Constant battle with hair on face and body is getting me down.

[pandorasof]

I'm 39, and have had all types of hair removal over the last 25 years. You name it I've tried it. I look online for advice but all I ever read is laser laser laser, and I just can't afford it! It's getting me down now, I'm currently single and it's starting to effect my confidence too, not only am I aware of facial hair but generally men like other bits smooth too and there's no way I could attempt that either!! Anyone else get down about there unwanted hair???

Yes. Paid masses for laser on face but it didn't work. Everywhere else is wild too

Yep. I've tried everything too. Have you had Vaniqa cream from your GP? It helped me but I've had to stop due to post pregnancy acne . I also had laser which worked but the hair came back when I was pregnant .

Me too.
I've actually had laser and it slowly crept back, worse than ever.

No answers, just empathy :(

Yes.

I was tested for PCOS and it transpired that although my ovaries were normal, my testosterone levels were a fraction outside normal range. Suddenly the last 20 years of hairiness, acne and oily skin made sense

Yes. Since i was 10. I spend about half an hour everyday shaving and tweezing. I don't have a hormonal problem, just pale skin and a lot of dark hair.
I live in hope of getting laser eventually, at least for my moustache and beard.

Thanks for replying, it's good to know I'm not alone. I know there's no quick fix. My hormones are fine, I'm just black hair and pale skin. Me and my best mate have agreed that if ever we end up in a coma that we'd visit once a week to take care of facial hair, so when we wake we'd won't have a mono brow and full mustash!!! Lol. X

I used to feel like this until I invested in one of these.

Without being too dramatic, it has changed my life. 5 mins while watch the TV every second or third night keeps my face feeling like it did after going for a £15 total face threading session (which I neither had the money or time to do on a regular basis).

Try it!

I bought a groupon voucher for IPL to use on my upper lip and chin. After 6 treatments I could see that it was having an impact but it didn't clear it. Did another 6 and I barely notice it now (and had been tweezing on a daily basis). Got a bit addicted and have had 6 treatments in my bikini line (wow) and three so far on my under arms and am maybe shaving my under arms once a week and there's really not much hair to remove.
I think the darker and more coarse the hair is, the better it works.

And I was nervous going to a groupon place but it's been great.

Do you ever get offers on groupon etc for laser hair removal? It can be heavily discounted.

That said the course I got from an offer wasn't any good at all, unlike the stuff I got more than 10 years ago which is looking permanent.

Laser is not the golden ticket the articles make out. I've had masses of laser on my face and legs and still have hair there.

Firstly you need the right hair and skin tone otherwise it won't work. Then you need at least 8 sessions. At the end of this all the hair won't have gone. Some of it will have gone too pale to laser but it will still be annoying you. As time passes you will grow new hairs and then need a load more laser sessions to get rid of those. Or you won't be able to tolerate the frequencies required to get rid of the last ones so you are stuck with them.

So without wishing to make you totally despondent, please don't be despairing that you can't afford laser as god knows how much money I've pissed up the wall on it and the damn hair keeps on growing!

The OP has dark hair and light skin.

It does work for lots of people. It worked for me.

Lovelidi I've a few questions.. how long does one of those last? Is it painful? Is it just like a spring that bends and when you straighten it it pulls the hair out?

I have very pale skin and dark hair. Laser didn't work for me.
Well it did....but it wasn't permanent. I had my bikini line and under arms done as both in the summer needed doing daily (holidays in a swim suit were awful) and the skin reactions from the shaving etc were horrendous.

It's about 5 years after the laser now. I don't think its quite as bad as it was before I had it,
but it wasn't worth the huge expense and it was bloody painful!

I too have been tested for hormone inbalance etc and i'm apparently fine. I don't bloody believe them. If I'm in the normal range then it must be top end for testosterone

Also have dark hair and pale skin. Some of it has been permanent but a reputable laser clinic will not claim it's permanent.

Just a spring Wittsend.

Since I started using it, maybe twice a week, my facial hair has become finer and less course, it was horrific before!

Not painful at all after the first time and over in seconds.

I was researching laser etc and saving hard for it, now I wouldn't consider it. The epistick does everything I need it to.

Oh and I would imagine they last forever. I have had my original one for a couple of months but have since purchased spares (keep one in my handbag!) as I would hate to be without it now.

Just ordered one of those springy things, thanks!

I had laser about 4-5 years ago and it honestly changed my life. I got an unexpected tax rebate of about £600 and used it to fund full face laser. I'd been self conscious since the age of 10 (people took the mickey at school and I tried electrolysis, bleach etc)

Had 6 sessions and most of it has gone permanently. Eyebrows are much neater, hairline straightened, no sideburns, the only place that wasn't totally sorted was top lip and chin (bit of a bugger as that was the main part that prompted it!) However, the hair is much less obvious, more sporadic and can easily be removed once a week at the most, whereas before it was every day.

If you can find a good deal on laser OP, do give it a go. It really did transform my confidence.

I bought a springy thing and it was utterly useless,I was so disappointed

Thanks lovelidi I'm going to get one. Let's hope I get good results too

I've got a springy thing and it's great on my upper lip. I've had the same one about 4 years now. I think there is a bit of a knack in twisting it to catch the hair so I wouldn't give up straight away. Also it seems much less painful on shorter hairs but gets less painful over time. It is quick and easy and doesn't make my eyes water anymore!

I'm quite pleased so far with the Philips Lumea I got for Xmas. It'a definitely cut down the amount of facial hair removal I've had to do. Having had laser before I'm not expecting it to be permanent, but it's definitely making life easier for me.

I have a boots ipulse, very pleased with it, I have a springy thing, found it useless.

I hated the springy thing too - I just couldn't coordinate myself to make it work!

You need a knack for the springy thing but they do work. I still find it makes me go 'oooooouch'. Can sting but I am willing to cope for the ease of getting rid of the hairs.