SO upset....I can see a moustache in my mag. mirror!!!
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free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:59 pm

I never noticed the hairs on my upper lip before, but was looking in my magnifying mirror and I can see them.....nasty little dark hairs on the sides of my mouth. Shock

I tried waxing it off 10 days ago but the hairs are coming back, and there are MORE than before I waxed. What do you to get rid of those darned hairs on your upper lip? I'm not ready for professional electrolysis at a salon yet and would prefer to use something at home. What has worked best for you?

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:42 pm

Just shave it. That's really the easiest thing... When I shave my underarms I shave my upper lip also and sometimes I also get the hairs on my chin when I notice them. I don't shave my upper lip every time I shave my underarms though, the underarm hair grows much faster, I shave my upper lip about twise a week and my chin probably once in every two weeks.

I've been doing something about my moustache since I was 12 I think. I started off bleaching it. That was awful, really painful. Maybe I was allergic to the bleach. Then I switched to waxing- on my own, with little facial wax strips. This was better than shaving, but still not great because I would get irritation from the waxing and sometimes I would take off a little skin and leave little wounds. Finally, just in the past few years I started shaving it and I've never been happier.

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:10 pm

Nimue wrote:

Just shave it. That's really the easiest thing... When I shave my underarms I shave my upper lip also and sometimes I also get the hairs on my chin when I notice them. I don't shave my upper lip every time I shave my underarms though, the underarm hair grows much faster, I shave my upper lip about twise a week and my chin probably once in every two weeks.

I've been doing something about my moustache since I was 12 I think. I started off bleaching it. That was awful, really painful. Maybe I was allergic to the bleach. Then I switched to waxing- on my own, with little facial wax strips. This was better than shaving, but still not great because I would get irritation from the waxing and sometimes I would take off a little skin and leave little wounds. Finally, just in the past few years I started shaving it and I've never been happier.

Didn't it grow back thicker and what about stubble?

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:44 pm

I have to diagree, dont shave. Unless you like the look of stubble. I would either keep waxing (it will grow back thinner after a few sessions) or look into threading. Of course if you have the money laser hair removal is your best bet.

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:47 pm

I used to rip mine out with my Emjoi (36 pairs of rotating tweezers - OUCH!!), but about once a year I would get an ingrown hair on my upper lip that made me really rethink that (it would take FOREVER to go away).

I ended up buying a little, tiny battery operated razor thing by Trim at Target where they have the nail clippers, etc....it works like a charm and I only have to do it maybe once every couple of weeks. LOVE it!! (and it was cheap too!)

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:51 pm

Oh dear Sienna ,dont look on your chin.
That is where the little ones sneak in and grow like crazy.
You dont say if you are fair with light hair or dark. I am on the fair side and shave,in fact I shave my face. Good exfoliation. The hair does grow back,but not dark and stubbly like a man.
I am sure others will chime in with some good remedies also.
Maybe, the mirror is defective. LOL

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:38 pm

Go for electrolysis if you can afford it - it's not actually that pricey. I shave every couple of weeks and pluck the darker, thicker hairs out near the very corners of my mouth. I have dark hair, brown eyes and light olive skin and am in my mid 40's. I've needed to pluck the odd mustache hair for about 10 years. I don't find that I have any problems with stubble. I also very lightly shave the sides of my face where I have some peach fuzz.

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:41 pm

ROTFLMAO!

free skin care · Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:12 pm

LADIES, PLEASE STOP SHAVING YOUR FACES!!!! And don't start, if you haven't done it yet! In general, I'm not a very opinionated person but when it comes to this, I most certainly am. I have seen the horrendous outcome when women shave their faces.

Sure, at first, it's lovely...a fast and easy way to rid yourself of unsightly hairs. Even the regrowth doesn't seem so bad initially. Over time, your hairs WILL get coarser, darker and thicker. Think about when a teenaged boy starts shaving....he starts off with very soft, fine hairs. Years later, his beard is much coarser, right? Eventually, over time, his hair will become as coarse as a wire brush. For a man, this is OK and totally acceptable. For a woman, well.......not so much!

My sister (poor thing!) is living proof of this fact. She started shaving her jawline & chin after a guy in her high school bugged her about her facial hair (men! Rolling Eyes

) She was seventeen at the time. She didn't even shave that often - maybe every couple of weeks from what she remembers. Well, she's now 37 and can't leave the house without shaving her face first. And, to boot, she has a horrible 5'o clock shadow so, even when she shaves, it still looks like there's hair there. I've seen her struggle through the years....she's so incredibly insecure about her face and feels so trapped because she'd like to get it treated another way, but can't let it grow that 1/8-1/4 inch that is necessary before the treatment.

I'm telling you this story in hopes that it will open your eyes to what WILL happen if you continue shaving. I'm sure some of you may want to challenge me, but you will simply not convince me that this is a good idea. If you keep shaving, it'll only be a matter of time that you will live to regret it.

There are other methods that work very well, like waxing. I would recommend that you get it done professionally though. The cost is minimal for an upper lip wax (if possible find a salon that uses hot wax pearls - it doesn't require a strip and it's much more gentle, thus less irritation). If you do happen to get after-wax bumps (and not everyone does), there are products out there that work wonders for treatment and prevention like Tend Skin or, my personal favorite, PFB Vanish.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:19 am

yikes, agree with above poster, don't ever shave!! any part of the body. I don't agree with the idea that shaving does not cause new hair growth - it does and I have a lot of regrets about ever picking up the razor.

I have used just about every product and method on the market to battle upper lip fuzz. I think perhaps I would have been better off leaving it alone in the first place. Waxing and self threading (with the Epicare device) seemed to encourage excessively fast regrowth for me. Forget plucking, I would be at it every day at the rate of regrowth I had.

The only method I have found to be effective for reducing hair growth permanently is traditional threading. The hair above my lip is so refined that it is not noticeable unless you literally use a super magnifying glass, although the hair at the sides of the mouth are slightly more stubborn but a few more threading sessions will see that turn into very sparse growth.

I don't have a scientific explanation for the reduction of hair growth through threading, perhaps it is less traumatic than waxing and doesn't shock hair follicles to regrow, yet it is able to thoroughly remove hair at the roots and it is known that constant non invasive removal of hair at the roots can possibly lead to permanent hair reduction - it just all depends on the individual as well. Perhaps some hormone conditions will endlessly encourage regrowth.

I have used clary sage esssential oil neat on various parts of the body to stop hair growth and it only works with consistent use, definitely not recommended for sensitive skin. I have used clary sage neat on the face with no issues though.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:39 am

I would recommend electrolysis. I have told about my experiences in a recent thread called "Scars from electrolysis" (don't let the title scare you. I got very good results on my upper lip and front of my legs, but some small, raised scars on an area on the back of my leg.)

The method gives permanent hair removal. I have been hairless for one and a half year now.

The most convenient will be to go to a professional, but make sure that electrolysis is her main skill. I got fed up by getting no results at professionals, and used the home electrolysis device One Touch, as I wrote in the mentioned thread.

Electrolysis is most successful on hair that has not been through epilation, plucking or waxing. These treatments make the hair root bend/curl, and the roots will need several repetitions with the electrolysis needle to get killed. Untreated or shaved hair will normally get permanently removed after a few treatments.

I wouldn't even have considered shaving my moustache! Shock

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:08 am

Here are several member's comments on removing facial hair:

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=20099&highlight=shave

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:42 am

Hey, don't ya know we're not supposd to reveal how we remove our facial hair let alone admit we have it! Laughing

I don't think a little shave now and then is a girl's downfall. The post above about the 5 o'clock shadow-- well, I imagine that has more to do with hormones than shaving. I usually pluck or Nair, but when I suddenly realize a have a few guys I should get rid of, I shave them.

