Face hair. In tears and pic included

[FuckSakeFuckOffFelicia]

I'm sick of shaving

I'm sick of being 28 years old and having to shave twice a day

I'm aching. I have to wear inches of makeup to cover my stubble

I'm all bumpy and rashy, and disgusting

Can someone please just recommend the best Philips Lumea? Will it work? I'm confused at the entire range and my head is sore from trying to work out which will be the strongest for my mess of a face, neck, chin and sideburns

Thank you

OP, I feel you. I have the exact same problem but for me started within weeks of having a coil fitted.

Electrolyisis is the only thing that will work, It's going to take a while. You won't be able to shave for 2/3 days prior to having treatment. It's going to cost a fair but spread over the span of months.

you need to stick to shaving only once a day so your skin can heal. In fact I'd go a couple of days without if you can bear it to give your skin a change of healing. You'll need to let the inflammation settle for electrolysis regardless.

Get some good sensitive face creams, change to a different razor. Don't bother with shaving foam, its far too drying for the face and will exacerbate the redness and soreness. Use something creamier and moisturising. Defo moisturise after. I flip between lush dream cream and superdrug's Vitamin E face serum or Superdrug Naturally Radiant Radiance Balm. Depends what what my skins needs but I've found them to be great at not causing spots where I have to shave.

I can tell you honestly most people don't notice or wont comment on a day of growth. If its all under your chin then they're unlikely to notice it. The only person to make a remark about my beard is DC, bloody kids eh? I know this probably doesn't help you much, I know.

Its hard, for a long time I was panicky like you but now I'm not so bothered and I've never wore make up

I cant have IPL though, ginger hair even though the beard hair is dark/black. Electrolysis was my only choice. I still need further treatments, still have to shave daily but I've hit a point of being able to manage it, have stuff that works for my skin between having treatments when I can afford another batch of them.

This is fixable.

I bought the lumea and it changed my life! I got the precision plus one but I actually use the larger head on my face. I think I bought mine from Boots when it was on offer. I would buy it again tomorrow if it broke. I've had it for 3 years and rarely need to use it on my face anymore. I've started zapping other areas of my body now!

Just an idea but does QVC sell the lumea? Or something similar? I'm pretty sure I've seen them bandied about as having very good returns policies and sometimes the option to spread out the cost.

I've been drinking spearmint tea daily and it does seem to have helped reduce the hairs. Some of mine are like wires and like you MY GP isn't helpful despite me saying that I'm really struggling with weight loss.

I would also try and see another GP. Sorry you are going through this OP!

Alot of pp's have recommended Lumea. I don't know anything about it. If you can afford it sounds like the best solution. Presume it permanently removes hair follicle. Agree with the pp who said about sudocrem for razor rash, and use men's razors. Also Gillette sensitive gel (with aloe Vera) it's very similar to another one they do but it says on the front sensitive and on the list of ingredients aloe and it's scientific name.

You are NOT being a baby. You're clearly distressed, I'm so sorry this is happening to you.
Have you tried hair removal cream at all?

Is there anything on this nhs link that might help?
www.nhs.uk/conditions/hirsutism/treatment/

Hi OP, I completely understand how you’re feeling - I have very severe hirsutism and wasn’t taken seriously by my Gp because I’m not ttc. Eating low carb, exercising etc didn’t help me either and I’m not overweight

I didn’t try laser because there is a possibility (albeit rare) that paradoxical hypertrichosis may occur. Considering I am in the 0.0001% who have such severe hirsutism, I didn’t want to take the chances however irrational it may sound. Also, the FDA in the US says only electrolysis can provide permanent hair removal not laser

I get electrolysis privately, and it’s quite painful - but the temporary pain is nothing compared to the long term toll hirsutism has taken on my life

You poor thing

It's NOT trivial.

Sounsa like a Lumea and some support on these threads is going to be exactly what you need x

Aloe Barbadensis is the scientific name. Apart from the Lumea I think is possibly the best solution, a good men's razor, the shaving gel and sudocrem on clean skin at night.

I have to say - the Lumea buying guide is about of a nightmare

I don't want the most basic model, and I can afford the most expensive - I wonder if the middle range will be okay?

