AIBU to hate hate hate my hairy chin.

[ihatemyhairychin]

Namechanged for this as I'm so embarrassed.

OK - so I am nearly 40 years old, female and have facial hair.

It started about 10 years ago - just the odd black hair on my chin, but now there are bloody loads of them in small patches on my chin and underneath. They are thick & black and not like the little bit of fuzz I get on my upper lip. I shave my chin every morning (and sometimes in the evening too). Can't bear to leave it long enough for waxing or threading.

I paid for laser hair removal about 5 years ago and have had a course on the NHS as well, but they don't seem to have worked.

Do I have to deal with this forever? I can only imagine it getting worse as I get older and that is very depressing. Any other hairy folk out there with any advice?

I bought one of those epilator stick thingies last week as saw them on here, it's been really good for moustache and beard, I used to wax my moustache but this hurts much less than that.

frogslegs I looked at that link and thought you plicked them with the pink part and thought how can that be....

my worry with something like that, is that normal light hairs will get caught in it, then stimultae them to grow more thickly also.

Thanks for all that - think I'll have a bash with one of those stick epilator thingies (cheers Frogslegs!)

I used to pluck them, but I got convinced that the more I plucked, the more stimulation the area was getting and the more hairs that grew! Also, it took bloody ages.

Might ask for a Philips Lumea for my 40th. Woopdedoo.

I get a lot of upper lip hairs and I use an epi-stick.

They are about £2-£3 on amazon, so not expensive. It took me a few minutes and a youtube video to figure out how to use the thing but they are very easy to use. They get every last hair.

rain I've been using one for about a year and although it does pull out light hairs I've not noticed any new black hairs.

You use the lumea every two weeks for the first two months and then every month after that. I've used it on my face three times now, as I've been doing it slightly more often than recommended. You have to shave before you use it, I normally have my face threaded so I don't like the finish as much at the minute. After 2 - 3 times on different body parts, I'd say I have about 50 per cent less hair. I'm very happy with it so far.

SolomonDaisy, what colour is your hair and skin?

Can anyone tell me why they show up more in my rear view mirror than my bathroom mirror?

Sorry SolomonDaisy, that sounded rude. Is your skin tone light with dark hair? Are you using the higher setting? I've read that it works better with dark hair. Is this true?

Electrolysis!! Works for blondes and brunettes alike, and unlike shaving and plucking, discourages the hair growth...they gradually become thinner and finer and then pretty much stop growing as long as you persevere.

As others have said, shaving is really not helping, and will make it worse. Actually plucking has the same effect over time - encourages growth of more, stronger and thicker hairs.

As you can tell, I've experimented with the solutions (not shaving though!). I'm 38 and first noticed it a few years ago. Attacked with tweezers, but found it was making it worse. It was my lovely mum who tipped me off about electrolysis. I went for 4 sessions - 1 every couple of months, and it made an enormous difference. Costs about £20 for a 15 min session which is all you need. Now I only have to go every six months or so - they are much slower growing and really fine. That's unless I sabotage myself and pluck in the meantime (it's like a guilty pleasure!)...but if I do it's really noticeable that the hair grows back thicker.

You can lick it - just takes a bit of patience, but you really must stop shaving I'm afraid. Best of luck!

I do have fairly light skin. My hair is a mix of light brown to black and the lumea seems to be working on both. I use it on level 5 everywhere except my face, for which I use level 4.

I shave mine. I gave up fighting the buggers and have 0% pain threshold. Shave and it's over and done with in 2.seconds. if I start looking like George Michael circa Faith I'll rethink but it works for me now.

those with hair growth do you feel self conscious in brightly lit places like super markets..and in summer..

good point about getting them all..with that little cintraption

rainrain I had about 8 laser sessions at 3 week intervals.

I had loads of hair, if I hadn't have waxed/plucked it would have been a beard.

I could see the difference after about 3 sessions.

Now I have a top up about once a year.

I used to hate overly lit places and felt really self conscious in sunlight. I hadn't realised how much it was affecting my life. I'm so much more confident now.

The downside is that the hairs have to be there in order to be lasered. So the more you can leave to grow to be lasered the better. I didn't do very well at this and I think I probably needed more treatments as a result.

I get vaniqa on prescription and have had for about 7 years

www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/MedicineOverview.aspx?condition=Hair%20and%20scalp%20conditions&medicine=Eflornithine%20Monohydrate%20Chloride&preparationEflornithine%2011.5%%20cream

And my lovely mum, knowing how much I hate hate hate my hair got me this for Xmas

www.boots.com/en/Philips-Lumea-Precision-Plus-SC2003-IPL-Hair-Reduction-System-with-Facial-Attachment_1274664/

I've only used it 3 times so far (use it every 2 weeks initially) and it's deffo cut down on the re growth.

I 3rd or 4th what the others say, don't shave!! The instructions on the lumea do say to but no way a, I doing my face.
I shave legs, pits and bikini amd then use, then use the facial one with hair present, I then pluck what's visible and it's certainly less prolific

QOD what do you think of the vaniqua? Is it any good?

That lumea thing is four hundred pounds.

Have ordered an epistick instead.

The epilator stick works well. I've seen them for sale in various European countries but never in shops here.

YANBU... bloody P C O S

Just de-lurking to say that I have lots of hairs all over my chin and neck. Look like Chewbacca's sister in fact!

But we're all normal. I'm a nurse and most women I've looked after have had exactly the same trouble.....seen quite a few beards after ladies have been in bed and tweezer-less for 2 weeks. And that includes women in their 20s. Very few women don't have facial hair it seems. Maybe we should all let it grow like Catweezle?

I can't stop using the vaniqa, I don't know anyone if it does any good!! Just twice a day, part of the routine :(

Ditto with the carb-beard here. I think it's something to do with insulin affecting levels of testosterone.

I'm wondering if it could be hormonal, too? Have you spoken to your GP?

I'm intrigued by the carbohydrates affecting hair growth theory. I just googled and found this article. Apparently spearmint tea is also helpful in combatting unwanted hair. I'm going to try it and see if it makes a difference.