Facial Hair/Skin Care Advice...

[hairyface]

Literally at the end of my tether...getting married next year and my face is a mess...HELP!

Since I was a teenager I had excessive hair growth on my chin/neck.
For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to shave it off..10 years later and its now a daily routine which literally rules my life. :(

I've had all the tests for hormone imbalance/pcos but everything is completely normal. I have hair on my moustache/cheek area but it is blonde downy hair so not sure if the regular shaving on my chin has caused it to become darker and thicker?

I've tried waxing/epilating/threading but the hair is too strong and it causes more damage trying to get it out. Plucking leaves me with ingrown hairs and takes ages. I had electrolysis but that gave me an infection of the hair follicles. I'm currently on my third session of medical strength laser hair removal but have seen no improvement of the hair growth just yet.

Because of all this my chin area is constantly red and irritated and I frequently get spots & shaving rash. I've mastered my makeup routine (an hour each morning) so only my darling fiancé and mum know about my problem. But I wonder if there is a way of improving my skin condition through products?

My current routine is an oil free make up remover & moisturiser before bed. Then each morning I use a clean and clear daily exfoliating wash in the shower & use soap to shave the area. Almost every morning my skin surface looks smooth and clear after makeup application. But throughout the day, white bumps sometimes appear on my chin which scab over until the next day after I shave. It seems like a constant battle, just when I think my skin is improving a white spot appears and starts the whole healing process again.

The rest of my skin is combination- the odd small spot/dry patch but I would be happy if this was throughout my whole face. Obviously my dream is for the laser hair removal to work so I wouldn't have to shave daily anymore which would solve my skin problem. But in the meantime, can anyone offer any advice on products I could use to improve my skin condition??

At the moment I am dreading my wedding day...I don't want to have to wake up at 6am to shave...then have a makeup artist touching my face, trying to cover up my spots...then dread have any photos taken up close :(

As explained above, I am currently on my third session of laser hair removal (medical strength) I haven't seen any improvement just yet but hoping this will solve my issue !

I have very bad facial hair. It started when I was 37 and at that stage I was just plucking the hairs out every day. I'm now 40 and have had 9 sessions of proper laser treatment (medical grade, not in a beauty salon) and its still there. I have just started 3 extra sessions in the hope that it makes a difference since atm if I don't shave then I have very dark hair all along the male beard line area (chin, jawline and top of neck). You can't do any plucking if you're having laser, only shaving. Avoid any acid toners for the duration of your treatment since you may well find that your skin burns very easily and you will then have to have reduced strength on your next treatment which really isn't what you want when trying to fight a beard.

Mine seemed to get a bit better after about session 6 of the laser treatment but within a couple of months it was all back again (and in fact it was worse than before). Maybe not the best use of thousands of pounds but it seems to be the only option and so I'm persisting.

I get masses of spots around my jawline and the top of my neck. Ive never had these before. This isn't the shaving IMO its the laser treatment which causes the follicles to alter and results in those hard under the skin lumps. It is also often the new hairs trying to come through. Not nice.

My laser adviser has recommended frequent exfoliation and ultra gentle products. No sun exposure whatsoever.

When you have electrolysis, it is possible at some salons to have a gold needle. Only cost and extra one pound at my local one. I am wondering if this would help your situation?

Oh dear prepperpig that is not giving me much hope! :( What reasons are the laser clinic giving for the treatment not working?

They said they never give 100% guarantees and that some hair is more resistant than others. Mine is clearly hormonal (as will be the case with most women of my age) and so its also the case that it might naturally be getting worse anyway. I'm hoping that these extra 3 sessions will help but no guarantees.

On the other hand my legs are practically hair free after only 5 sessions and Ive gone from shaving them every day to once a week. Bikini line also fantastic results.