In this post I will deal with the many ways of getting rid of the lady 'stache. Just a note: I believe that body hair it is every woman's personal decision, and whether you choose to keep it or remove it is totally up to you.
Upper lip hair is terminal hair, which means it is coarser and darker than the hair on the cheeks. At the same time the skin above the upper lip can often be sensitive, which makes removing the hair difficult. Let's look at the options:
Shaving
Yes, you can totally shave upper lip hair, and no, it won't grow back thicker (that's just an illusion as the regrowing hair has a blunt thick end and not a tapered one). This method works well for those with a fine pain threshold. The downside is that you have to shave everyday or every two days if you want to avoid prickliness, and it is easy to get razor burn if you aren't careful.The best thing to use are those tiny razors that are meant for the bikini line. You also need something to lubricate, try aloe vera gel, a gel cleanser or a cream or a gentle soap. The razor needs to be sharp (new). Shave in all directions, and remember that the razor should do the work and not you. That means: use very light pressure, otherwise you'll be irritating the skin. Remember that shaving is a kind of exfoliation (the top layer of dead skin cells get scraped off), so don't use any scrubs on the area, keep it moisturised and use sunscreen.
Waxing
I don't really recommend waxing the upper lip. It pulls the skin and can cause irritation. Also, you have to wait for the hair to grow out otherwise the wax cannot grip it.Tweezing
Easy, effective, and gentle on the skin. You definitely need good tweezers (check here), magnifying mirror and good light. Don't underestimate the importance of either of these three! The only downside is that it can be a bit time taking. The upside is that you can take your time if you have a very sensitive skin or a high pain threshold.Epilating wand
I have written about this Asian beauty tool here. It pulls the hair out with the roots just like like tweezing but grabs more hair at a time, so it's faster but also more painful. It is easy on the skin, in fact several readers told me in their mails that it is the only thing their sensitive skin tolerates when it comes to hair removal. If it hurts, you can start out with tweezing and switch to the epi wand after a couple of weeks when your nerves stop reacting so strongly.Threading
The pros and cons are the same as that of the epi wand, but it might take a bit of practice to learn the technique. You need thread, light and a magnifying mirror. It is not as hard as it sounds. Here is a nice video tutorial:Bleaching
This works if you 'stache is not too heavy. It is great for skin that cannot tolerate any of the above methods. However I would not use it unless really necessary: the bleach can be harsh on the skin over time.Hair removal creams
Quick and painless. One negative thing is that the hair regrow blunt and prickly so the procedure has to repeated pretty often. Hair removal creams can cause irritation and is rough on the skin, not to mention the toxicity of many hair removal creams, so I don't recommend this method.IPL and laser
You should never use your IPL machine on any part of your face. IPL can be done by professionals, but as it is as painful and almost as expensive as laser but the results are only for a few months, I'd say go for laser instead. Also, IPL is dangerous to use on moles and freckles.Laser treatments depend on the type of laser used, so find out exactly what your clinic of choice uses and research it.
Do remember that the upper lip is a part that can age badly if treated wrong: discolouration, sagging and lines can develop here; so do be gentle to the area.
What is your favourite way of removing upper lip hair?
