I desperately trying to remove my thick and stubborn beard. I’ve tried products such as Psoret 600F, Spironolactone 100mg Tablets, Kalo Hair Growth Inhibitor, Skeen Beechers Medicine’s Oestrolactone hair retardant cream and a few others, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY RESULTS OF ANY KIND! I feel so hopeless. Please help me if you can.
Have you thought about having electrolysis or Laser Hair removal? 
Do you want to thin the hair out, or do you want to get rid of it all together?
Either way, Electrolysis is the solution to your problem. Now, the only variables will be the operator skill/knowledge, the equipment they use, the rate they charge and the speed with which they deal with the follicles…
There is so much info on this site relating to those four variables that all I can do is suggest you search or browse in the electrology forum, and also to wish you good luck in your quest.
Cheers,
David
I’m trying to thin out the hairs considerably. I cannot afford electrolysis since I’m only a college student.
[ January 08, 2004, 03:05 AM: Message edited by: dodgerdave ]
If you are serious about the problem, then just get started… 2 hours this week or month will be a start… as you get more money, you can increase the period or frequency of your visits… in the first few visits, you may be able to deal with some possible trouble spots (pun intended) such as the lower neck, around the lips or whatever you may have worse problems that need attention. You may have no problems with ingrowns or rash or such, so just get them to thin out hair in a general manner.
You may want to start your search for a good electrologist now, so once you have someone, then you can go to them as you can afford to…
Do not waste your money on LASER treatments, they will not thin out your beard evenly, and the hair will just as likely all come back anyway…
Regards,
David
[ January 08, 2004, 07:58 PM: Message edited by: IHH ]
I’ve been getting treatments with the Aurora on my beard. I live in Southern California. I am getting my beard thinned, and so far it looks great. Unfortunately, the Aurora is new technology and I won’t know about long term results until I watch it over the next year, but so far it is just what I hoped for. Unlike electrolysis it takes a twenty minute treatment to treat the entire face, and your skin goes back to normal in a few hours instead of weeks. Electrolysis on the male beard is an unbelievable amount of work, pain,and money. I would say that you really need to look at all your options. If you want to understand the reality of Electrolysis, I suggest you find out from James Walker about how much dedication it takes to treat a full male beard, even by the most compitent Electrologist. And if you want to know more about Laser, then I suggest you ask questions in the Laser section of the Forum. One last piece of advice, only listen to what Electrologists say about Electrology. If they completely dismiss Laser, chances are they are not the voice you should turn to.
I am not sure that the previous posts may or may not refer to me in regard to listening to electrologists run-down LASER - please be aware that I am not an electrologist, but a consumer who for more than 20 years has been looking for, and actually trying ways, to get rid of hair…
I have had LASER treatment by 4 different people, using 3 different types of machine… and do you know what my experience of it is…? more hair grew back, as well as the money and the blisters… I have not had much electrology work, mainly because there is no-one for hundreds of miles I would want working on me, but what I have had done has been permanent. I agree with you that any large or particularly dense area is going to take time and money to deal with, but at least you should only have to go through it “once” - by which I mean one set of treatments, like you would have to go to your LASER tech 5 or 6 times to be classed as a complete treatment…
I am doing what this board is setup to do… share my experience, and try to answer questions that fall within my experience, and to offer encouragement to others as they embark on a similar journey, no matter what age, sex or motivation they have… at the end of the day, we all want less hair, and as is evident from many other posts… there are a good number of ways that people will part you and your money, and although it seems to be high tech, modern, fast, clean etc… I wish that LASER was actually permanent… if it was, then you would see a great deal of electrologists buying LASER machines and getting rich… the reality is somewhat different - the reality is that LASER has not been proved to be permanent, so I can honestly say I believe you are throwing good money away pursuing LASER treatments… But I would love to be proved wrong…
David
[ January 16, 2004, 12:45 AM: Message edited by: IHH ]
Hi IHH, my comments were not addressed to you, and I know that you are not a professional electrologist. Having said that, I completely disagree with your assesment of what the young man who started the thread should do in the way of treatment. Not only am I currently satisfied (happy) with the results I am getting on my male beard with the Aurora, but I have already found out from many electrologists that the male beard is prohibitively grueling to treat with electrology, and very often the only people who do it are those with the desire to live as a woman. In other words, unless your drive to rid yourself of your beard completely, with electrolysis, is that of a person wanting to change sex, it might be advised to look into other options that wont take over ones life completely for two to three years. While your experience with laser might have been poor, it is only your experience, and there is no need to assume all the people that have been happy with laser treatments are lying. I mean to dismiss lasers entirely, the way you did, is not just sharing your experience, but painting an entire industy as a fraud, which is simply untrue, and in my view misleads the man who started this thread. I say again, he should explore his options and not think that Electrology is the only solution to his problem. It is NOT black and white! For thinning the beard By the way, many, many, many Electrologists have purchased lasers and use them with great enthuseasm in conjunction with needles. Unfortunately, none of them happen to post on this Forum.
David,
It sounds like you have investigated hair removal options well and that you understand the realities of laser hair removal.
I have to admire redhead and some others that post here regularly about their hair removal journey. They have shared their experiences with the different lasers they have used over the years. It appears that they have spent a lot of money to achieve or partially achieve their goals. They are truly the pioneers of laser hair removal technology, testing the water on their dime and in turn, sharing that information with all of us.
I am an electrologist with an open mind about using ANY new technology that is safe and effective to help people achieve results. Is laser effective? Many consumers say yes. Many so no. Is it safe? Probably yes, but I am still struggling with the issue of REPEATED LASERING year after year. Will there be issues in the future about REPEATED trauma to the skin? No researcher can possibly answer this question yet because not enough time has passed.
Yes, at the end of the day we all want less hair, as you said. Thanks for sharing. I wish more consumers would join in because that is the best research for all to see.
RedHead…
Please don’t think it is wrong for me to share ‘my’ experience and then to offer ‘my’ opinion… Some advice is worth what you pay for it, and some is worth a lot more… I give ‘my’ opinion freely, and I have no problem with others sharing their experiences, even if they may be opposite to mine…
I just do not want anyone thinking that ‘my’ experience is biased because I seem so strongly in favour of one method over another… I am in favour of what work for a particular person… LASER never worked for me, and I have read on this board that electrolysis does not work for others… I suggest that in both cases there are parallels such as incorrect machine settings, incorrect techniques, etc… But what I will stand by strongly, based on ‘my’ experiences is that LASER cannot be relied upon to be ‘permanent’, no matter how well it is done, no matter what type of LASER is used… Properly done electrolysis is permanent.
I still think that the male beard, esp. a heavy or difficult one is probably the biggest challenge an electrologist would take on, short of the scalp…
I truly do wish that LASER was permanent - I would be at the head of the queue 
I have nothing against LASER, and have no vested interests in either LASER or electrology, I just know what has worked for me, and I was just offering ‘my’ opinion, based on ‘my’ experience - it would be a sad situation if dodgerdave got no replies, or only one… lets all not be afraid to offer ‘our own’ experiences and opinions, and then, from the variety of different replies, a pattern or clear course of treatment may evolve.
Without the exchange of experiences and opinions, this place would be less than useful… if we had more people posting their direct experiences, whether they are pro-or anti-LASER or Electrolysis is irrelevant, the richness comes from the variety of experiences within the group, not just the strongest or loudest in the group…
I know the money I have wasted on LASER, and I was just sharing ‘my’ experience… IMHO, I would go straight to the proven techniques… however, if it is your money and your skin, you do what you think is best (for you)… at the end of the day, we are all here to beat the hair monster… I hope my experience can help someone save time, money or just heartache. Being overly hairy (and all the attendant issues/problems that go with being more hairy than ‘normal’) for some people is an issue that drives them to the lowest points in their lives, and to even end their lives… I do not take the situation lightly, and to give someone the hope that their problems will be solved with a couple of half hour sessions with a LASER, only to then drop them deeper into their abyss when it fails is just too cruel…
I am open minded, I would try a new cream, or LASER or whatever came along, gene therapy included, if it was proven to be safe and permanent.
I think to summarise, keywords for me are: integrity, safety, permanency and the desired results.
Regards,
David
When dealing with permanent hair removal, especially on androgen-induced facial hair, it’s good to do research with a healthy dose of skepticism. Practitioner skill is probably the single most important factor, not matter what method you decide.
Each methods has benefits and drawbacks, but for the most part it is important to keep in mind that this sort of hair removal is the ultimate stress test, and will require even more diligence than any other research into hair removal.
It’s important to remember that not everyone resonds to treatment for unknown reasons, and that some people need to have a multifaceted approach using several methods to get the result they want.
I want to encourage everyone to share their personal experiences, but I want everyone reading to understand that results are highly variable, and that one person saying this worked for me (or didn’t work for me) should not be used to make a decision. Testimonials are very helpful, but they are not very scientific.
We have been very lucky here to have so many great contributors give their candid views, and I hope that continues. Just a gentle reminder that consumer reports need to be just one of the ways you make a decision on this difficult task.
Thank you IHH, dfahey, and Andrea, and to the young man that started the thread - thinning your beard will not be nearly the kind of undertaking that complete removal would be, and if you live in Southern California you have every possible option available to you. I could certainly recomend the place I am getting treated, and I know that Barrester (a member of this Forum) has found a couple great Electrologists in your area. These treatments all cost money, but remember they are spread out over time. For instance I have had three treatments so far with the Aurora, and I pay $300 every two or three months, with the upcoming fourth treatment free. That will end up being about $900 dollars over nine months, and I must say that my beard has definitely been thinned out. Anyway, your situation is far from hopeless, and let us know if you have any questions.
Ok Guys. I’m ready. I just set up a free consultation with an electrologist. Time to get rid of the beard.
One last thing I forgot to mention in previous posts…
LASER can have a haphazard approach to thinning hairs… you may get bald spots, or look motheaten… you may also get the perfect results you are looking for… but with electro, at least the practitioner can select the hairs and make it look natuaral, yet thinner… Just a thought…
David
O.K. guys. I just happen to be the same person who used to go by the name “dodgerdave”.
I’ve been seeing an electrologist since August 2004, and I have been treated one hour per week at $50 per hour. I estimate that about 20% of my facial hair has been removed, which is too slow a pace for 10 months. I’m just completely frustrated at how long it is taking. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />
I’ve been getting treatments with the Aurora on my beard. I live in Southern California. I am getting my beard thinned, and so far it looks great. Unfortunately, the Aurora is new technology and I won’t know about long term results until I watch it over the next year, but so far it is just what I hoped for. Unlike electrolysis it takes a twenty minute treatment to treat the entire face, and your skin goes back to normal in a few hours instead of weeks. Electrolysis on the male beard is an unbelievable amount of work, pain,and money. I would say that you really need to look at all your options. If you want to understand the reality of Electrolysis, I suggest you find out from James Walker about how much dedication it takes to treat a full male beard, even by the most compitent Electrologist. And if you want to know more about Laser, then I suggest you ask questions in the Laser section of the Forum. One last piece of advice, only listen to what Electrologists say about Electrology. If they completely dismiss Laser, chances are they are not the voice you should turn to.
[color:“blue”]Please tell me more about Aurora technology. Where can I find such a place in Southern California, and what are some of the prices to remove a thick beard? [/color]
I assume you have been using blend. If you can find someone using thermolysis in your part of the country, you can get lots more work in a shorter time.