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Original poster

Waxing or threading for facial hair?

24 replies

UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 11:28

I'm in my early 40's and naturally fair/blonde. I've always had a few unnoticeable hairs above my upper lip but they were so fair and fine they didn't concern me enough to do anything about them. Now I'm the wrong side of 40 I appear to be sprouting a few more which are darker and although nobody has said anything, they are starting to bother me. What is the best approach to dealing with them? I don't think bleaching will be sufficient now, there's a few to many and I will still know that they are there. I feel that the time has come to start removing them. Shaving will obviously cause stubble and be a mistake so I'm looking at waxing or threading. Which is likely to have more subtle regrowth? Does one last longer than the other? Any other advantages/disadvantages of either technique I should know about please?

OP posts:
troppibambini · 08/10/2019 11:43

I went have my face threaded a few months ago. It was good but very painful I've had my tip lip and brows threaded before but this was a whole new level!!
She threaded most of my face but used wax on the bits that were too painful (side burns and some of my cheeks)
The areas she waxed reacted very badly and my face took around ten days to settle down it was very noticeable-red and bumpy and I couldn't wear make up.
I wouldn't say my skin is sensitive but I was in a lot of pain afterwards.
I spoke to a friend of mine who's a beautician and she had a look and said it was it wasn't an allergic reaction or anything it was just my reacting to the harshness of being waxed.
So I would say definitely threading (those areas were fine) but take painkillers first and ginGrin

Original poster
UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 11:46

Thanks @troppibambini I regularly have my bikini line waxed so my first thought was waxing but I wondered if it might be different on the face. How long before you start seeing regrowth above the lip when you are threaded please?

OP posts:
MustardScreams · 08/10/2019 11:47

Depends on how sensitive your skin is. I wax and have no reactions (bit of redness for an hour or so) and I find threading horrendously painful.

troppibambini · 08/10/2019 11:49

I would say about four weeks maybe.
You sound quite similar to me my top lip is fair and quite fine but noticeable in the sun.
The regrowth is fine a lot less noticeable than bikini and certainly no thicker than before threading.

Original poster
UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 11:54

@troppibambini that's a great help, thanks. I think I shall get booked in for later this week. Wish me luck!!

OP posts:
Roussette · 08/10/2019 12:05

I've suffered for years and years with hair on my upper lip. I've tried everything. Waxing and threading - not much to choose between them, threading is painful though.

Then I bought this and it is a miracle! Braun face epilator 831. It's honestly fantastic, removes all of the hair on my lip apart from a couple of really stubborn ones I tweezer out. Really recommend it.

Waxing or threading for facial hair?
Original poster
UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 12:46

@Roussette thanks for that. Tempting. What is the regrowth like with it? My biggest concern is starting to remove the hair and creating a bigger problem by ending up with thicker regrowth or stubble.

OP posts:
Original poster
UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 12:47

@Roussette does it hurt to use?

OP posts:
Roussette · 08/10/2019 14:01

No, there is not lots of regrowth. It is not like you see these round battery operated and other types of facial hair removal things. They are everywhere. Like this picture. They are honestly just a female razor, like a man would shave with! You will get stubble with that. (I saw them in Tesco for £20.)

This is a facial epilator and eventually it reduces hairs like an epilator for the legs would. Yes, it is a bit painful but it takes me about a minute to do and it's a hell of a lot less painful than threading.

Waxing or threading for facial hair?
Roussette · 08/10/2019 14:03

Meant to say @UnicornsExist.... yes, the epilator is more expensive but it has repaid me 100fold but not having to make appointments and drive to get my top lip threaded (20mile round trip for me).

I have a lot of down on my lip, not just thick straggly hairs and I'm super smooth after using it

Original poster
UnicornsExist · 08/10/2019 14:45

@Roussette thanks for that. I'm very tempted to give one a go. I live in the middle of nowhere so being able to do it myself at home would be considerably more convenient than having to drive miles to a salon.

OP posts:
MsMartini · 08/10/2019 16:02

I use a stick epilator on my face. Epistick or something like that. They are vv cheap and easy to use. I have dark hair which appears as normal light fuzz and also the odd horror that sprouts overnight (I am early 50s), so it is great to have something that take seconds to hand in the bathroom.

bigglewig · 09/10/2019 18:22

Depending on your skin tone try the Lumea, which is an at home laser treatment. It's amazing, I have the same problem as you, (but from a much younger ages) and it's massively reduced hair (bikini line, arm pits, legs abs face!). It's expensive but done my confidence a favour! Smile

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 09/10/2019 18:29

I would just tweezer them out. Might take you 5 minutes every few days? Get one of those x 15 magnifying mirrors and pointed tweezers. The pain of threading is indescribable!

onlyconnect · 09/10/2019 18:33

Does a facial epilator work on thick, stubborn hair? I have quite a few dark hairs around my neck at jaw that I tweeze but I'd love to do something else. I've had them waxed but even that didn't pull some of them out.

MeadowHay · 09/10/2019 21:54

Oh to only have to face this trouble in your 40s...I'm in my mid-twenties and have been getting my full face threaded regularly since I was 20. I have dark, thick hair basically everywhere. The pain depends on the threader and also where you are in your cycle/hormones. I remember it was the worst it ever had been a few days before I went into labour, I knew it was a sign! I think threading is better for a large area like a whole face as waxing wouldn't really be practical for that but if it's just upper lip I would go with wax, far less painful and probably around the same length of time for regrowth (used to get it done when I lived abroad for a year as there wasn't any local threaders there). Upper lip is the most painful part of facial threading.

Chilledout11 · 09/10/2019 21:58

I like to use nair lip hair remover but keep I the jml in the car for quick touch ups.

kerkyra · 09/10/2019 22:14

Boots hair remover. Use the spatular to put on,leave five minutes and sorted. I redo mine every month

AliciaQuays · 09/10/2019 23:10

Lol @ spatular

Derma planing m8

BubblesBuddy · 09/10/2019 23:13

Laser treatment in a salon. Lumea is next best but I would go to a salon first. And I did.

QuestionableMouse · 09/10/2019 23:21

Eyebrow razors.

Cheap, easy and leave your skin super smooth.

QuestionableMouse · 10/10/2019 14:50

I could never get those to work and if by chance they did catch a hair, it was extremely painful.

Roussette · 10/10/2019 16:33

I couldn't get that to work either and I've too much hair!

Might take you 5 minutes every few days?
Not me! Too much hair on my upper lip right up to my nostrils and tweezering there is painful, unless it's the stubborn thick hairs and they are a delight to tweezer out Grin

onlyconnect I would say the facial epilator works on all hair except for the odd thick bristly one on me. Those I have to tweezer out. But all the rest of the hair comes off and I feel exactly the same as if I had been threaded or waxed, it's like removing fur from my upper lip Blush

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