive your follicles are to androgens runs in families, so if your mother or sisters have chin hair, you are more likely to as well, with entirely normal hormone levels.
- Pregnancy, medicines and other causesHormone shifts in pregnancy, some medicines and, rarely, conditions of the adrenal glands or ovaries can all do the same thing. Rare causes are the reason sudden or fast-spreading hair deserves a doctor’s look.
Is it normal, or should you see a doctor?
A handful of stray chin hairs that appeared gradually is normal. The Endocrine Society, though, recommends that women with unwanted dark, coarse hair on the face, chest or back are checked for PCOS and other underlying causes, and it suggests a blood test for androgens. Book a doctor’s appointment before any hair removal if you notice any of these:
- Hair that appeared suddenly or is spreading quickly, over weeks or months rather than years.
- Hair on the chest, back or stomach as well as the face.
- Irregular or missing periods, new acne or thinning hair on the scalp.
- A deepening voice or other new changes to your body.
None of this rules out removing the hair. It means the cause gets looked at first, because treating the cause can slow new growth, and laser works best when it is not racing a hormone imbalance nobody has treated.
Chin hair check
Three quick questions. You get a suggested route: whether a doctor’s visit comes first, and which removal method suits your hair.
1. How much hair is there?
2. What colour are the hairs?
3. Did it start suddenly, or with other changes such as irregular periods, acne or a deeper voice?
A guide, not a diagnosis. Your technician confirms what laser can treat at a consultation, and a doctor is the right person for anything hormonal.
Every way to remove chin hair, compared
| Method | Roughly how long it lasts | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tweezing | Two to six weeks per hair | A few stray hairs | Ingrown hairs and dark marks with frequent plucking |
| Threading | Two to six weeks | A neat line or small patch | Redness, especially on sensitive skin |
| Waxing or sugaring | Three to six weeks | A wider patch of hair | Irritation and ingrown hairs; hair must grow out before the next session |
| Shaving or dermaplaning | One to three days | Speed, and fine hair along with the coarse | Stubble feels prickly as it grows, but does not grow back thicker |
| Depilatory cream | Several days | Occasional use | Facial skin reacts easily; patch test first |
| Prescription cream | Slows growth while you use it | Slowing regrowth, alongside another method | Needs a prescription; ask your pharmacist what is available |
| Laser hair removal | Long-term reduction after a course | Dark hair, on any skin tone | Does not work on grey, white, blonde or red hair; hormonal hair needs maintenance |
| Electrolysis | Permanent, one follicle at a time | Grey, white or light hair | Many sessions, as each hair is treated individually; not offered at Femme |
Why plucking is a problem. Plucking does not make more hairs grow, because it does not create new follicles. But plucking the same hairs day after day irritates the follicle, which is how ingrown hairs, bumps and dark marks start, and dark marks are more likely on deeper skin tones. If you are planning laser, stop plucking, waxing and threading four weeks before your first session, because they pull out the hair the laser needs to find. Shaving is fine.
Why shaving is not a problem. Studies going back to 1928 have found that shaving does not change hair’s thickness, colour or growth rate. Regrowth feels coarser because the blade leaves a blunt tip instead of the hair’s natural tapered end.
Laser hair removal for chin hair
A laser finds hair by its pigment. The melanin in a dark hair absorbs the light and carries heat down to the follicle, which disables its ability to regrow. That is why it works so well on the coarse, dark hair that hormones produce on the chin, and why the Endocrine Society’s guideline suggests laser for unwanted brown or black hair and electrolysis for white or blonde hair.
What the laser can see
The laser targets melanin in the hair. The more pigment a hair carries against the skin around it, the better it responds.
The evidence. In a randomised controlled trial of 88 women with PCOS and facial hair, the group given five full-strength laser sessions rated their facial hair at 3.6 out of 10 after six months, down from 7.3, against a fall from 7.1 to only 6.1 in the comparison group. Their weekly time spent on hair removal fell from 112 minutes to 21, and their depression and anxiety scores fell too.
The device. At Femme every session runs on the FEMME 4D, a diode laser that blends four wavelengths, 755, 808, 940 and 1064 nm, in one pass, with continuous cooling. The Endocrine Society’s guideline advises a long-wavelength laser for darker skin, and 1064 nm is the longest of the four, which is why we can treat the full range of skin tones, Fitzpatrick I to VI. Every course starts with a skin assessment and a patch test.
How many sessions. The face usually needs six to eight sessions, often more, spaced four to six weeks apart. Chin and jawline hair is often hormonal, so expect the upper end of that range and occasional maintenance sessions afterwards, especially with PCOS or around menopause, because the hormones can keep converting new fine hairs into coarse ones. Our guide to how many laser hair removal sessions you need covers this for every area.
