I’m a 40 year old woman who has been dealing with excess facial hair since I was 16 - a few straggly hairs that I would pluck. While spending the summer with my aunt, she took me to her salon to have the area waxed (jawline, chin & part of neck). If I knew then what I know now, I would have never had it done. Since then, I have had to deal with it on a daily basis. While in college, my doctor referred me to an endocrinolgist and after various tests, I was diagnosed with an overactive adrenal gland. He put me on medication, but it only made me gain weight and I had to continue shaving on a daily basis.
This condition has been the bane of my existance. Like many of you, I feel like a freak. I’m so self-concious about having people see my face close up and it’s something that I don’t want my young son to know about. But I am lucky that I have a very supportive husband. I told him about it when we were first dating and that was 20 years ago. I’ve joked with him that if I’m ever in an accident that puts me in the hospital and I can’t shave this area, I don’t want anyone but him (or my father) to visit me in the hospital! It’s amazing to think about how we plan our lives around this problem.
Over the years, I have explored alternatives to daily shaving. I looked into electrolysis, but was left with blisters on my face when they did the test patch, not to mention that it’s very time consuming and expensive. I’ve looked into waxing, but it’s obviously not permanent and I would have to let it grow out before they could do anything about it. After doing much research, I had my first laser treatment last Thursday. The deciding factor for me was that I could continue to shave the area while I waited for the hair to fall out. Luckily, I have fair skin that never tans and I have dark hair, so I’m an ideal candidate. The treatment was not without pain, but the EMLA helped. Actually, the bikini area was much more painful than my face. But it’s still less painful than childbirth.
I realize that this a process and will take time, but I’m hopeful about the results. My husband asks me if it’s worth it. I’m doing this for me, to make me feel better about myself. But I know that if it doesn’t work out, he still loves me for who I am. So wish me luck!