Pic - Accelerated vellus hairs 7 yo girl

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I have been on the forum before about this matter.

I thought I would try and attach a pic this time so the professionals can actually see what I am talking about. This is my 7 year old daughters face. Both SHE and I are worried about all the accelerated vellus hairs she has on her nose. Yes there are plenty on her upper lip but its the nose both SHE and I are concerned about. She is very aware of it and cops a bit of grief from “friends” at school about it. She is quite hairy on her arms, legs and a bit on the back too. None of this is as worrying as the hair on her face - which although is blonde (at this stage) is quite obvious especially in the sunlight. No hair on her body at birth - it all came in at age 4 years.

There are about 10 longer darker hairs on her nose too amongst all the blonde hairs which we would love to get rid of permanently. At this stage I am trying to snip them with scissors as they become too obvious. Im terrified of making the problem worse for her somehow. I have spoken to a few electrologists about it and they will not touch her until she is about 14 years old. I understand their concern about scarring and her young skin - i also share these concerns but I really dont know the best way to help her with this. I have read that hair removal cream can make the other non-problem hairs suddenly decide to become more prominent as well so Im not happy to try this.

Please could the experts please help me with this. I am so worried the problem is going to get worse and worse and no one will help her with it until she is in her teens which seems miles away. She is not a confident girl and Im worried about how this problem will affect her in years to come. Are these tiny hairs harder to treat then the coarse terminal type hairs? Will it take forever to be rid of all these longer vellus hairs? Is it not possible to treat as they appear therefore avoiding coming into an electrologist at 14 with a full on hairy nose and terrible self-confidence issues? Shes a toughie and really would like them gone. She asks me maybe once a week whether she can shave them or pluck them. Usually after someone has mentioned it to her at school. Im sure she would give it her all to try and tough electrolysis out.

Is it likely to improve at puberty by any slim chance? Anyone seen this before? We have had hormone tests done etc - all fine apparently. No hairy people in the family.

Shes the most beautiful clever girl. We do try and play this problem down for her but she is aware of it. I dont want to her be worrying about this for years to come.

Any suggestions?

qwerty Attachments

Hair1.jpg

#2

YOu have a very special little girl . Love her up!
OFten having alot of hair is a sign of a very sensitive person. Much like a cat is super sensitive with all their hair able to pick up on the most subtle of frequencies. I hope you teach your daughter to be proud of herself no matter what life throws at her. We must be thankful for the faculties we have for often we are blessed beyond many if we only have the eyes to see. Best of luck.

#3

I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the cause of these hairs at this time, it is likely one of those things that will never be explained. We have follicles all over our bodies (except the soles of our feet and the palms of of our hands) which have the potential to grow hair.

Cutting the hair off very close to the skin is the best option, this will not make the hair any thicker.

In my practice I would treat a child as long as they want to have the electrolysis (with the parent’s consent of course). I certainly would not treat a child if the child was not willing.

From the it appears that the hair is quite fine and will not require a great deal of treatment or treatment energy.

Unless there is legislation where you live precludes a child from having electrolysis, I would contact a few more clinics. If you can find a professional to treat your daughter you want ensure they treat the situation appropriately and do over-treat.

#4

We are in New Zealand. There are not many experienced electrologists around that I would trust unfortunately. Electrolysis over here is only a small part of the beauty therapy course and there seem to be a lot of very young girls doing it with not many hours under their belt. My daughter would be willing at least to try. Obviously if she tried it and it was too much for her we would leave it. The hair is very fine, there is just a lot of it. Im not sure whether there is actually any legislation that stops a child having electrolysis done here but more the electrologist not being comfortable with the idea. And I understand this. Still, it doesnt help our situation.

My 8 year old son is hair free but I also have a nearly 5 year old daughter who unfortunately has the same problem but even worse. A bit on her upper cheeks - not a problem but her entire back and shoulder area is very dense. It must somehow be a genetic problem.

#5

The youngest child I ever treated was a 9 year old girl. She didn’t handle the sensation part too well. She resumed treatment when she was 13 years old and did much better. A topical anesthetic was needed on the middle part of the upper lip especially, even with the great Apilus Platinum on her side. This is a case for a Laurier probe with the new Kelly tip. The levels can be lowered with this delicate flap of the upper lip, thus offering the most comfortable electrolysis treatments on earth (as long as the insertions are exact). I like to lift and pull the flap in a vertical direction to reduce sensation as well. Sometimes I lift and pinch the middle flap.

Regardless, for your beautiful daughter, find someone with good technique who can do this area with the least sensation as possible.

#6

Fairy,

As someone who has been in the position of your daughter, I think it’s amazing that you are sharing her concerns and looking for a solution. There are a number of things that I would like to comment on.

I think it is possible that things may become worse during puberty. This is one reason I would hold off on full treatment. You should know the full extent of what you have the deal with. But your desire to remove just 10 darker hairs is not unreasonable. You may have to wait a few years (until she’s a bit older) to find someone willing to do this though. Trimming, rather than shaving is a temporary method you can consider. If the hairs become worse, they would have done so anyway.

