Hair growth on the upper lip is very common. But in some women, hormonal imbalances can cause upper lip hair to grow more than normal. Read on to know if you fall into that category and what home remedies may help you remove upper lip hair naturally at home.
Note: The remedies discussed below can help remove the upper lip hair temporarily. If you are looking for a permanent solution, opt for professional hair removal treatments or consult your healthcare provider for prescribed medications.
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.
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of water or milk
What You Have To Do
- Mix the turmeric powder with either water or milk and apply it to the upper lip.
- Leave it on for half an hour.
- Once it has hardened, rub it gently and wash it off.
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.
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
- Mix the egg white with the cornflour and sugar.
- Whisk the mixture until it forms a sticky paste.
- Apply the paste to the upper lip region.
- Let it dry for around 30 minutes and peel it off.
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
- Mix the gelatin and milk in a bowl and microwave the mixture for 10-12 seconds.
- Apply the warm paste to the upper lip.
- Once dried, peel it off with mild force.
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).
You Will Need
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- A soft piece of cloth
What You Have To Do
- Heat the sugar in a pan for a minute.
- Add the fresh lemon juice to it and stir until it forms a thick liquid.
- Allow it to cool down.
- Apply the sugar-lemon juice mixture to the upper lip region.
- Place a piece of cloth on the applied paste. Rub in a circular motion.
- Pull it off quickly against the direction of the hair growth.
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
- Mix the yogurt, besan, and turmeric in a bowl.
- Massage the upper lip with this paste.
- Wait for about 15-20 minutes. Rub it off gently.
- Wash the area with cold water.
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
- Mix all the ingredients to form a thick paste.
- Apply the paste to the upper lip area and wait for it to dry.
- Once dried, slowly peel off the mask.
- Rinse the area with water.
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
- Squeeze the lemon and add the sugar to it. Stir well until it becomes a paste.
- Apply the paste all over the upper lip.
- Let it dry for 15 minutes and wash it off with water.
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
- Boil the chamomile tea bags in water in a saucepan.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the tea bags steep for around 30 minutes.
- Throw the tea bags away and pour out only half a cup of tea.
- Pour a cup of water into a saucepan. Add some water to the chamomile tea you just extracted.
- Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir well.
- Allow the mixture to boil for a couple of minutes. Wait until the colour turns darker.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Let the sugar wax cool down. Don’t apply it to your skin when it is hot.
- Use a popsicle stick to spread it over your upper lip.
- Apply a waxing strip on it. Hold it for a few seconds and pull it off quickly. Make sure you pull in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
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
- Apply a mixture of honey and lemon juice to the upper lip.
- Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.
- Soak the washcloth in the warm water. Wring out the excess water and use this to gently wipe off the honey-lemon paste.
- Rinse your face with water.
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
- Soak the lentils in water overnight.
- Strain them in the morning and grind them with the lemon juice and freshly extracted potato juice (from a grated potato).
- Add the honey to this paste and mix well.
- Apply this to the upper lip and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Once dried, scrub the paste off.
- Wash your face with water.
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
- Make a paste with the ingredients and apply on the upper lip.
- Let it dry and then slowly peel this mask off.
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!
Give the remedies given above a go and watch your hair turn lighter, thinner, and fainter within a few weeks. Keep in mind that these remedies have to be regularly followed as recommended to show results.