Note: While the natural remedies below remove upper lip hair temporarily, consult a professional or healthcare provider if you are looking for permanent hair removal treatments or medications. Scroll down to know more.
What Causes Lip Hair Growth In Women?
The phenomenon of hirsutism, or unwanted hair growth in females, is caused due to many factors that may be hormonal or genetic, or even a combination of the two. Generally, around 5-10% of women have hirsutism. There are no determined causes of this condition, and the research is ongoing (1). Following are some of the home remedies that can help you remove hair from the upper lip naturally. Take a look!
How To Remove Upper Lip Hair Naturally
1. Turmeric And Milk
A scientific study showed that curcuma oil from a plant belonging to the turmeric family reduced axillary hair growth in women (2). Hence, turmeric may help reduce hair growth on the upper lip. You Will Need
1 tablespoon of turmeric 1 tablespoon of water or milk
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Do this once every few days for a couple of weeks. Caution: Do not use milk in this remedy if you are allergic to dairy products. While this is unlikely to remove all of the hair in the treated area, it may help reduce its growth.
2. Egg White
Egg white has a gelatin-like texture, which acts as an excellent peel-off mask. When applied to the upper lip, it may dislodge the hair from its follicles. This can help you remove fragile strands effortlessly. However, this remedy may not work as effectively as other upper lip hair removal techniques. You Will Need
1 egg white 1 teaspoon of cornflour 1 teaspoon of sugar
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Repeat this 2 times a week.
3. Gelatin
Gelatin acts as a peel-off mask as it binds together when mixed with a liquid. Once it gets sticky, its adhesive property might help unclog the strands from its follicles. You Will Need
1 tablespoon of unflavoured gelatin 1½ tablespoons of milk
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Do it once every two weeks.
4. Sugar
Sugar is popularly used as an ingredient for painless hair removal. It not only removes unwanted hair but also prevents its growth (3). It will also work as an exfoliant to smooth the skin. You Will Need
2 tablespoons of sugar 1 tablespoon of lemon juice A soft piece of cloth
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Use this remedy as and when required.
5. Yogurt, Honey, And Turmeric
Yogurt, honey, and turmeric combine to form a smooth, sticky mixture that can help remove the unwanted hair on your upper lip. This scrub causes the upper lip hair to dislodge from the follicles. You Will Need
1 teaspoon of honey 1 teaspoon of yogurt A pinch of turmeric
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Repeat this 2 times a week.
6. Flour
This is one of the easiest and simplest methods of upper lip hair removal. Applying the pack loosens up the hair follicles, and the hair can be easily removed when the mask is peeled off. However, this method is based on anecdotal evidence and has no scientific backing. You Will Need
1 tablespoon of wheat flour 1 tablespoon of milk A pinch of turmeric
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Use this hair removal pack every 3-4 days.
7. Lemon And Sugar
Lemon contains acids that have bleaching properties and lighten the hair on the upper lip (4). Sugar helps to exfoliate the skin and loosens the hair follicles, which makes it easy to pull them out. You Will Need
1 lemon 1 tablespoon of sugar
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Apply this paste every alternate day. Caution: If you have dry skin, avoid this remedy as lemon can dry your skin further.
8. Sugar Waxing
The stickiness of the sugar paste will pull the hair from its follicles and slow down growth with multiple uses (3). Chamomile soothes the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties (5). It will help reduce the mild swelling in your skin after the waxing is done. You Will Need
4 chamomile tea bags 2 tablespoons of sugar 2 tablespoons of lemon juice Water Popsicle stick Waxing strip
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Use this remedy depending on how fast your hair growth is.
9. Honey And Lemon
Honey works as a mild wax and helps to pull out the hair from their follicles. Lemon can help lighten the tiny strands that are hard to wax. You Will Need
½ tablespoon of lemon juice 1 tablespoon of honey Warm water Washcloth
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Do this 2-3 times a week.
10. Potato Juice
The ingredients in this pack may help unclog pores and pull away from the upper lip hair when scrubbing off from the skin. Anecdotal evidence suggests that potato acts as a bleaching agent. This may lighten the remaining stubborn hair. You Will Need
2 tablespoons of yellow lentils 1 tablespoon of potato juice 1 teaspoon of honey 1 tablespoon of lemon juice Water
What You Have To Do You can apply this hair removal mask on the entire face as well. How Often You Should Do This Do this 2 times a week.
11. Corn Flour And Milk
The cornflour and milk combination will stick to your skin firmly, and when peeled off, it may remove the hair along with it. You Will Need
1 teaspoon of cornflour 2 teaspoons of milk
What You Have To Do How Often You Should Do This Repeat this 2-3 times a week. Besides these home remedies, there are other options available to stop the growth of upper lip hair.
Other Methods To Stop Upper Lip Hair Growth
1. Laser Hair Removal
In laser hair removal products, a concentrated beam of light is sent into the hair follicle to destroy the hair. This can stop hair growth for approximately 7 months.
2. Electrolysis
This method of hair removal involves an electric current. This electricity destroys the hair and hair follicle. Due to this damage, hair growth is stopped permanently. Never opt for shaving your upper lip hair. When you shave your face, the facial hair is only removed from the skin, making it blunt-edged. When your hair begins to grow back again, it grows into stubble. Try the sugar waxing remedy if you are in a hurry. It’s a smarter alternative! Can we use Veet on the upper lip? Check out the infographic below to know more! Yes, Veet that is formulated for facial hair removal may be used on the upper lip. Does plucking upper lip hair make it thicker? No, plucking upper lip hair does not make it thicker, even if it appears so as the new hair growth is straight and outwards hanging. Is it better to shave or pluck the upper lip area? Both shaving and plucking upper lip hair have their pros and cons. Shaving is quicker and less painful but may lead to a stubble and quicker regrowth. Plucking takes more time and is more painful, but can prolong the time between regrowth and hair won’t reappear as stubble. Is plucking better than waxing? Both methods have their pros and cons. Plucking is more suitable for smaller areas of hair as it requires individual attention to each hair strand whereas waxing is more appropriate for larger areas as it can help pull out more hair at a go. Plucking can be done on shorter hair, whereas you may need to wait till hair regrows to a certain length before waxing. Plucking is less appropriate for fine hair, whereas waxing can help remove both fine and thick hair. Overall, waxing is considered more suitable for upper lip hair removal, although both methods work. Does threading the upper lip cause more hair growth? No, hair may grow back quicker, but it does not cause increased hair growth. Infact, overtime threading may reduce hair growth as hair follicles may get damaged from the process.
