Sprouting chin hairs? Random nipple/areola/boob hairs? Blame those darn hormones again. Immediately after delivery, a sudden increase in estrogen may have you noticing thicker, darker hair in strange and unwanted places. The body uses an enzyme to change the estrogen to testosterone which can lead to a “beard.” The hair will most likely return to its normal state within a few months. There are lots of options for removing your chin hair: wait it out and see if hair growth stops or slows as hormones settle. Or you can pluck, wax, or even shave it. If you’re considering making an appointment for laser hair removal, you’ll want to make sure you visit an actual dermatologist, as not all center or clinic practitioners have the correct training or even the correct laser tools. There is no evidence that electrolysis or laser hair removal would affect breastfeeding, breast milk, or your breastfed baby.

What about those pesky nipple hairs? Trust me, more people have them than just you. If you can’t resist the urge, trimming them with scissors is a safe way to keep them at bay. Tweezing nipple hair can be an effective way to get rid of unwanted nipple/areolar/breast hair. However, this can be painful as breast and nipple skin can be particularly sensitive while breastfeeding. Honestly the best thing to do is leave it alone. You wouldn’t want to increase the risk of infection and ingrown hairs by plucking or tweezing. Cracked nipples from a shallow latch and mastitis from the wrong size pump flange are enough to deal with without having to tell your lactation consultant you were overly zealous plucking the tablecloth.

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