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The facial hair...

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bbg_daryl
bbg_daryl Posts: 150 Member
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I started getting facial hair when I was in my mid-20's, about 7 years before I was diagnosed hypothyroid and PCOS. Double whammied with two conditions that cause excessive hair. At first it was just a matter of shaving my legs, armpits, and two tiny patches on my upper arms, plus plucking a couple chin hairs. Now...? I have to shave my face the same as my husband every single day and shave my pits every single day (only because it itches otherwise). I have given up on everything else. I wear pants year around cuz of my legs. I don't wear sandals or strappy shoes cuz I have hair on my toes and top of my feet. I can't wear strapless, backless, or tank tops in public cuz there's hair on my upper arms, my shoulders, and my back. Low cut shirts are off limits cuz of chest hair (do you even know how painful it is to pluck hair on your breasts?!). Swimming is absolutely out of the question.

I don't really have a question or anything. I just.... I needed to vent a little and I guess it'd be nice to hear that I'm not the only woman in the world who is just as hairy as a man?! Sometimes I seriously consider taping my breasts down and crossdressing to see if maybe people wouldn't stare so much at my shadowed face.

Replies

  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
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    Trust me you're not alone with that ... sometimes I've thought about just letting my sexy beard grow wild for a week just so I don't have to shave the stupid thing.

    As far as my legs? forget that. I shave during the summer, and only when I know I'm going to the in-laws house to go swimming. The rest of the time, it's jeans or cargo pants. I don't have the patience to shave enough to wear shorts. I wish I had the guts to just wear shorts and let the rest of the world stare away, but not to that point yet.
  • shellskeller
    shellskeller Posts: 22
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    I am in my late 30's and started noticing upper lip hair in my early 20's which is when I was diagnosed with PCOS. It wasn't until years later (MANY years later) when I read that the facial hair was related with PCOS. That was when I started noticing chin hair. I feel like a man because I shave my upper lip and chin (in the privacy of the shower). I also have a little hair on my chest above my boobs, hair on my stomach and the bad part is I have dark brown hair!! I have arm hair that I feel is too much for a girl but I don't really mind it.

    The only time I shave my chest hair (that sounds so freakish for a woman) is when I am wearing a bathing suit which is pretty much year round because I use the indoor pool at the YMCA almost daily. That means I have to keep my legs shaved on a regular basis, too.
  • bbg_daryl
    bbg_daryl Posts: 150 Member
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    Thank you for sharing, ladies! I feel a little less freakish now. xD Also, yeah, I have a "happy trail" on my belly like a guy too. I actually forget about that one cuz I never have a bare belly. Too tubby for that lol.
  • lalalacava15
    lalalacava15 Posts: 8
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    So glad this isn't just me. I have to pluck my chin everyday. There are so many hairs. And being 21 I am really self conscious about the excess hair. It is embarrassing for me, especially when people point it out. I have excess hair on my arms too and that is the number one thing I am very self conscious about. I feel like I have man hair on my arms and I absolutely hate it. It is nice to have this community on here and now that I am not the only one!
  • bbg_daryl
    bbg_daryl Posts: 150 Member
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    So glad this isn't just me. I have to pluck my chin everyday. There are so many hairs. And being 21 I am really self conscious about the excess hair. It is embarrassing for me, especially when people point it out. I have excess hair on my arms too and that is the number one thing I am very self conscious about. I feel like I have man hair on my arms and I absolutely hate it. It is nice to have this community on here and now that I am not the only one!

    Whatever you do, don't shave your face! Try to keep plucking for as many years as you can or try waxing. Shaving just makes the problem worse. Just like our mothers all warned us about our legs getting rough and stubbly, it does the same thing to your face. :( Also, even though you're only plucking, you might want to try an aftershave to reduce pain and redness. Find one that doesn't have any scents or alcohol in it though, cuz those burn. I use one made by Aveeno that has an oat base. Oh, and you'll probably have to go to the men's section to find one. I couldn't find a single aftershave product in the women's section, just shaving gels, which is not the same thing.
  • LoyalAngel16
    LoyalAngel16 Posts: 186 Member
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    I started getting the excess hair back in high school, I am now 35. I take spironalactone on a regular basis. Didn't notice a difference before but now after 3 years, there is a big difference. I shave daily on my face. BTW the shaving you face makes the hair worse is a myth. My doctor told me to do whatever I prefer that it doesn't make a difference. As far as my legs, I only use Nair or similar products during the summer and occasionally shave to clean it up. But now that I am on the meds, the chest hair is gone, most of the belly hair is gone and I don't have to shave as often except my face. The hair on my face isn't as thick anymore either. I was actually able to wear a bathing suit for the first time in years this past summer and even wore shorts in public. It was an awesome feeling. It can get better, I promise.
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
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    I started getting the excess hair back in high school, I am now 35. I take spironalactone on a regular basis. Didn't notice a difference before but now after 3 years, there is a big difference.

