Originally Posted by dolcevita:
plumeria - where in VA are you? i live in VA too. :)

I'm in Chesapeake :)

Do you have PCOS? Have you looked into seeing an endocrinologist and possibly going on medication for it? I have hormone issues and take spironolactone for the excess hair- it's been like 2 months and I've seen a HUGE improvement in my hair on my face- it's growing back super slow now and I'm hoping in a few more months to see even better results- my doctor said it can take 6 months to notice anything but I'm already seeing a difference at 2 months :)

Originally Posted by plumeria:
I'm in Chesapeake :)

ahh... i'm near charlottesville. :)

What's PCOS? I don't know.. I guess I'd need to make a call to the doctor. It's gotten progressively worse over the years. Along with my weight.

Originally Posted by ringmaster:
how much does the electrolysis cost (lets say, just upper lip for starters)? do you just go to a salon or is it a doctor thing?

In Florida (where I was when I got stuff done) electrologists are certified and licensed by the state, which is good since they are, after all, putting a tiny needle inside you and then electrocuting your hair follicle. :) I would be wary of anyone who wasn't exclusively an electrologist (as opposed to someone who is an "esthetician") or does electrology on the side. Look for reviews on Yelp or other sites, and ask to see qualifications, and find out about how long they've done electrology.

As far as cost, the down side is that it's time consuming and can be expensive. Basically, as I understand it, hair grows in cycles and only hair in a certain phase of the cycle can be effectively killed. So, in any given session, the electrologist will treat a bunch of hair follicles, but only some of those follicles will die.

It's been a while, but I think mine was $45 per hour? Sounds about right. At first, I went an hour once or twice a week. Over the course of about 18 months, I went less and less until I was going for 15-30 minutes every two or three weeks. I was getting lip, chin, neck, sideburns, and upper chest treated (no PCOS, just very hairy!).

After I gained a large amount of weight I noticed
that I generally got more hairy.

Like it's not bad enough gaining weight,
I also need to feel like a hairy beast, argh!

I haven't found any solutions yet,
just wanted to let you know you certainly aren't alone :-)

Sounds like PCOS. Do you have these other symptoms?

Originally Posted by :
Acne.
Weight gain and trouble losing weight.
Extra hair on the face and body. Often women get thicker and darker facial hair and more hair on the chest, belly, and back.
Thinning hair on the scalp.
Irregular periods. Often women with PCOS have fewer than nine periods a year. Some women have no periods. Others have very heavy bleeding.
Fertility problems. Many women who have PCOS have trouble getting pregnant (infertility).
Depression.

Go to your OB-GYN or Endocrinologist to get diagnosed.

See an endocrinologist- in my experience endo's know SO MUCH more than your primary or ob/gyn (unless they are ob/gyn and endo). My first three or four doctors didn't help at all- not till I found an endo did things really get better.

I am guessing you do a low fat diet and high carb diet, you might want to change to a low carb diet like south beach which is best for people with PCOS.

Here's a good link about pcos:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/poly...y-syndrome.cfm

Originally Posted by nina125:
Sounds like PCOS. Do you have these other symptoms?



Go to your OB-GYN or Endocrinologist to get diagnosed.

I have weight gain/trouble losing. depression (not so much anymore), facial hair and acne. i dont have thinning hair, irregular periods ( i dont have a period due to my birth control) and im not infertile. i've had a child. but i will definitely mention it to my doctor.

i found a local place that does electrolysis/laser and she said about $75 per visit and takes roughly 6. After that they are half price. And i can pay it in chunks. They also have specials at this place each month. so she said if i buy the chin package (lol) i get the sideburns for free. which is kinda cool since ive noticed i have something going on there to now. :(

thanks for all the info! :)

I'm super hairy, always have been. I had a mustache when I was about 10, and got made fun of it. I've always waxed my entire face - I even have hair on my forehead, I'm a Sasquatch!

A friend suggested threading, and had it done for the first time yesterday. My face is so smooth, and I was able to go out right after having it done. With waxing, I had to wait a day because my face was so red and puffy. It lasts about twice as long as waxing, from what I've heard/read, and was 1/4 the cost.

i had my free consult appointment for laser hair removal yesterday. i go to today at lunch for my first treatment. i am very excited! a lil bit nervous about the pain but i've endured childbirth. piercings and tattoos. i should be ok! :) she said it'll take about 6 visits, one a month. if it takes more, then they are half price. i'll keep you posted! :) YAY!

if you do laser, becareful with the numbing cream. look it up, in large amounts it gets absorbed into your blood stream and can be toxic. i had it on my legs and it was very painful, it gets better as there is less hair. the alex is the mest laser on the market and you have to have very light skin/ dark hair for best results.
and what type of birth control are you on? i started getting facial hair when i was on depo provera. it is the most convenient/effective one i have been on, but the side effects are aweful.

Originally Posted by skinnyby25:
if you do laser, becareful with the numbing cream. look it up, in large amounts it gets absorbed into your blood stream and can be toxic. i had it on my legs and it was very painful, it gets better as there is less hair. the alex is the mest laser on the market and you have to have very light skin/ dark hair for best results.
and what type of birth control are you on? i started getting facial hair when i was on depo provera. it is the most convenient/effective one i have been on, but the side effects are aweful.

she didn't numb me beforehand. i have a high pain tolerance so i did ok. :) but thanks for the tip!

i have a mirena iud. and i loooooove it! i dont really have a period.

I'd recommend googling "eyebrow threading" (add your zip code to look for a local salon). Eyebrow threading uses string.. works similar to plucking, but they're removing multiple hairs at once. Natural, not too painful (after the first time), and not too expensive (can probably get entire face threaded for around $30-35, including eyebrows, upper lip, chin and sideburns). A good "threader" will do a great job (all the hair will be gone). I'd consider it less harsh than waxing with more natural-looking results. If you get any redness, it goes away in under 30 minutes. You just go back every 2-3+ weeks, after the hair grows out again.

P.S. Something to consider.. big cities probably have better pricing and quality (but do your research) ;) I'd rather drive an hour to Dallas for a 'great' threading job (all lip hair gone) than get a 'decent' threading job in Corsicana (a small amount of tiny hairs left). Google reviews are helpful :)