Grey chin hairs. Many women in their forties and fifties have a mix of dark and grey chin hairs. The laser will clear the dark ones and leave the grey ones untouched; no wavelength changes that. Our guide to laser on grey hair explains why, and what does work.
What chin laser hair removal costs
At Femme the face is treated as one area, so the chin, upper lip and cheeks are covered by one price: $75 a session, or $375 for six, the same at all thirteen clinics. If the hair continues under the jaw onto the neck, the neck is priced separately at $25 a session, or $125 for six.
| Course | Before tax | Ontario, with 13% HST | Vancouver, with 5% GST |
|---|---|---|---|
| One session | $75 | $84.75 | $78.75 |
| Six sessions, as a package | $375 | $423.75 | $393.75 |
| Eight sessions (a package plus two) | $525 | $593.25 | $551.25 |
More on what drives the price is in our facial laser hair removal cost guide, and every price is on our pricing page.
What tweezing costs you in time
Pick how long you spend on chin hair on a typical day. Your choices stay in your browser.
Before your first session
- Stop plucking, waxing and threading four weeks before. The laser needs the hair in the follicle to find it.
- Shave the area one to two days before. That leaves the hair below the surface, where the laser works, and nothing on top to burn.
- Mention any hormonal condition or medication at your consultation, including PCOS, menopause or hormone therapy, so your technician can plan a realistic number of sessions.
- Between sessions, shave rather than pluck. Plucking between sessions undoes the work.
Questions we hear about chin hair
Is chin hair on a woman normal?
Yes. A few coarse, dark hairs on the chin are common, and they usually appear when androgens, hormones every woman makes, turn fine chin hair into thicker hair. It becomes more likely with age, around menopause and with conditions such as PCOS. Hair that appears suddenly or spreads quickly should be checked by a doctor.
Why do I suddenly have chin hair?
The most common reasons are hormonal shifts, such as perimenopause, menopause, pregnancy or PCOS, which give androgens more influence on the chin’s hair follicles. If the hair arrived over weeks or months, or with irregular periods, acne or a deeper voice, see a doctor before you remove it, because the cause should be checked first.
Does plucking chin hair make it grow back thicker or make more grow?
No. Plucking does not create new follicles or make hair thicker. Plucking the same hairs over and over can irritate the follicle, though, which leads to ingrown hairs, bumps and dark marks. If you are planning laser, stop plucking four weeks before your first session and shave instead.
Does shaving chin hair make it thicker?
No. Studies going back to 1928 have found that shaving does not change hair’s thickness, colour or growth rate. Regrowth feels coarser only because the blade leaves a blunt tip instead of the hair’s natural tapered end.
How do I get rid of chin hair permanently?
For dark hair, laser hair removal gives a long-term reduction after a course, usually six to eight sessions or more on the chin, with occasional maintenance if the cause is hormonal. For grey, white, blonde or red hair, electrolysis is the method that works, because it treats each follicle directly and does not rely on pigment.
How many laser sessions does chin hair need?
The face usually needs six to eight sessions, often more, spaced four to six weeks apart. Chin and jawline hair is often hormonal, so plan for the upper end of the range and occasional maintenance sessions, especially with PCOS or around menopause.
How much does laser hair removal on the chin cost?
At Femme the chin is part of the face area, which also covers the upper lip and cheeks: $75 a session, or $375 for six, plus 13% HST in Ontario or 5% GST in Vancouver. An eight-session course is $525 before tax.
Can laser remove grey chin hairs?
No. Laser finds hair by its pigment, and grey and white hairs have none left for the light to be absorbed by. Electrolysis is the method that works on them. We do not offer electrolysis, but we will tell you at consultation how many of your chin hairs the laser can treat.
Find out what laser can do for your chin hair. A consultation is built into your first appointment: your technician checks your hair and skin, runs a patch test and tells you honestly how many of your hairs will respond. Femme treats women only.
Book an appointmentPrefer to talk first? Call 647-229-7397. Facial treatment is explained in full on our facial laser hair removal page, and if the upper lip is your main concern, see upper lip laser hair removal.
Sources
- Martin KA, Anderson RR, Chang RJ, et al. Evaluation and treatment of hirsutism in premenopausal women: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2018. Summary in the Endocrine Society press release.
- Azziz R, Sanchez LA, Knochenhauer ES, et al. Androgen excess in women: experience with over 1000 consecutive patients. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2004.
- Clayton W, Lipton M, Sherr L, Rustin M, Elford J. A randomised controlled trial of laser treatment among hirsute women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Endocrine Abstracts, 2004; published in full in the British Journal of Dermatology, 2005.
- Live Science. Does shaving really cause hair to grow back thicker and coarser?
