I Tried The Viral Dough Hair Removal Hack to Nix Peach Fuzz—Here’s What Happened
Learn if it’s worth testing out this DIY treatment
In the ever-evolving world of beauty trends, social media has become a hub for viral hacks and tips that promise to revolutionize our beauty routines. One of the most recent and buzz-worthy trends to emerge is the dough hair removal hack, an alternative to waxing or depilatories and a supposedly pain-free, non-irritating way to rid your face of pesky peach fuzz. But does it really work? Read on to find out more!
What is the dough hair removal hack?
The dough hair removal hack stems from an old Indian hair removal technique. It involves using a mixture made of wheat flour, ghee, milk and turmeric that resembles dough or a thick paste to pull hair out from the root, similar to waxing. The mixture is made from ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen (wheat flour, ghee, milk and turmeric), and it’s said to be an all-natural alternative to traditional hair removal methods like waxing or shaving. According to social media, the dough-like substance adheres to the hair, and when pulled from, or rolled on the skin, it removes the hair from the follicle, leaving the skin smooth and hair-free.
Why try the dough hair removal hack?
I’ve been waxing my brows and upper lips since my 20s; it still hurts every time and it always leaves my skin red and inflamed. Also, it often results in big red welts, an allergic reaction to the wax that takes days to disappear—I learned the hard way that waxing your brows the day before your wedding isn’t the best idea.
So when I noticed that the peach fuzz on my cheeks and along my jawline increased as I got older, I wanted to find a non-irritating, painless way to remove it. I’ve tried threading—ouch!—and dermaplaning—I love it, but have nicked myself a time or two leaving unsightly scratches. The dough method looked easy, inexpensive and pain-free; why not try it?!
Before trying it I asked Carmen Castilla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, for her thoughts on the method. “It ultimately depends on the consistency of the dough, but the dough is unlikely to create enough of a hold on the hair shaft to be able to consistently pull it out by the roots. There are more effective methods of hair removal without going through this process.” As for the ingredients, she added, “Wheat could possibly cause an allergic reaction in those with celiac disease, ghee theoretically can be a moisturizing ingredient but it is also likely to clog pores and lead to breakouts, especially in acne-prone individuals and milk technically has lactic acid which is a mild exfoliant but when mixed into this dough it is likely to lose its effectiveness.”
How to make the dough hair removal mixture
The internet says to mix 2 tsp. atta (an Indian wheat flour), 2 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp. clarified butter (ghee) and 2-3 spoonfuls of milk.
I had the milk and turmeric at home but had to buy ghee at my local supermarket and spent at least 15 minutes walking up and down the aisles in search of wheat flour. I finally just settled on whole wheat flour.
Once mixed together it was more paste than dough, so I sprinkled in some more flour until it formed into a dough. I started rolling the dough in my hand and quickly remembered why I hate cooking with turmeric—it stains your skin. I could only imagine what it would do to my face, luckily I had no immediate plans to leave the house.
How to use the dough to remove hair
I followed the below Instagram video below from @yourskincareally and rigorously rolled the dough all over my face, but the dough I made had no grip, so no hair came off. And yes, it did leave a slight yellow tint that thankfully came off quickly with a makeup wipe.
According to Dr. Castilla, “If you are really just rolling these ingredients blending into a dough on your face they are unlikely to provide any significant benefit.” She was right, but I wasn’t ready to give up since I had seen a TikTok (below) where the woman applied the dough to her skin as a paste (similar to what mine looked like before adding more flour), and then rubbed it off to remove the hair. I decided to go back to the original recipe and apply it that way.
Once it was all over my face, I let it sit for a minute to set, then removed it in long, hard swipes first using my fingers (what a mess!) and then cotton pads. I probably used an entire sleeve of pads before I gave up and reached for the baby wipes.
@minahilonlytrustmylife
Does the dough hair removal hack work?
No, not for me. Not only did I still have peach fuzz on my skin, but my face was now bright red, most likely thanks to the turmeric which can be known to cause skin irritation. To be fair, the not-so-gentle method of removal could have contributed as well. It took about 10 minutes for the redness to subside, and even longer for the strong smell of ghee to dissipate. One positive outcome? My skin was super soft!
Should you try the dough hair removal hack?
If you’re looking for a natural, budget-friendly hair removal solution and don’t mind a little bit of mess and some trial and error to get the dough into the right consistency to actually grip the hairs, then the dough hair removal hack may be worth it for you. But it was a fail for me.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
