My Beard
 

Apparently I have quite a bit of hair on my chin. I never realized how much was there because I always pluck those suckers out at the first sign but recently I've had to let them grow in because I've been getting electrolysis. There's no point to the electrolysis if I've already plucked them out.

I just thought I'd share that with all of you as I'm sitting here rubbing my chin. UGH.

I have a beard, too. I shave mine; I know everyone says "NO NO NO DON'T DO THAT!" but I really don't want to have to grow it out to get it waxed or something like what you're doing. I KNOW no guy is gonna want a bearded woman!! So to the razor blade I go. Quick, easy, painless!

mimsyborogoves - I shaved sometimes too but I've been plucking this thing for years. Allegedly it will all be gone in another month or so.

I got electrolysis a few years ago (8 or 9) but I ended up getting most of the hair back.

I underwent laser hair removal 2 years ago and I am loving the results much more. I need a touch-up, but it feels great to not have to shave my face or underarms every 45 minutes.

I'm so bad it's more like sasquatch's cousin. lol I use
a lady remington and tweezers. One of these days
laser treatment will be the end of those little pests.

I just shelled out money yesterday on Groupon for laser hair removal treatments. Mine is awful. I'm so terribly self conscious about it I feel like it's impacting the quality of life, even more so than being over weight. I do not go out without make up to help, it grows so fast. :( It's never smooth either. Bothers me so much!

We do not have a good option for electrolysis within 300 miles so, laser it is! I really, really hope it helps as I seem like a good candidate, very light skin and dark hair. :crossed:

ETA: I'm super excited! I have my first appointment on Saturday so we'll see how it goes. If it works I'll have gotten a great deal.

I have a beard that I have to shave every morning complete with a five o'clock shadow by end day. I had professional laser treatment done, but the hair grew back very quickly for me. I was also in high school, and my hormones were still completely out of control. I don't know how well it would work now.

I have found this thing works wonders: http://www.triabeauty.com/home-laser-hair-removal

It's not as strong as a professional laser treatment, so it takes more "sessions," but it's so nice to be able to do the treatment in the comfort of my own home. It's also pricey, which really worried me when I bought it, but so far my review of it is very positive. I can't speak for anyone else's results, however. I remember letting some one not only see but touch around my face where my beard is was absolutely horrifying when I was a teenager. I had crying spells on the drive home every time. I really don't want to walk back into the place that does it around here if I don't have to.

I completely understand. I am very paranoid about keeping my hair down to try to hide it, I feel if my hair is pulled back it calls attention to it. I always keep make up on hand to try to cover up and I hate when my husband accidentally touches me anywhere close to there.

The thought of someone being that close to the area does freak me out which is why I haven't done it to date. But I'm at the point where I'm tired of hiding it. I use to be able to do my hair at night (curly) then get up and do make up, etc. Now I HAVE to take a shower in the morning to take care of my issue! It just SUCKS! Even if laser doesn't get rid of all of it, I'll be happy with a reduction.

If all else fails, I'll look into the Tria. If Tria doesn't work, I'll add it to my pile of useless hair removal tools, creams and other equipment. :)

I thought I was a freak about this!! As soon as I hit 30, I started getting little witch hairs..then a few more..

Now I do the nair thing and use some moisturizer..It sucks :( And if I miss a hair, oh the sky is falling and I need to go home IMMEDIATELY.

I have a horrible beard, and it doesn't look like the tria will work because I'm so pale and my beard hairs (like my dad's and my brothers) are red. My skin is too sensitive for nair and it's too dark to grow out long enough for a waxing (unless I take time off work to grow it lol), so I shave.

My boyfriend teases me about it and it pisses me off to no end.

My husband teases me too. But then I just call him chicken legs and he shuts right up. If not, then I start bawking at him and then he runs off.

That's pretty much exactly what I do. We're both flawed enough that there's enough ammo for the "weird body part/thing" war in our house to go around.

Oh my god, I would die if my husband said anything. He doesn't even acknowledge it, which is fine by me.

My ex boyfriend, before my husband of course, made a drunken comment one night and that was the final nail in the coffin of the relationship.

