Hair today, gone tomorrow

Dear Betsy,
What is the best way to remove hair from my upper lip? I am 36 years old and it has recently really began to bother me.
Karla
Dear Karla,

First of all before removing the hair, try bleaching it instead. Many ladies find this enough of a solution to their facial superfluous hair problem.
You can purchase gentle cream bleach such as Crème Jolen, and use it at home, after conducting a simple patch test to ensure you are not sensitive to any of the ingredients (quite rare but possible).  Alternatively, you could book into a beauty salon and have it done professionally after they perform a patch test.
If you decide on removal then there are several things to consider such as how dark, strong, and profuse the growth is.
For a lighter growth then threading or waxing may be your best solution, but this is only a temporary measure and will have to be repeated every two to four weeks. 
Ask your therapist about correct after-care at home to protect your skin and prevent irritations. 
For a longer lasting solution you could consider Laser or IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) which needs to be repeated several times at approximately monthly intervals, depending on your skin/hair and the equipment being used.
These methods do produce longer lasting results but there can be side effects such as skin damage (temporary or in some cases permanent) so a proper consultation and patch test prior to beginning treatment are vital.
However, there is still only one medically proven method of permanently removing superfluous hair and that is called electrolysis. Since 1975 this method has been used successfully all over the world.
An extremely fine needle is inserted into the hair follicle, and a small electrical current travels down to the root, destroying the papilla and preventing further growth.
This is an extremely skilled technique and finding a properly qualified and licenced electrologist is vital to the success of the treatment. 
Poor technique can result in permanent skin damage such as scarring and pigmentation in addition to, ironically, a worsening of the hair growth.
Always check that a new sterile disposable needle is used for your session and a professional technician will always be happy to allow you to witness this.
Whatever method you decide on, take good care of your skin and avoid exposure to the sun, heat treatments, (sauna, steam, etc) application of make up or perfumed products to your skin for up to 48 hours after hair removal.