Nothing bad has happened to me.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:50 am

Shaving doesn't make hair grow back thicker, there's no physiological system to account for it.

It does make it appear thicker though, because the hair follicle is flat, as opposed to tapered.

A man's beard will become thicker as he shaves it, not because he shaves it...but because of puberty and hormonal changes.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:29 am

Hormonal changes also occur when we get older. I never had nose or chin hair as a young woman. As I have gotten older I need to check the nose (which is somewhat pug Rolling Eyes

) and about once a week pluck a few goat hairs on my chin. IMO a post menopausal woman would be best not to shave. Comments welcome. Smile

I am fortunate to have little upper lip hair. Every six weeks I have my upper lip and brows waxed.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:31 am

Sienna wrote:

Didn't it grow back thicker and what about stubble?

No, it did not grow back thicker, it grew back the same. Stubble's not an issue: the hair on the upper lip is naturally fairly thin and it grows really slowly so as soon as I can see it I shave it. It's just visible on me because I have black facial hair and very light skin. I've been shaving my upper lip for a few years now, no ill effects at all.

Hair does not grow back thicker with shaving. The teenager that starts shaving and then has thicker hair later is also getting older and going through hormonal changes.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:33 am

Oh NO!

I agree- NO SHAVING. I have read this on the site before and just was amazed that women would shave their faces. It will definitely get worse as you age. I try to stay out of looking in the 10X mirror, but the fact remains, If I don't catch those black hairs on my upper lip and on my chin, sure enough someone else will. I have to pluck them before they are seen, or felt. They are very course and hard to remove sometimes. I wax my lip, but my chin I just pluck. Actually I don't know about others here, but I could pluck my whole face. I have blond fine hairs all over the sides of my face. I am sure if I shaved it, I could/would grow a full beard eventually. Confused

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:38 am

Sienna wrote:

I never noticed the hairs on my upper lip before, but was looking in my magnifying mirror and I can see them.....nasty little dark hairs on the sides of my mouth. Shock

I tried waxing it off 10 days ago but the hairs are coming back, and there are MORE than before I waxed. What do you to get rid of those darned hairs on your upper lip? I'm not ready for professional electrolysis at a salon yet and would prefer to use something at home. What has worked best for you?

I would dump the mirror.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:47 am

Frodo wrote:

Sienna wrote:

I never noticed the hairs on my upper lip before, but was looking in my magnifying mirror and I can see them.....nasty little dark hairs on the sides of my mouth. Shock

I tried waxing it off 10 days ago but the hairs are coming back, and there are MORE than before I waxed. What do you to get rid of those darned hairs on your upper lip? I'm not ready for professional electrolysis at a salon yet and would prefer to use something at home. What has worked best for you?

I would dump the mirror.

+1

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:13 am

I had a feeling that this would be quite a debate. I can understand those that would want to defend shaving, when SO FAR, there have been no ill effects. I also agree that hormonal changes do occur as we age (as our estrogen level depletes), resulting in more facial hair - like those terribly coarse white ones! Rolling Eyes

But you can't convince me that shaving your face is a good idea. I have seen the horrible effects of shaving in my profession - hair absolutely gets coarser and more noticeable. If it hasn't happened to you yet, consider yourself lucky and, please, find an alternate method (waxing, electrolysis, threading) before you wish you'd never have picked up that razor in the first place.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:54 am

Thank you all so much for your replies. My skin is very pale and I have dark brown hair on my head and peach fuzz on my face. The moustache has a few very fine dark hairs at my lip corners though. I suppose being in the sun would darken my skin and lighten the moustache hairs, but I don't want to EVER be in the sun without sunscreen! I am too chicken to shave - with my luck my facial hairs will start growing so that I look like a bear.
I'm going to look into the following:
-Threading (hope I find one in my area!)
-gentle bleaching (this would probably be ideal)
-An at home electrolysis device/tool.

Which brings me to the next questions....
1. would Jolen bleach be safe to use on the facial skin?
2. which at home electrolysis/hair removal device (no razors!) have you had the best success with? Thanks so far for the recommendation for One Touch, Septembergirl!

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:56 am

Nope no ill effects. I'm really hairy, I know I'm hairy. So is my sister and my cousin and my mother and my grandmother (not to mention the men in my family). Nothing to do with shaving or the lack of. I don't think my grandmother has ever shaved. I've accepted it and made my peace. I have hair practically everywhere and it has nothing to do with my shaving habits.

I have hair on my back on my stomach on my arms and on my face, etc. They're just all of varying thickness, but even if the hair is really thin (on my face for example) it's still there... I only started shaving my stomach and back and arms occasionally in the past few years and these areas were definitely hairy before then, I just wasn't bothered enough by the hair to do anything about it. When I'm going to be seen I shave whatever I feel like shaving. When I let the hair grow back it grows back exactly the same, except initially it looks a little thicker because of the blunt, rather than tapered edges.

Actually I've been doing laser hair removal and I've seen some results. I'll probably do everything eventually. When you do laser, you can only shave anyway.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:15 am

Sienna wrote:

Thank you all so much for your replies. My skin is very pale and I have dark brown hair on my head and peach fuzz on my face. The moustache has a few very fine dark hairs at my lip corners though. I suppose being in the sun would darken my skin and lighten the moustache hairs, but I don't want to EVER be in the sun without sunscreen! I am too chicken to shave - with my luck my facial hairs will start growing so that I look like a bear.
I'm going to look into the following:
-Threading (hope I find one in my area!)
-gentle bleaching (this would probably be ideal)
-An at home electrolysis device/tool.

Which brings me to the next questions....
1. would Jolen bleach be safe to use on the facial skin?
2. which at home electrolysis/hair removal device (no razors!) have you had the best success with? Thanks so far for the recommendation for One Touch, Septembergirl!

(You didn't ask me, but I'll offer face hair bleaching advice anyway)

Bleach is awful. If it's strong enough to bleach hair in one application it's strong enough to irritate the skin. If you have to go the bleach route, I recommend using a weak hydrogen peroxide solution kind of as a toner on the parts of your face that has hair you want to bleach. Get 20% hydrogen peroxide at a pharmacy and use that. It'll maybe tingle a little but it won't burn and it will gradually bleach the hair. If it's too strong or too weak adjust the concentration- get something that tingles but doesn't burn, this isn't something you wash off. Once the hair's bleached to your satisfaction continue using it occasionally for maintenance.

This wouldn't be enough for my upper lip and chin hairs but when I was doing other stuff for the stronger hairs the hydrogen peroxide toner was enough for the fuzz. I've had success with using this on my face, chest, and upper back. (Then I switched to shaving Wink

)

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 11:19 am

Anyway, just so that nobody feels sorry for me, I have to share: I have eyelashes like you wouldn't believe. I haven't ever met anyone who has bigger natural eyelashes. I definitely don't need eye make up and when I'm wearing mascara people think I'm wearing fake eyelashes.

free skin care · Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:16 pm

I love the Epicare knockoff that uses the threading principle.

Do a search here on EDS with Epicare in it and you will find more info and feedback from others.

Here's one such thread:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=22256&highlight=epicare

You can get an Epicare knockoff for cheap on Ebay.

Here are two videos that will show you how to use the Epicare knockoff device:

http://www.facialhairthreading.com/

http://www.thinkbeauty.co.uk/demovideo.html

*************
My own opinion about shaving. I don't think it makes hair grow in coarser or more rapidly. I think hormones -- especially testosterone levels -- are the cause of women who have "beards". If you have hair issues like CMAYC's sister, you should get your hormone levels checked out. You may have something like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) ... If so, look into holistic ways of treating it as those seem to have the best results. BTW, I have PCOS, so I am speaking from experience.

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