My uncle once made an offhand comment ,"Oh I didn't realize you had a mustache" and my boyfriend at the time responded, "Oh she bleaches it all the time". I didn't even know he knew.

Well I'm sorry that you ladies are all dealing with this too but it's nice to know I'm not the only one. I'm going for another electrolysis session tonight...wish me luck.

OMG feeling chin hairs grow in drives me nuts and I MUST PLUCK THEM IMMEDIATELY! I just think you have incredible restraint to wait that long.

oooh I'm jealous, I so wish I could get electrolysis done. Maybe I'll check the prices around here... good luck with the electrolysis, I read that's the way to go if the hair is hormonal. with laser hormonal hair growth has a high chance of growing back !

I pluck when I wake up and have to again a few hours before bed :/ it seems to have gotten worse as I lose weight !!

The sides of my chin are like, always slightly inflamed because of how much I pluck them. I've invested quiet a bit of money in different types of tweezers to try and find the perfect ones. So that I can get the ones that are barely there in the AM but will be fully grown by pm. :|

If I feel even a small hair while I'm out it will drive me insane for the rest of the day, I can't ever forget about it.

This is ME! I thought that the hair would lessen as I lost weight but there seems to be much more. And I keep tweezers at work (and a mirror) because if I feel something on my chin it will drive me bonkers.

There is quite a bit of inflammation for a couple of days after the electrolysis...it's looks like I've had an acne break out but the hairs are definitely thinning out and I'm just glad that it's winter and I've been wearing scarves and turtle necks. Hopefully by summer I will be beard free.

Laser is not a permanent method, the only one that is is electrolysis.

I've opted for laser because nothing else seems to work. I'd have to use creams or bleaches daily which is too hard on my skin and all the places that do electrolysis here and super shady. By the same I get hairs growing in again, I hope to be somewhere with a more reputable electrolysis option.

Are you serious? Ugh. I feel so lucky. After desperately trying to hide it from my current bf for a long time (after years of being too afraid of relationships because of my excessive hairiness)e finally broached the subject. It was terribly sweet, however. I remember he had tried to touch my chin, and I turned my head (as usual). And he kept trying until he finally said something along the lines of: "I know you try to act so confident all of the time, but I know you feel painfully insecure. Please talk to me about it. I've known since I first met you, and it only bothers me that it bothers you so much that I feel like I can't have all of you." For real... that was almost exactly how he said it. Like XLMuffinTop said, I thought I would never recover from the embarrassment of it being out in the open. After the initial crying spell (and a few bad times he has comforted me through after the dam burst), it's been wonderful. I can be so open with him, to the point of the occasional joke at my own expense. I've always felt very strong feminist principles concerning my excess hair, but I used to crumble in the face of others noticing it. Since being with my bf, that doesn't happen as much anymore. I still am too chicken to ever "come out" about it like some women, however, principles or not.

Uh, sorry for the long-winded response. I just wanted to say how good loving openness feels. I encourage others to try it with their SOs.

I guess I allow it because I was never that sensitive to begin with in the first place. I had a million other things to feel horrified and ashamed about when it came to my body. I guess that when I trusted him enough to let him see it (instead of waking at the crack of dawn to deal with it so he'd never find out), I didn't mind the teasing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is it pisses me off when he reminds me that it's there, because it annoys me, but I just can't bring myself to feel shame about it, and I think he knows it. He never points out the fact that our feet are the same size or that I can't wear his clothes but he could wear mine as nightshirts, or that it would be easier for me to lift him than vice versa. These are all things that bug me waayyyy more than my chin hair.

Your man sounds AMAZING, and I'm glad that he was so good about bringing you out of your shell about it.

OMG I love all of you ladies! You all have expressed every feeling I have ever had at one time or another! Let me tell you....I could NOT live without my Nono. It works the best for me by far than anything else I have tried! Seriously.
:chin:
Say bye bye to chin hairs!

This post made me giggle a little. Not at anyone but just that it sounds silly to hear ladies talking about beards and mustaches!!! I can relate though. I sometimes get a fu-man chu thing going on where the hair on the corners of my mouth get long and dark sometimes a soul patch too!!! I just tend to trim everything back. Not shave or anything, just with my brow scissors. Works for me, but I don't have much to deal with :)

I have a NoNo and doesn't work for me. I can't let mine get long enough for it to be effective. It's so dark and so many I just can't stand to let it get to that point. If yours ever breaks and you want a cheap replacement, let me know. :D LOL

Giddy about my first laser treatment tomorrow though. :hyper:

This post is just what I needed!!! I've been struggling with my facial hair for years and have been so embarrassed. Lately it seems worse and I have resorted to shaving!

I really want to try Vaniqa and have plans to see a dermatologist to get it. Anyone heard of it or tried it?

I have used Nair and it doesn't really work for me. Guess mine is to course and stubborn.

My hairiness is just another thing I don't like at all about myself. But now that I'm not alone in this matter, I feel a wee bit less of a freak.

You're definitely not a freak though consolation in others with the same issues doesn't make me any less self conscious about it.

Regarding Vaniqa, I haven't heard too much. The thing that stuck out to be is, again, it's nothing permanent and can take 6 months of continuous use to help. Maybe it's changed recently but I stopped listening after that. lol Since it is by Rx only, your doctor can give you more info - I'm not sure if serious excess facial hair due to hormones (like mine) affects it's effectiveness, how long you have to use it to see progress, etc.

Ugh...in that case I'll stick to shaving. I'm actually considering doing wax.

Insurance doesn't usually cover laser or electrolysis, does it? I'm so jealous some of you have or will be getting something a bit more permanent done!

What kind of makeup do y'all use?

Another bearded lady here. I shave it off most mornings in the shower. I would love to get a more permanent solution but I just don't have the cash for that right now.

I actually recently came across Hard Candy's tattoo concealer called "Glamofauge." Hard Candy is a super cheap brand of make-up at Walmart, so I was a little dubious; however, it covers my "shadow" like no other concealer I've used. I know you can buy really expensive heavy-duty concealers, but this stuff is like six bucks and does really well. I tried applying it with my fingers, but it applies best with an applicator sponge.

o man how i wish it was only chin hair...but having to deal with an extra hair growth (and i mean everywhere) really makes me self conscious and i feel like i'll never meet a guy who would like my hairy chest, stomach, face plus as a bonus strech marks all over the place...i feel like there's no point in even trying to find one.
i wax everything except my face, i pluck few regulars on my chin but sometimes i bleach them but they are still very noticeable. if a guy tried to kiss me there i would die on the spot.
you girls are so luck to have a husband or bf who you can talk to about these problems. some of my friends and my sister have the same problems, especially my mom, but just on the face. i haven't told anyone about this because i feel like a freak. i'm hoping to be able to afford some laser treatment one day when i'm rich haha

I'm going to have to check that out! I've been thinking of keeping a razor in my purse for touch ups! :(

Please don't feel that way. I felt the same way for a long time. I am really hairy everywhere as well, and my bf does not care in the slightest. Which he's one of the hairiest people I've ever met, and his mom is a somewhat hairy woman. I think there has to be plenty of men that don't care. I mean, my sister is also fairly hairy, as well as my mom, and they both are happily married.

Also, have you had your hormones checked? The excess of your hair sounds like mine, and I have PCOS.

I'm not sure who posted it but insurance very rarely covers hair removal treatments because it's seen as cosmetic. The only way you might be able to is if you're seeing a therapist and they determine its seriously causing mental distress. But the likelihood of that happening is slim.

The best options if you can't do cash and really really want to get it done are Flexible Spending Accounts (check if allowed) and Care Credit only if you can pay it off in the promotional period to avoid interest. Also, check Groupon frequently. The place I'm going tomorrow is highly reviewed and I got five treatments for 99 for small areas (chin, lip, etc) This is a relatively inexpensive way for me to find out how I respond to laser treatment.

Reading this while LMAO. I love knowing that I'm not alone in this.

I was graced with a full-on Disney Villain Goatee. I had lots of really dark, coarse hair poking out of my chin. I've definitely cried over it and I was super embarrassed when others commented on it.

