I don't know!

Start here! Share your feelings
#1

I guess I’ll start off by saying I’m 16 and I’ve been lurking here for quite some time.
I am quite sick of having… err… let’s call it, ‘unwelcomed hair’ in places where there shouldn’t be any on a girl.
Big ew on my part.
I have a few questions/complaints/whatevs then regarding this.

First off, what could indicate that hair growth is hormonal? The fact that you notice it when starting puberty? Or just how irregular it is in length or density? What are the effects of medication/rate at which they start working… etc.

I also understand that the problem can be a result simply from your heritage. It is possible that this is the case with me.
Though my mom has little to no fine hair (ahh lucky), my father is quite the opposite, being partially middle eastern. So I end up with fair skin and dark, noticable but still fine hair in unlikely places. Lucky me to get his genes I guess.

Emotionally, I REALLY REALLY REALLY can’t stand this and I don’t think that’s very healthy for me in the long run. I always find myself looking at other people’s body hair in hopes I’m not alone. I shave [some of] it, but it grows back super fast (I shave my legs EVERY day) and we all know how unattractive that prickly feeling is, and how awkward it is trying not to let your boyfriend notice… agh. In all honesty, I would find myself actually pretty darn attractive if it weren’t for my body hair.

I was seriously considering waxing, but I’ve heard too many bad things about that and I am way to scared that the hair will grow back x345345345345. lol.
At 16 and jobless, obviously I can’t afford laser and electrolysis… and I admit that I’m too embarassed to even tell my parents about my problem so… no go.
Maybe someone could make a suggestion of a good razor or something? I don’t know. Maybe I should just get a really good tan and maybe you wont notice the hair, haha…

Well thanks for reading this far, and thanks even more if you have a suggestion.

#2

Hi!

First of all, you are definitely not alone! There are a lot of people on this forum who feel that something is “wrong” with them and that they need to hide their hairiness from their family or partner! Try not to “compare” yourself to others and think that you need to look like people you see in magazines or on TV. We’re all in individuals and the amount of hair depends on the individual too.

There’s nothing to be ashamed of and any decent person would be understanding and supportive of you, if you feel that you have excessive hair in some areas. I think that you should talk to your parents and not try to “hide” this–they love and care about you and could help you decide what to do next, if anything.

I remember being very embarassed about wearing glasses when I went to school–it was really stupid that I was so self-conscious about this! I was so worried that others would make fun of me that I basically went from 5th to 7th grade not really being able to read the board and pretending that my eyes were okay. Finally, I talked to my parents and ended up getting contact lenses as well as glasses and it was no big deal. Actually, it was quite a relief to be able to see the board and not having to squint all the time and pretend that my eyes were 20/20! Looking back, I realize that this was really silly and hiding my near-sightedness was really tiresome when I went to see a movie or play sports!

Good luck!

smoothlover