Then again I'd pay £5000 to get rid of this, never mind £500..

I'm going through a ton of expensive makeup a month too, DW is £30 a go and don't even start me on bloody Gillette razors

I bought the Lumea prestige 950 from Boots as it was on offer last month. I paid £279 and got £30 of points back. It had two less head than the 956 but the two heads it has does the face and whole body so I was happy with that. It seems to be helping but it’s early days yet for me.

The 950, 953 and 956 are all the same top model but have different heads for various bits of the body

I’m by no means reccomending you do what I did but I followed the lumea instructions to a t, with no benefit on my face (worked amazing on a test patch I did on my bikini line but it was my face I wanted it for) but it didn’t work. I tried a test and had no issue and found I don’t use the extra facial attachment and when I used it every 2/3 days I started to notice a difference for the first time ever.

There is a cream dermatologists can prescribe that reduces the growth. Does your GP know how much it’s getting you down?

I’ve had facial hair issues for decades - maybe not as significant as yours, but still noticeable and upsetting. Vaniqa (combined with a bit of plucking - always Rubis tweezers) really helped in my twenties and early thirties. I stopped using it to have dc and then I found I didn’t need it as much afterwards - hormonal changes, I guess. Haven’t gone back to it, I just pluck now.

I did find that the Vaniqa caused (or seemed to cause - because who knows, really) some acne. Better that than the hair though.

Also found that taking high doses of evening primrose helped my skin feel less reactive and sensitive to things like depilation and spot treatments, which in turn really improved the overall appearance of my face.

Good luck OP - I really really will be hoping for things to improve for you

If you have an Aldi near you then the silver and orange razors are better than anything I've tried so far and only £2.99. Wrt DW,I buy it from eBay, look for a reputable seller. Much cheaper and you can buy big 'tester' pots.

I use an epilator on my facial hair - have done for years. Good for lasting results.

Started with a Lumea about two months ago and it’s working well. Pale skin, dark hair works best.

It’s a big investment for what might be a gamble, but I figured my DDs will use it on time.

My moustache is much finer, although not gone completely yet, no one but me would notice it.

My friend had terrible PCOS with extreme amounts of facial hair being her main concern.
She has adopted the ketogenic way of eating and has very little facial hair now. (she did it for weightloss but lack of hair has been a happy byproduct)
She also believes it improved her fertility as she accidentally fell pregnant after being told she was infertile (not such a happy byproduct)

I think Costco might still have the lumea on offer?

We don't have Costco here 🙁

You can order from Costco on line now I think.

I have PCOS and I’ve fallen pregnant very easily 6 times. I have three children ( and had 3 miscarriages) not all women with PCOS have fertility issues!! You need to go back to your GP for further testing. Your GP sounds awful. Really hope you get some answers OP. That looks very uncomfortable 😔

There is a long term solution that is expensive but works. Frankly, it's worth every penny. After spending most of my adult life so far on quick fixes and equipment, I now visit a specialist private electrolysis clinic for 20 minutes "maintenance" a year.

When my daughter suffered in the same way after adolescence, I had no hesitation in giving her financial support so that she could live a normal life.

Forget beauty salons advertising electrolysis. Search instead for operators that are sub-contracted by the NHS to remove facial hair for a range of conditions, including PCOS. Their private clients will include transwomen.

You have to commit to treatment (at about a pound a minute), every week (or as soon as your skin has recovered from a session).

The British Association and Assosciation of Electrolysis (BIAE) has an online search tool to help you find a specialist near you:

electrolysis.co.uk/member-directory/

OP, I had similar to you and despaired for ages about what to do. In the end I plumped on laser (not IPL) and had this through a SK:N clinic. They often have offers on and I got a course of 6 for about £280. I think I had a reduction of about 60% after just one treatment...it is amazing! 2 years on I have some slight regrowth but I think that is due to pregnancy and so I will get a further treatment following the birth. I would totally recommend this clinic...They are dotted all around the country. Look out for a good offer!

Thank you!

I've emailed a clinic run by a lady who has worked at all the major hospitals in NI