I am 22 years old. I have been BATTLING body and facial hair for as loonng as I can remember.

Lately its been eating me up inside. I am too embarassed to do anything, go out in the sun, im afraid to drive with someone in my passenger seat because of how the light will hit my hairy face!! I could go on and on about all those little things I do related to my hair..

My body is an issue in itself..(i shave my arms and legs and sometimes my happy trail).. I guess what bothers me the most is i get hair around my nippled and in the middle of my chest.. oh and my back is whole other thing... yuck.


but my biggest issue is my face.. I have light skin and dark hair, so although the hairs on my cheeks, jawline, and neck are somewhat fine, they are dark so they are very noticeable.. the hairs on my chin are mainly blonde, but kinda thick and long.. my mustache is really gross and I can't seem to find anything that works besides waxing.. I've considered bleaching my cheeks, neck, and chin, hoping that will help..

Ive seen many people post this on here, but I too, also play that game of "is that girl hairy?" for example, I'll be standing behind someone in line and I'll look at their back, cheeks, chin, etc and compare myself to them... for the most part they just have cute baby peach fuzz hairs.. I have yet to see someone as hairy as me..

I do have a boyfriend, and Im pretty sure he knows how hairy I am, and I guess he just doesnt care. the other day though he pointed out his hairy pale legs and said they were gross and that he hated hair. It just made me sink inside. But he's always telling me how much he loves me and how beautiful I am and all that stuff. He has told me many times he wanted to get married, as well. I just dont know what his point was when he was pointing out his "gross hairy legs" that I could probably even beat him in a hair contest if I grew mine out!!!

anywayyy im now meeting with my doc tomorrow to check for any hormonal imbalances.. and then i think im going to proceed with electrolysis.. im just sick of waxing/plucking/shaving, just to have it return in a matter of days.. being 22, and not being able to be myself, due to lack of confidenece and feeling alienated and bad about myself just makes me soooo much more frustrated.

overall I'm a really happy person, too. I mean, the only thing I dont like about myself is this hair issue. which is why its so frustrating. i feel happiness and confidence inside of me, but its just blocked by my dark little secret.

ive been reading this forum obsessively today, and its made me feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. ive never realized there were other women who worried so much about the hair on their neck/chest/cheeks/etc. id never WANT someone else to go through what Im going through, but its nice to know im not the only one.. I acutally dont feel so alienated anymore.
:]

Don't do laser!!

i wasnt planning on doing laser. electrolysis is different.

i tried laser on my tummy a long time ago and it didnt do much of anything. it was a waste of money

Laser caused more hairs to grow for me. That's why I warned against it.

I am 22 years old too, and excessive hair is also a lifelong problem for me. Also, I too have dark hair and light skin and so even the fine hairs are bothersome.

I wax my legs from when I was 13, and it's not a problem pain-wise, but it is a messy process. I waxed my entire body once but got breakouts which led to scars on my upper back, upper tummy, and cleavage. Never going to do that again. I just shave the hair on my stomach and cleavage now.

I used the rotary epilator but it is pain pulling out a few hairs at time. And for some reason, new hairs after rotary epilation feel like spikes.

I had electrolysis on my unibrow, but the constant trips back and forth wasn't worth the removal of the square-inch of hair. I also tried laser and you could read my experience in my lastest post. So I have been there and done that and have not found any satisfactory method.

it sounds like (from reading these forums) that although, yes, electrolysis is time consuming and is a long process, its well worth it.

for me, spending the last 22 years trying to mask my hair with waxing, shaving, plucking, bleaching, (the list goes on) is enough to make me think spending about 2 years to remove the hair for GOOD is worth it! it also makes me feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel, yknow?

and ive also heard that waxing can actually make the hair grow back stronger and thicker (ive been waxing my face for the last year or so.. i dont think im going to anymore....) i think im going to stick with bleaching and trimming until i start electrolysis.. itll probably be embarassing.. but im hoping itll start to fade with electrolysis

I planning to try electrolysis on the abnormal hairs that grew on my neck after the laser. So even though I don't like the method, it is probably my only option.

why dont you like it?

