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Monday, December 8, 2014

Hair Removal Options: Bleaching

Please first read Thoughts about Hair Removal Options for some important preliminary information.

Bleaching, of course, is not removing hair physically, but I’m  including it in the posts on hair removal because it can remove hair visually. And sometimes this is all that is needed.

The most common reason (and my recommendation) for using a bleaching cream is for dark hair on the upper lip area. With bleach, all you are doing is lightening the hair, not removing it; so the hair doesn’t change (get darker, thicker) due to this application. Other than a reaction to the bleaching cream itself, there aren’t really any negative effects of using this method to remove dark colored hair. In short, bleaching is the least harmful way to take care of unwanted hair on the upper lip.

Jolen® is a brand of facial hair bleaching cream that has been around for years. There are other brands on the market as well. Full directions will be on the box or bottle of bleaching cream. Just be sure to read and follow those instructions to the letter. Also, since you are working with bleach, be careful not to get it on anything, especially clothes you care about.

Bleaching your upper lip is a painless and simple way to get rid of dark hair. I recommend doing a patch test first before using any bleaching cream. You never know if you will have a reaction, and you certainly don’t want to find out after you’ve applied bleach to your entire upper lip area. 

I recently had a facial, and the aesthetician told me not to wax or bleach my upper lip for a few days. What do you think—is that true? 

I agree with your aesthetician. Waxing causes irritation for almost everyone. If the facial contained strong acid peels or a lot of active ingredients, your skin might be too sensitive to use chemicals like bleach. So, since the skin is susceptible to irritation in that area, although it may not cause a problem, play it safe and don’t bleach either directly before or after a facial. And definitely don’t get waxed there for a few days.

If I see a client who is asking about getting her upper lip waxed for the first time to remove unwanted hair, I always recommend she try bleaching the area first. If she can achieve the results she’s looking for by simply bleaching, that is a good thing.

I also recommend not obsessing about this or any other area of your body. It is very possible that whatever you “see” no one else can or does. Be kind!

For more information, see: