Ah, upper lip hair… one of the banes of our beauty existences – and one nobody is safe from.
Whether your hair is on the darker side and leaves the area looking shadowy, or you’re a paler gal whose light hair appears Dumbledore-level white against your foundation and fake tan, it can certainly be a bother.
And while it is, of course, a completely normal thing to grow hair on your face (yes, even as a female), sometimes we’re still keen to send it on its merry way.
Now we know you’re probably not dealing with a Ron Burgundy-style moustache (and hey, we’re also not judging if you are), but when you do notice hairs above your upper lip, it’s nice to have a tried-and-true DIY solution for getting rid of them, especially in times like these where salon visits are a no-go.
So, we chatted with hair removal expert Roxy Lazar to find out how to wax your upper lip hair at home. We’re not saying it’s going to be painless, but it is going to be worth it.
So… how long will the treatment take and how difficult is it to do solo?
“No one likes getting their upper lip waxed, let alone doing it by yourself, but with our beauticians being closed, it’s time to take this one into our own hands,” says Roxy. “Not to worry, with only three small areas to wax this can be done in less than 5 minutes by following these next few steps.” Onto the steps then!
How to wax your upper lip hair
Step 1
“First, assess the skin. The lip area can be quite sensitive, so when dealing with facial waxing you want to make sure your skin can handle it. If you are on any skin medications, such as Roaccutan or have eczema or any other skin irritations around the area you are about to wax then I would recommend not proceeding,” warns Roxy.
bh tip: If you’re prone to pain, try applying some Numit Numbing Cream ($11.99 at Chemist Warehouse) beforehand.
Step 2
“Next, prep your skin. Remove all makeup, moisturisers and oil that may be on or around the area,” she advises.
A once-over with some WaterWipes ($8 at Woolworths) will do the trick.
Step 3
Get your kit ready. “You’ll need oil of your choice, such as coconut or baby oil, and small waxing strips – look for strips with nourishing ingredients in their waxing formulation,” Roxy suggests.
bh loves: Oil Garden Fractionated Coconut Body Oil ($27.99 at Oil Garden), Marzena Natural Facial Wax Strips ($6.75 at Woolworths) and Nair Sensitive Mini Strips ($11.30 at Priceline).
Step 4
“Apply a very thin layer of oil, then wipe over the lip with a tissue so the area is not to oily (you want the skin to just have a very thin barrier to protect from any skin lift),” she tells us.
Step 5
“Remove the small strip from packet, and with two hands rub the strip back and forth to create heat so the wax softens (if you have a rug or carpet you can also place the strip down on the carpet and rub the strip, as the carpet will help with heating it up faster). Once the strip feels warm, slowly peel the strip away from the wax so it creates two strips with even amounts of wax on each side,” Roxy says.
Step 6
“Press your lips together to make a taut surface, then starting with the left or right side of your philtrum (the area where your cupid’s bow runs up to meet your nose), place the strip on the upper lip as close to your lip line as possible, going with the growth of your hair . Still pressing your lips together, firmly rub the strip into the skin for about 15 seconds making sure there are no air bubbles. Before pulling the strip off make sure you are removing it in the direction opposite to your hair growth (against the growth),” she advises.
Step 7
“With the opposite hand that will not be used to pull off the strip, firmly hold the area close to your wax strip so the skin is taut, and with the other hand quickly remove the strip. Make sure you do this quickly to reduce any pain associated with slow removal of strips. Then, repeat on the other side,” says Roxy.
Step 8
“Lastly hold your top lip down with your bottom lip as tight as possible and apply wax strip over the philtrum again pull tightly with one hand and remove quickly,” she shares.
Step 9
“Use your choice of oil to remove any excess wax. Marzena’s facial waxing strips ($6.75 at Woolworths) come with after-care wipes which are enriched with oil and help to soothe skin and remove wax,” Roxy says. And, voila, you’re done!
Are there any necessary aftercare steps to aid with irritation?
“After you have removed any excess wax, dab over the area with a cool wet cloth and avoid putting any creams or makeup over the area to keep it as clean as possible for approximately six hours. If the area seems excessively red, has severe stinging or looks like lifted skin, then apply Bepanthen Antiseptic Soothing Cream or paw paw ointment to the area and repeat every 30 minutes until the area looks healed,” Roxy advises.
bh loves: Bepanthen Antiseptic Soothing Cream ($10.49 at Chemist Warehouse) and Sukin Naturals Paw Paw Ointment ($8.99 at Priceline).
Image credit: Getty
Have you ever waxed your upper lip at home? Do you have any of your own tips for members?