As you know, it is time-consuming and one hair is treated at a time so only a few hairs get treated in a session. The electrologist charges a dollar for a minute and 30 minutes is the limit for a session. Plus I have to go every week and the closest electrologist is in another town, so a lot of gas money wasted. Also, I am a student and so I don't have the time to go every week. But like I said, there is only one last option and so I feel the same way you feel, it will be worth it.

sent you a pm

Ladies: One hair at a time sounds time-consuming, but in actuality, it is very time efficient if you find an electrologist that has newer equipment that allows them to work without a footswitch and offers microflash or picoflash thermolysis. It is possible to remove between 500 and 700 hairs per hour on the chin area using these modalities. I do it daily and so do other electrologists. Electrolysis is not the same old electrolysis that your mother and grandmother had years ago, unless the electrologist you choose is locked in a time-warp with very old equipment with no desire to try a better way.

It sounds like you ladies are reading these forums. Get as much information as you can about what modern electrologists van offer and go on the hunt for that special electrologist that can take control of your problem. Focusing on one area that bothers you the most, is the best way to start.

I am dismayed that an electrologist would only offer 15 and 30 minute appointments. Can you explain why? In the beginning, clients need more time and frequent visits to get the hair off asap. You're going no where fast with short appointments. You will eventually get frustrated and doubtful and then perhaps you will give up.

Keep looking. California has some great electrologists and I feel confident that you will find some great choices in the Bay area. Know what getting the best means and don't settle for less. Start close to home and move outward. Maybe there will be some consumers peeking in that can give you the best recommendations.

Dee

thank you so much for the advice!!

im trying to take steps in the direction of treatment (just getting on this forum took some time for me) but often i feel lost and discouraged.. your words are very encouraging for me!

im a bit worrisome of the procedure and i definitely am afraid of a bad experience that could hold me back from continuing with it.. i would be devestated by scarring or if the hair just never thinned..

so far no luck on getting references to bay area electrologists, but I did see a bunch on hairfacts.com around my area that I will start looking into and setting up consultations for.

for the first time, what is a reasonable amount to get done? And in your experience, does price depend on area or time? and what prices should I expect for an area like my upper lip or chin? i know it varies, but a price range would be nice to know what im getting myself into.. since i am still a student, and paying loans, price is a factor.

thanks

Wow 700? I would like to know what the name of that method is!

I did electrolysis back in 2004. I knew the electrologist would treat each single hair with her needle, and then remove each hair with the tweezers. The hair would come out easily so I know it was working, but only a few hairs were treated in the 30 minutes. But if you say there is a better method then I am ecstatic because I am desperate and I have ran out of choices. What kind of questions should I ask while seeking an electrologist?

Dee's already said it, Microflash or Picoflash (these are the newer modalities of thermolysis).

Regards,
Benji

Thanks Benji Boy for clarifying that once again.

A probe is still introduced into individual hair follicles one at a time, treated and then the hair is lifted out. This is the part that has not changed for the act of doing electrolysis in over 130 years of electrolysis history.

What has changed for electrolysis is computerization. Computerized epilators offer precison energy levels. Autosensors are another perk so the electrologist does not have to use a footswitch to activate the current. She/he can move along faster. Surgical magnification and quality lighting are some biggies that allow the electrologist to do longer appointments because they can see better and, thus move along faster. All these choices reduces the fatigue level of the electrologist, so she/he can move faster.

Five hundred to seven hundred insertions per hour are possible for those that are using microflash thermolysis, picoflash thermolysis and I will include flash thermolysis into that mix, but if you find someone that is in the 300-400 range, don't turn your nose up to that.

For the chin area, I sometimes mix it up with microflash and blend. I let the situation drive me. That's why we call electrolysis more of an art than a science for permanent hair removal.

Greetings, where are you located? You need to find someone who's using a faster electrolysis method. There are various ones, including galvanic (slowest), blend (faster), thermolysis (much faster, especially the microflash type).

Lagirl, I live in north Bay Area and there are not many electrologists to choose from. The one I did go to four years ago didn't do much for me. But I am reconsidering electrolysis, I will definitely give it another go, I just have to find another electrologist.

BTW thanks everyone for the the info!

I lost 2000 dollars on laser hair removal and what I got was weird hair growth in return, I just hope that electrolysis does not do the same.