    Three years?!!! Oh man. I just started Spiro because I complained to my doctor that I was spending up to two hours a day plucking. She did warn me that it wasn't a miracle cure. May I ask what your dosage is? I started on 25mgs and I'm wondering how long before I check back in for an increase.
  • LoyalAngel16
    LoyalAngel16 Posts: 186 Member
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    I am on 100 mg. I started noticing the difference after about 6 months. And as time went by I noticed more of a change. It's just now in the unwanted areas, except the face, it is down to almost nothing. My doctor told me the face takes longer for it to get to where the rest is, so I am hoping eventually I won't have to shave at all.
  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
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    Hey ladies! I have not been diagnosed with PCOS, I have the uncontrollable facial hair. I have been seeing an electroylisis for about 7 months now. I refuse to pluck them because the hairs grow back worse. I did go to the doctor to get Vaniqua, but it is so expensive. So, ladies you are not alone. I hate it. And lately I've been thinking that is the reason for my slow weight loss. Feel free to add me :-)
  • EvelynMinter
    EvelynMinter Posts: 1
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    :smile: HI I AM NEW TO THIS WEBSITE AND YOUR GROUP

    :embarassed: Ladies. I know. I used the Tweezers almost twice daily on my chin, upper lip and over my nose. I am not liking my knuckles, arms, toes, etc. I have taken meds for it, I did have surgery once to removed large cysts on one of my overies. But, yes. I feel for anyone who deals with hair as a woman. It has worried me since I was about 9 years old. I even have hairy areas across my cheek bones on my face, they remind me of kitty wiskers. I have been married twice, my last real boyfriend said he would have a doctor helped me. But, we have since broken up about a year ago. He had trouble kissing me or getting too close.

    I have a son, who is about in his late twenties. I have had trouble getting pregnant. I am glad to have read there are other women out there who are trying to lose weight. As it has never occured to me that being unable to lose pounds could have something to do with this condition also!:blushing:
  • nocklez87
    nocklez87 Posts: 18
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    Hey there,
    I just wanted to chime in about laser hair removal. Having had PCOS since I was a teen but only just being diagnosed at 24,( I have almost ALL the symptoms; Excess hair, thinning hair, irregular periods, intermittent acne, inability to lose weight blah blah blah - I am sure you are well aware of all the joys of the syndrome :)), , I decided I was sick and tired of all its stupid problems and I would rid myself of at least the excess hair (the biggest issue secondary only to excess weight). I had IPL (intense pulsed light) done to my legs and face. The results have been somewhat permanent on my legs, I shave once every 3-6 months for the past 2 years. I started with only my lower legs (toe to about 3 inches above the knee - I had 8 treatments) and upper leg (2 treatments - this has not been permanent but took the hair about 10weeks to come back).

    Face- I have hair that is practically a sparse beard. I have about 20-30 hairs on my upper lip and maybe 200+ on my chin + side burns + some under my chin. This all disgusts me so much. Anyway, After about 4 treatments only a few hairs were coming back at their previous rate, the rest was either very slow or not returned at all! I was SO happy with these results. I still had maybe 40 hairs on my chin and about 5 hairs on my upper lip and about 15 under my chin. As you can imagine this stark difference was very easy to deal with in comparison. I continued up to 10 treatments and got rid of a little more but maybe only 20%. I then had to stop treatments due to a cross country move. It took about 12 months for it to grow back in, but it is back almost to the same amount :(. I have been looking for a new laser tech although no luck yet.

    I have begun undergoing drug treatment for PCOS and trying really really hard to get some weight off, I hope to start laser again once I have gained control of my hormones, I am told that this will even produce a greater result.

    Anyway, just wanted to let you know I had success with something related to hair and PCOS. :)
  • alicebot
    alicebot Posts: 50 Member
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    i am the same way, hardly had any facial hair, but now it gets noticeable every couple weeks after I get rid of them. I have PCOS and hypothryoid...

    also I have dark brown hair, which makes it even harder.. well.. you kow why.
    from experience: shaving your face is a big no no, ingrown hair, bad pores, thicker hair? I rather learned how to use thread and remove my facial hair, tweezers are equally bad. For me I found waxing and threading the best so far. I also talked to my derm about laser removal and it ain't so bad. That would be my gift to self next year! :)

    Btw, Metformin helped me with hair growth, it almost came back to normal after my doc adjusted my levothyroxine!
  • future_cpa
    future_cpa Posts: 23 Member
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    How is the electrolysis working with your African-American skin? I looked into electrolysis and noticed that is is more dangerous for African-American skin because the laser is calibrated to attack the dark area. I've seen pictures of irreversible scarring to the skin.
  • future_cpa
    future_cpa Posts: 23 Member
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    You are not alone. I shave my face, underarm area, and my legs. The hair on my arms and chest I leave it alone and say this is me. It is irritating because I have shave marks on my face so now I wear foundation daily to cover-up those marks. I know I should not wax but my hair is so course. Even some of the waxes professional use is not strong enough and those who do have a strong enough wax cause so much pain and irritation.

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