need some general advice, please

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

hello. like many of you, i’ve been suffering from excess body hair since my early teens. i’m 23 now. i’ve had several hormone tests, none of which revealed any sort of imbalance. i don’t know why i have random chin and chest hairs, but i want them gone.

tweezing has become too time consuming, so i’m looking for a more permanent solution. i’ve had 3 laser treatments/area using epitouch. despite being a good candidate (i have dark, coarse hair and light skin), i didn’t see much improvement. having spent $1000+ with no results, i gave up.

i’ve recently started electrolysis on my chest. we’ll see how that goes. i’m still tweezing my chin. i’m considering giving the boots clinic in london a try. they want £350 for 6 lightsheer chin treatments. that’s within my budget, even if it doesn’t work. the problem is as follows:

i work in a place where looks matter. i’m afraid to stop tweezing. shaving leaves a dark shadow over my chin. any makeup advice for covering it up? also, even if i make it to the first treatment without tweezing, i’ll then have to deal with a few days on black stubble while waiting for the hair to fall out. and then it starts again for treatment number 2. this is the sort of thing that i may get fired for by my image-conscious boss. or, at the very least, there will be comments made. the thought of it keeps me up at night.

does anyone have any advice? i’d very much appreciate any help.

thanks in advance.

r.c.

#2

Rainbow! You must stop tweezing, NOW! You only prolong the treatment series when you tweeze, because those empty follicles can stay dormant for sometimes a year or more: no hair in follicle, wasted treatment time and money. This is true for electrolysis also. You will simply not get good results for a long, long time if you continue to tweeze. The hardest thing for my female clients to do is take a razor to their faces, but this is the only option (or clipping the hairs with tiny scissors). Unless you get tested by an endocrinologist with long experience in PCOS and other androgen/estrogen imbalances, you will never really know why your body is producing hair in inappropriate places. A good concealer (camouflage quality) will help to hide the shadow, and as you continue treatment there will be less hair to deal with, and the shadow will lessen also. Don’t despair, but you must do your part to make your treatment successful. I hope this helps - keep us posted. :wink:

#3

thanks for the helpful reply, hairfetish. starting last thursday, i’ve stopped tweezing. it’s taking a great deal of self control, but the results should be worth it.

now what? i’ve been thinking of scheduling some short, regular appointments with an electrologist, maybe once every couple weeks, to get rid of the hairs as they grow in. or should i just wait and let more grow out and then schedule a longer appointment? i’d like to try laser again, but i don’t know how long to wait before my first appointment so that it’s not a waste of money.

also, i’ve been thinking of having electrolysis done at the local student salon. i go there for facials and such, and they are very professional and dirt cheap. the students appear to know what they’re doing, and there’s always an instructor keeping an eye on them. i am a little worried, though, that the students only have a couple months’ of experience. has anybody tried student salons in the past?

thanks again for the help.
r.c.

#4

p.s. can anyone recommend a good makeup brand for covering up the nasty shadow while i wait? thanks.

[ February 07, 2004, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: rainbow_carnage ]

#5

Hi. I also am looking for some advice along these same lines - I am considering laser treatment and need help understanding how to prepare to get the best out if it.

I am white with very dark, coarse facial/neck hair and have been tweezing for years and years. From reading other posts, it sounds like I should stop this for a considerable time before scheduling a laser session. Does this sound right/wrong? How long would you suggest waiting before treatment after I switch to shaving? Is the switch from tweezing also necessary for electrolysis?

Is it necessary that hairs actually be visible at the time of laser treatment in order to be affected? In other words, will I need to stop shaving for some time period prior to treatment?

I tried shaving in the past but was always unhappy with the results, not only because the hair regrew so quickly (I could feel stubble before the end of the work day), but because my skin broke out. Any suggestions? Are cream depilatories an acceptable alternative and are there some that work better than others? Any other good options? Bleaching is not an option for me - the hair is too coarse and dark.

Finally, I am trying to get pregnant. What are people’s experience with pregnancy and unwanted hair/treatments? Should I expect a change while pregnant? (I tried Vaniqa for a while and it helped a bit, but am now off it because trying to get pregnant.)

Thanks.