Women don’t like to talk about facial hair. While younger generations are more at ease with body hair in general (thanks to Julia Roberts for normalising underarm hair during that red carpet appearance in 1999) for many of us, sporting an actual moustache is a bridge too far.
And yet few of us are immune to a few downy hairs on our upper lip.
‘Facial hair in women is incredibly common and completely normal,’ says Dr Sonia Khorana, a GP who specialises in dermatology. ‘There can be a lot of stigma around it, but it’s often caused by genetics or natural hormonal changes.’
According to her, women produce small amounts of androgens – often referred to as male hormones – and when these are relatively high you can start to see facial hair growth.
‘One of the most common causes is conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, but it’s also something we see during menopause,’ Dr Khorana says. ‘As oestrogen levels decline, the relative effect of androgens becomes more noticeable, which can lead to increased facial hair.’
Unfortunately, if your mother or grandmother had to fight the fuzz there’s a high chance you’ll face the same battle.
‘Genetics play a significant role,’ she says. ‘Some women are predisposed to developing visible facial hair regardless of hormone levels.’
In most cases, hair on the upper lip is completely normal but if the growth is sudden or excessive, or you’re also experiencing symptoms such as acne or irregular periods, it’s worth seeing a doctor.
So, what can you do if you don’t fancy following in the footsteps of Frida Kahlo (the Mexican artist famously embraced her facial hair) and rejecting conventional beauty standards?
There are a number of options available – it all depends how much time and money you’re willing to invest.
If you don’t want to get rid of the hair entirely, and you’re quite light-skinned, bleaching or lightening is one solution.
Jolene Creme Bleach (around £3, available at Boots, Superdrug and other pharmacies) has long been the go-to product, renowned for how gentle it is on skin. You just mix the powder and cream together, apply, wait ten minutes and remove, with results lasting up to four weeks. But make sure you do a patch test beforehand.
However, there are downsides. ‘Bleaching works better for finer, softer hair, but if it’s coarser, it won’t give a particularly good cosmetic result,’ warns Dr Khorana.
Plucking is fine if you’ve only got the odd dark hair, but make sure you invest in a decent tweezer such as Tweezerman Slant Tweezer, (£24, lookfantastic.com). A magnifying mirror can help, too.
Threading in a salon is quite a cost-effective option too (from £10). However, it can remove finer, lighter hairs, known as vellus hairs – or peach fuzz – which can grow back darker and more obvious.
Then there are hair removal creams, such as Nair Face Brush On (£3.99, superdrug.com) – but bear in mind the same ingredients that dissolve hair can also irritate sensitive skin. Do a patch test first and try applying a fine layer of Vaseline beforehand to protect the area.
You might feel squeamish about shaving your top lip but don’t be deceived into thinking dermaplaning – where a surgical scalpel is used to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells and vellus hair – is any better.
According to Dr Khorana, they are pretty similar, although dermaplaning tools, such as the Gillette Venus Dermaplaner for Face (£10, boots.com) are generally designed for facial hair.
While it’s a myth that shaved hairs grow back thicker, new growth can feel thicker as the tip is blunt, rather than naturally tapered. (You don’t get this so much with hair removal creams as they partially dissolve hair below the surface, so regrowth often feels softer.)
If you want to wax at home, don’t mess around with hot wax (go to a salon and pay from around £5-£10 for that). Instead use strips – Veet Expert Waxing Strips for Sensitive Skin (£5.33, amazon.co.uk) get some of the best reviews and can leave you hair-free for a few weeks.
Either way, Dr Khorana suggests stopping using any retinoids a few days before so your skin is less delicate.
Longer-lasting methods include IPL devices (such as Philips Lumea, £489.99, philips.co.uk) or lasers (Tria laser, £549.99, trialaser.co.uk). They use light that’s converted into heat and damages the follicle, preventing regrowth.
You need to use these on a regular basis – every two to four weeks – for several months to get results, but you can expect a significant reduction (90-100 per cent) in hair growth.
‘At-home devices can absolutely be worth it for maintenance or mild hair concerns,’ says Dr Khorana. ‘They are quite expensive, but they’re often cost-effective in the long term compared to clinic treatments.’
However, since they rely on the contrast between hair and skin, those with darker skin or very light hair should look at salon options (from around £100 a session) with a trained professional to avoid the risk of burns or pigmentation changes.
Dr Khorana also warns that for some laser patients there is a risk of paradoxical trichosis, where hair growth can actually worsen. This is more common in women of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern descent.
For permanent hair removal, electrolysis has long been considered the top solution; a needle delivers an electrical charge to the follicle which kills it.
‘This is my personal favourite for facial hair,’ says Dr Khorana. ‘Even though it’s time-consuming, can be quite uncomfortable and requires multiple sessions at £150-200 a session.’
Finally, you can get a cream called Vaniqa on a private prescription (around £60) which slows hair growth and can, says Dr Khorana, be useful alongside other treatments.
Or, if all this sounds like too much hard work, lean into it, Kahlo-style.