Electrolysis will not cause weird hair growth problems.

Your main task, which may turn out to be no small task, would be to find a competent, modern electrologist by interviewing several and getting sample treatments. Look for signs that this is being done correctly, mix that with some trust and you will see vast improvement within 9?-12?-14?-16?-18? months.

Dee

With the proper treatment protocol and scheduling, one would see vast improvement in 3 months, but total completion would be what one would need to wait 9, 12, 18 or 24 months.

oh thats pretty cool to know. :]

you guys are really awesome with all your advice and experience.

thanks so much.

Do you mean you're in Marin County? Check the sticky post on this forum with links on how to find an electrologist. If you can commute to San Francisco or other parts of the Bay, you'll probably have more options.

Do you know the laser and settings that were used on you?

I believe the first center used a Coolglide and then the second center used a MeDioStar XT. Unfortunately I did not take note of the settings that were used but the one using MeDioStar Xt was using a setting that was the maximum for my skin color.

I just stumbled on this forum (which is now a firm fave) and one of the first threads i read was yours lulu bean, and im literally like cos everything you wrote its exxxxxxxactly how i feel! Everything from the car thing n checking the light, the comparing other girls (and guys sometimes!!), the boyfriend thing and even the basically being happy and the hair being kinda like a dark secret!

I've always had dark hair since i was young but it was never very much, then when i was about 17/18 i noticed a bit more on like really small sideburns then over the last 5/6 years its just gone a bit haywire on my chin and neck, sideburns, little bits on my chest, nipples, stomach god i could go on! I'va had a blood test for testosterone levels n stuff but all that came back was my thyroid was a little high, and my doctor didn tell me that my mom did cos she works in the hospital!! in fact the doctor never mentioned the test results at all and so im still kinda unsure about the whole situation, but im pretty sure its not pocs or anything as i've never had any problems with that aside from the usual annoying stuff that goes along with it, and i've been on the pill for a year now (on my 2nd kind) and know that the hair isnt related to that cos the dates dont match up.

I've had one laser hair removal session on my neck, sideburns and chin when the hair wasnt AS bad as it is now (back in 2005/6 i think it was), but as i only had one session and there wasnt a huuuuge amount of hair to remove it obviously grew back. weird thing is as the years went on i got more hair in more places. Now before i would have said it was definately nothing to do with laser treatment but after reading things on here im not so sure that laser is the right treatment for me, or ever was.

If its just a case of trying different treatments to see which one works then so be it, but i wonder too if different methods work on different areas of the body better than others??

For example the hair on my legs, underarms and bikini (not to mention thighs and stomach) is very coarse and dark and thick, im starting to get ingrowing hairs reasonably often and my legs get verrrrrrrrrry itchy and red and everything possibly painful and i've done everything i can to try and fix it from moisturising like mad to exfoliating everyday, not using any fragrenced things or anything in baths or showers, and that last one kinnnda worked. But then again, how can i shave / remove hair successfully (even if it only lasts a day before regrowth starts with a vengence) without using some form of bathcream, moiseurebath, shaving type stuff??
Bikini i tend to trim as close as possible but i cant do anything about the thigh area, and the stomach and any facial areas i've tried every method on (aside from electrolysis). Hair removing cream doesnt work, literally its mad how little it does and i've tried every brand. Shaving (not electric shaving tho) works like i said for a day, bleaching is just pointless to me, and finally plucking: the faithful evil friend that is the tweezer lol, it goes everywhere with me and i cant spend a day where i dont potch with my skin to hunt out the offending hairs that are obvious and get rid of them, even if it means having a huge red patch where i've tried so hard!

I dont know what im trying to say here really, think i just got carried away after reading your post oopsies lol .

The one thing i'm gonna do right now tho is look at the pros and cons of laser and electrolysis. Laser i always assumed was the best and electrolysis the most painful and demonic looking! But now im not so sure. Im also looking at epilators as they seem a bit less dodgy looking these days. hmmmmmm.

Anyway thats all im gonna say lol, ive gone on enough, needless to say this forum has really reeeeeally opened up my eyes at hair problems and to find other people who are literally thinking the same things as me is amazing!!

Feels quite good to know actually!!

Cheers!