I started getting electrolysis years ago. Let me just tell you that all electrologists are not created equal. I had two crappy ones for years and less than a year ago I found a good one. Now I go every 3 weeks for 10 minutes to have her try to dig out any ingrown hairs and zap any strays she might find. I could prob go once a month though. I haven't had her work on my 'stache. Those hairs are finer and my upper lip is more sensitive. I let her do my upper lip twice and it was really painful and then I ended up with hyper-pigmentation. So I had these dark spots everywhere that she had zapped and plucked. So even though the hair was gone, I still had dark marks which created a "shadow." It sort of defeated the purpose. So now I wax my lip and pluck the darker hairs at the sides.

I realllllllllllly want to get my under arms done though. I shave those but the hair there is really coarse and dark. And most of them are twins. Seriously over 90% of all my underarm hair is two hairs coming out of one hole. Ugh. Waxing hurts and those suckers grow back so quick. They are so dark that they are noticeable long before they break through my skin. I wish I could shave them everyday but my skin is sensitive there. I want these bad boys GONE. But I'm afraid it will hurt too much to get electrolysis there.

Oh my soul!!!!
 

I am so glad im not alone here!!!!! I have been a "bearded lady" for pretty much the last 5 years. In high school someone made a comment about my blonde mustache. I was so disturbed by the comment that I went home and immediatly shaved it. That was a horrible idea! It came back black. After going a little too far shaving my mustache I eventually ended up shaving my whole beard area. Now I have to shave every morning. Its horrible. I feel like a man. I cant go without coverup because I have razor burn and red bumps. The coverup covers the redness but not the bumps. People still stare at them sometimes. It bugs the poo out of me. I want to just come out and say "yes I am a fabulous female with facial hair, Now stop staring!!!!" I have decided that after I get down to my goal weight I will be treating myself witha permanent hair solution no matter the cost. Kind of like a praise gift for myself!!!!!

Seriously!
 

Okay, we are mammals and are covered in hair. I too am hairy other places besides my face ( belly, armpits, two or three on the old nip areas((YAY!!))). I have been married and have had a couple of serious long term boyfriends, all of whom seemed unconcerned, one of whom preferred it! So, yes there are many men who I believe could care less! I had an intern at an ER ask me once if I had had my testosterone checked and I was mortified! I was about 17 at the time. My mother, a nurse, said to her that my blankety testosterone was fine and that she should be more concerned with my possible appendicitis! It was memorable.

I know my husband doesn't care, he's seen me skinny (well, skinnier), pregnanet fat, non-pregnant fat, drunken ugly, sober stupid ugly and he's seen me at my best. However, my issues and self consciousness regarding the facial hair goes beyond my relationship with my husband. After some thinking about it lately, I've realized it's seriously impacted my life; previously I was far more social and out going. Now I hide, I have to make sure my ritual is complete before leaving the house, even to grab coffee. I constantly carry make up on me just in case. Despite all of this though, it's still visible, the "shadow". Therefore, I've just withdrawn.

I got my first treatment done today and initally I was quite mortified to have someone looking so closely at THAT area. When we asked me to raise my chin up so she could see better I did mention that it was difficult for me to do so because I'm always trying to hide. She was very sympathetic and made me feel much more comfortable and less freakish. Although I was more comfortable than I thought I would be, I was shockingly emotional. This issue has caused me so much grief, the thought that I'm actually doing something about it opened a flood gate I didn't even know existed.

I feel for you ladies because I understand. :hug:

Aw, Muffin! Huggss!! :hug:

well i don't know where you find them, but guys open like that are hard to find here where i live. :/

song of surly- yes i think i have pcos because my period is very irregular and i have almost all of the symptoms of pcos. i'm affraid to go to the doctor because i know that she'll confirm it. i think it runs in the family, my sister also had some cysts and problems with ovaries.

OMG!while i was writing this post i was listening to something on youtube when this add opened up...it's hilarious just what we're talking about :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q9e3vhJP2I

A doctor can do a lot to help you, though really you're already doing the first advice they'll give you: lose weight. Though, especially if you're showing insulin resistance, they will put you on Metformin probably. It's like one of the safest drugs on the market that you can take, and it does a world of good. It makes it possible for me to lose weight, even if it's slow.