Secondly, treating this kind of hair (blonde, fine and shallow) is very hard. It takes a skilled and experienced electrologist to effectively remove these hairs and also keep her beautiful young skin the way it is. Don’t rush into anything. Do your homework and look for someone with a proven track record of treating this kind of hair. Again, I am saying this from experience. The upper lip is a very delicate area and you do not want hair removal at the expense of degrading the skin.
You may find someone in NZ, if not I think this thread shows that there is at least one electrologist in Aus who is capable:
http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/96444/2.html

In addition to continuing your research to find an appropriate electrologist, I think the most important thing you can do for your daughter right now is help her build her confidence and self esteem and not to tie these things to appearance. At this age she should be free of these superficial worries. Help her to find an activity she loves doing or nurture any talent she has that she can excel at. Sometimes I wonder why the hair issue did not hit me as hard as I have seen it hit other people. I think it is down to the fact that through my school years I had ‘other stuff’ going on. I had hobbies that I loved and always did very well academically. Despite all the unkind remarks about my appearance (hair and acne), I think the fact that I received more positive remarks on my work and other achievements, really helped me maintain some degree of confidence and self worth.

I think the people around you play a huge role in how important things like this are personally. I think my life would have been very different if during my school years I tried to be part of the judgmental crowd who were more concerned with how you looked than whether you had anything interesting to say. Thankfully, my friends were more concerned about what was inside a person (brain and heart) than the outside.

My younger sister suffered the same hair problems I did. We never really spoke about it but when she was in her teens, I told her not to worry about it and that in a few years time when we had saved the money, we would get it solved. You can read her diary in my signature. She had to wait patiently but it all paid off in the end.

Good luck xx

#7

Are there any symptoms of precocious puberty?

I don’t think that electrolysis at such an early age is feasible. Perhaps, only for the 10 bigger hairs on the nose. Also, be mindful that most electrologists will not be able to properly treat such small fuzz. In addition, children and young adults are much more sensitive to electrolysis, the younger the more sensitive, so what may feel like nothing remarkable to you, can be traumatic to your daughter. At this stage, I would try temporary methods of removal, like waxing, for the most visible body parts.

#8

I’ve had really bad acne and hair issues for a long time. I’m now in my twenties and things are MUCH better but my teens were horrible- there was no money, no time, I was not independent enough to care for my problems and parents had too many other pressing issues. Despite how miserable I felt, if someone had told me/given me hope that in a few years, these problems will be taken care of-whatever be the means, everything would become much more bearable-so I suggest that you assure your daughter (if and when she voices her own concern) that at some point-maybe when she is 14-15, you and her together will solve the problem. It helps A LOT when someone acknowledges your problem and shows that a solution is possible in the future even if it is not just this very moment. Worrying too much will rub off on her too and it’s nice that you guys play it down. And I agree with Stoppit about engaging her interests.

Regarding the pic you put up, if I were to see your daughter in reality, I may or may not have noticed the fuzz given that its blonde. It actually reminded me of a drop dead gorgeous blonde classmate of mine with similar fuzz-I’m probably the only one who has noticed it on her and remembered it.

#9

I saw a really interesting program yesterday about children who were born with genitals neither exactly male or female. In many of the cases the parents would chose to all ow the doctor to surgically create them into female and they would take hormones throughout childhood. As adults a large group of these people came together and spoke of the extreme trama of the entire ordeal.They had all felt suicidal and their lives were a mess and it was all attributed to these actions on them before they had the chance to be in charge for themselves. The one who had been left as she was was the happiest and most at peace with her life. Sometimes it is best to allow things to be until the person is old enough to see if it is an issue for them.
The hair which i have on my face is pretty much the same as your darling girl. Blonde, thin , and spread over my face . I have not found anyone who has been able to treat. I assume it would also take a very long time and be extremely expensive. If the electrolysist was not very good then the work can scar a place that one cant hide. I did not notice it all all during my childhood and if others dont focus on it as a problem chances are neither will she. Ive seen kids raised outside of the USA who are dark hairy all over and were a part of a loving community and it was never a problem. This culture has a long way to go !
Anyways a rotary rasor when the time comes is an easy way to eliminate the hair without ripping, cutting or affecting the skin.

#10

Thank you everyone for your replies. This problem is very distressing to me and really gets me down a lot. I try very hard to not put my worries onto my daughters as I would hate for them to be so worried about such a cosmetic problem at such an early age. We are travelling to California next year and I wonder whether its worth calling into one of the professionals over there with her to see what they see suggest? If only the longer darker hairs could be dealt with in one session and be gone forever. These are the only hairs which are bothering her at the moment. The fuzz at this stage is fine.

She is a busy girl and generally very happy but a single comment / observation about the hair can knock the wind out of her sails for a long time.

#11

No sign of PP at this stage. Some tests were done but they all came back fine.