Certainly much easier and such good advice regarding the oil on the lip area just not to much. Will try it myself.
Ouchie! I trialed these Marzena facial wax strips for Glosscars just recently and I really liked them. They did a great job. The ouch is just me being a sook. But I would highly recommend these.
The Marzena facial wax strips worked quite well for me. This article reminds me that I’m due for another wax!
I attempted a moustache wax a couple of days ago. Wish I had read this first! Ended up having to use tweezers to remove all the missed hair. Not good.
I used to wax but it broke me out so badly. Not sure what I was doing wrong
Not an issue for me at the moment .
Wonderful tips for waxing top lip. The first time I waxed it I thought I had peeled all my skin off. It was a shock to the system.
I haven’t tried doing this, but I should bookmark this page for further reference if needed
I did it after receiving these marzena strips. Was great, all little fuzz gone. Not since. I would usually shave off the fuzz from face from time to time. Easier
I found wax strips the easiest
I never had done this before (since I’m blonde naturally and there just ain’t that much hair there) but I did do the Marzena one’s since we received them in the glosscars event. (boy, what timing for the glosscars’s event hey?! Just in the nick of time before all the lockdowns etc!! phew!).
I have done it before but it was always so painful
Being a blonde this has thankfully never been an issue for me.
I use my Veet Precision Beauty Styler which only trims down to about 2mm. It’s a great alternative if you are short of time. I prefer to use a Revlon Face Defuzzer which removes my peach fuzz down to skin level so my skin feels really, really clean and smooth.
I didn’t know about the oil either. I’ll have to give waxing a go again.
I haven’t (and tbh, I won’t be doing it whilst in lockdown as I’d rather wait to get threaded instead), but I tried the Marzena wax strips we received at the Glosscars event on my Mum the other day & she was impressed.
This is a good timed article. May have to try this soon. I have used the body version of these and they are fantastic. Converted
I’m doing my own with the restrictions and have been pleasantly surprised with the whole process and the great result.
I’ve tried waxing at home and at the salon, hair removal creams and plucking. Now I’m shaving and using laser hair removal and home. Hopefully it lasts longer than the others
Yes I tried these too. When you run out of the wipes you can use oil to remove residue! I put a bit of olive oil on a tissue and gets rid of any stickiness remaining,.
I’ve always bleached my upper lip hair to good effect in the past, but thinking about trying either waxing or just coming to terms with it.
Good timing I will give this a go.
Oh the joys of female maintenance!!!!
I’ve been waxing my upper lip and chinny chin chin hair for years. I’ve tried the Marzena and like the wax isn’t sugar based.
Some good tips. I am not sure about waxing my face… I think that I would be too painful for me.
I’ve never waxed my upper lip. I have had laser hair removal done on it through and it has helped to thin out my hair a lot, but not get rid of it completely.
The Nair mini wax strips are also good and effective. Just make sure you apply oil straight after to soothe the skin and avoid a rash.
I found them good too.
I don’t like waxing as I find it too painful.
I used the Marzena wax strips we received at the Glosscars but my fine hair is very fair so I’m not sure whether it’s worth the trouble.
Wax strips don’t work for me and the razor is not that good either
I gave up on waxing, I use an epilator nowadays. Much better, lip area is rather sensitive though
I (thankfully) don’t need to do this. The idea of waxing my lip makes me wince
Sounds painful to me, cream smells awful, razor not so good and epilator huts way too much= no answer
I don’t do this
Great tips in case I ever need them!!!
Easy to use them.
I should do this.
I prefer getting a beauty person do wax for me but will give this list a try.
I used Veet for years, then I started tweezing. It hurt at first, but now it’s almost painless & there’s much less regrowth. Sometimes, I even epilate it.
OMG – that’s my image :O
Not having any issues will upper lip hair but get a couple on the sides which I pluck out but for some reason makes me sneeze, might have to give this a go, good to know the proper way to do it.
I tried these strips earlier this year and they didn’t seem to grab all the hairs, I might have to give it another go using this method.
Just reading this article and wondering what to do today. Yes, will remove my excess facial hair (it is only slight) and I didn’t know to oil my lips prior or purse my lips. Some great instructions here, thank you.
Yes there are good hints that I will also try
I tried again and it still didn’t work
Thank you for the tips this is working for me.
Waxing my upper lip is sooo painful
great tips! thanks
There is spam on this article, I’ve reported it.
I don’t like waxing the lip anymore, too sensitive of an area.
Yes I have used Nair facial strips and they work well. I don’t have many hairs there but they are still annoying.