#12

It seems like the problem has more to do with your daughter’s reaction to comments about the hair than the hair per se. While she might have slightly more vellus hair than other children her age, the amount, type and distribution is well within normal parameters.
In addition, she is far too young to start electrolysis. Her peers are the root of the problem and I would address the issue accordingly.

#13

I understand how difficult this must be for you, we all want the best for your children.

If you see a professional electrologist when you visit California you can have the situation assessed.

You can also be the guinea pig and have a sample treatment, it will enable you to see what electrolysis should feel like and allow you to seek out a good practitioner at home.

One important factor in a successful electrolysis treatment is a good insertion, a poor insertion is much more painful and does not result in the hair being killed, it can result in skin damage. Another factor in good electrolysis is a suitable amount of treatment energy, if the follicle is over-treated it can also result in skin damage.

Good luck!

#14

I dont find any problem with those fine blond hairs…she needs your support and a moral booster dose…ha…ha…its not abnormal at all.Acceptence is the key…tell her she is the most beautiful girl in world…she should love herself…be confident. :smiley: :blush: :slight_smile:

#15

When I was in high school I remember a girl with more than the average amount of arm hair. Some of the boys made fun of her and talked about how her arms were “hairy”. She was so well adjusted and happy, it did not bother her at all. I know this because she never shaved it or tried to remove it in any way.

#16

Purely technically spoken epilating these hairs would not be a large difficulty at least for many collegues around here, especially since young skin heals even better than older skin. But especially on the upper lip it is painful and requires full committment by the person to be epilated. A child of seven might even have such a committment - but only if the reason is really severe.

Indeed. That the point. And that’s the reason why i would at least strongly hesitate to do the treatment. The pain could traumatize the little girl.

IMO it is important for parents to try not to project their feelings onto their children.

#17

Honestly, I think your daughter is ready to take this first step. I agree with Dee, a Laurier IBP is the most suitable. I still have some prototypes of the .015 tip that Mike Roy sent me, I keep it for special cases like this. If you want I can send you a couple of them for your little girl.

Losing the fear of needles is the most difficult step, and this is where you come. You must show the probe, she must see that as extremely small tip, can not produce pain. Then do a little test, not in her face where she can not see what is happening, but in her forearm. Where previously you’ve applied some Emla. This part will reassure her, and then it’s time to move on to other areas.
What is the temperature in New Zealand during the month of August? is just when I have my vacation. :wink:

These are the results you can expect from a single session at such a young girl:

Before (December 2011)

After first clearance (April 2012)

#18

Thank you Josefa.

New Zealand usually has rubbish weather in August! But beautiful country all the same so do not let that put you off :slight_smile:

Those are amazing results above from one session only. I think by next year we will be looking into doing some treatment as Im guessing it will be a bit worse by then. Its only minor still at this stage and we can still snip and disguise the worst offenders but I feel like I need to know all the information now about who to see and what is considered right and wrong so when the time comes we can start.

Many thanks everyone for your info and input :slight_smile:

#19

Josefa, I hope you don’t mind my asking you directly.
Your pictures (above) resemble a case that I am working on at present.
My case is a young man who has strong, thick, dark interbrow hair.
Each time he comes, I clear the area completely and he is on his 9th treatment now.
He comes every 4-6 weeks.
I use Apilus Senior 11/Microflash/Eyebrow 6 with 2 or 3 pulses.
The needles to begin with were Ballet Insulated 4 and 5 but recently (last 2 sessions) I have been using Laurier 5. Hairs epilate beautifully smoothly.
My question is : is it unusual to be needing 8+ sessions to kill these follicles? Going by your results here, it is!
Intrigued! Thanks for help,
June x

#20

Every 4-6 weeks, 8 full clearances. Without knowing all the details, it is difficult to say.

Consider the possibilities:

Let’s say the guy previously pluck with tweezers and treatment began with a week of “wait”:

Session 1: 30-45 minutes
Session 2 (4 weeks later): 45-60 minutes
Session 3 (8 weeks later): 30-45 minutes
Session 4 (12 weeks later): 20-30 minutes
Session 5 (four months after the start): 10-15 minutes
Session 6 (five months after the start): 5-10 minutes
Session 7 (six months after the start): 50 fine hairs: 3 minutes
Session 8 (seven months after the start): he should not need anything.

Let’s say the guy never touched before Electrolysis:

Session 1: 60-75 minutes (big inflammation)
Session 2: (4 weeks later): 30-45 minutes
Session 3: (8 weeks later): 10-15 minutes
Session 4: (12 weeks after the start): 5-10 minutes
Session 5: (4 months later): 50 fine hairs: 3 minutes
Session 6: (5 months later the start): he came only to greet his favorite electrologist) :wink:

Another possibility is that this guy is using tweezers between sessions. In that case, yes, it is normal 8 and more sessions, but then you should be seeing black spots. Black dots after 3 months and 3 full clearances should not exist anymore.