Damn these indestructible chin hairs!!

[Pollyanna9]

So on my chinny chin chin I have some hairs that are like WIRES. As they grow they cause a spot, a bump, a full on red lump, they are trapped, I cannot get them out, they end up raw, scabbed and scarred. Repeat every few weeks...

Been plucking them for years - they have not got the message.

Am successfully using a Phillips laser hair machine on other body areas where it's working a treat - just not on the chin.

I look absolutely awful - I've got three very obviously red lumps on my chin at the moment and they're even difficult to cover with make up as they are so lumpy and flaky.

Now I know that lasers work on hair where there is a contrast between the colour of the hair (needs to be dark) and the colour of the skin (needs to be light). The only thing is, these blessed chin hairs are white (Jesus, can the ageing process be any crueler?!).

I wonder if this is why its just having no effect.

I am wondering if electrolysis would be better. I did buy a Rio machine but the tweezer do-dahs are so thick that I can't grasp the hairs. The way the machine works is it's switched on first (with current flowing) then you grab the hair - so I'm dragging the tweezers all over my chin and electrolysising my skin in order to try and get hold of the hair - so it's all a bit of a mess and I just can't use it successfully.

If it was the case that salon electrolysis would work, I'd have to save up for it but at the moment I look a right state and can't go on like this.

Did anyone else persevere with laser for this and if so how long did it take to work?

Did anyone with white wiry chin hairs try salon electrolysis and if so did it work?

Oh, and before anyone suggests it, no type of exfoliation works - absolutely none. I get ingrown hairs all over my body and have wasted countless money on every possible type, and form of exfoliation known to man - it just doesn't work. I've got to kill the hair off at the root.

Thanks!

Please, if you find an answer, share! It seems to be that we have to trim them, not pluck them. Then they don't get to cause mayhem coming back. But I tend to pluck out of irritation.

Sounds awful. Hope someone with some answers comes along soon.
WHat I don't understand is the speed they grow. I check my chin daily and am pretty certain its hair free then I spot a monster at least an inch long. HOw does that happen?

Same @wildwestwind

Check chin every day. And then suddenly there is a massive pipe cleaner on a black hair waving at me.

I launched a daily chin shaving regime recently. It was FAIRLY successful but nothing stops them popping back out and ingrowing. Then if you catch one wrong while shaving, you slice the top off and it bleeds like a bugger!

Shaving sounds painful! Can you use one of those stinging pencil things that men use when they cut themselves shaving. Styptic I think it's called. Devious little buggers are chin hairs! I've often wondered if it's appropriate to mention them or not to others. I'd like someone to tell me if they spotted one on my chin

i have no advice to offer, but just wanted to say that I'm right there with you on the thick, wiry chin hairs (hey, thanks PCOS!).

I am very fair skinned, with blonde hair everywhere else on my body, but my chin hairs are thick, black, and grow like weeds. I have to check them under bright light twice daily, and there's always some new stubble to tweeze off.

I'm dreaded the day when near-sightedness kicks in, and I'll no longer be able to see the fuckers. I think I'll have to institute a daily shave then...

The double whammy of emerging hairs and failing vision!

They are shocking aren't they. I think I know why they go from zero to horse's tail length though. They curl as they grow so less noticeable until they unravel.

Thank God it's not just me!

I wax the fuckers!

I have had many more than 3 of these 'friends' since I was a teen. Electrolysis did work but then I had 2 kids and am back to square one. I currently have one growing deep beneath the skin. No red or normal I growing issues but I am very pale and can see the dark thing through my skin. It's over a cm and growing. I have a cocktail of: thick white wires, thick black wire, thin see through long ones and think long brown ones. I pluck and epilate and at somepoint will look back into electrolysis or revisit laser for the dark ones. It's just the time to do it. Argh!!

I know you say that you've tried exfoliation but have you tried chemical exfoliation. Eg AHA/BHA? I found that pixi glow really helped to prevent the ingrowing and that set me off investigating other chemical toner products. Something like Paula's choice BHA or BR P50 could help. The fuckers still pop out but much less painful and red.

Yup - I've tried waxing, shaving, plucking, laser, chemical peels, scrubs, loofahs - Christ sakes I even used a Sand Turtle nail file on it once! Even that level of abrasion didn't work - the hairs still get stuck on the way out.

I've got to find a way to kill the buggers off at below ground level.

I know what you mean about the variety of hair types Goose - some are fine, some are blonde, none of mine are black, but the worst ones are white.

They just feel so horrible when they're coming out. If several of the wiry ones are emerging at once it just feel horrible - you can feel them even when they're only what 0.1 of a mm exposed. Sometimes you can get them with the super fine tweezers that I have in my arsenal other times you know they're there but you can't get a hold of them. Then you can feel them get stuck and it's impossible to get them out before they go through what can be several weeks of red angry bumps.

I get them all down my thighs and my bikini area. Despite exemplary shaving prep and conduct, most of last summer I couldn't wear skirts or dresses because the entire front half of each lower leg was a sea of razor burn rash. And SOOOOO itchy I was nearly ripping the skin off my legs. The laser's doing great with these areas though and with underarms - that's all fab. The only thing different with the chin is the fact that the worse hairs aren't black.

Sounds like Goose could try electrolylis. Sadly due to XH stopping maintenance I have absolutely NO cash to get it done! Back to the exfoliate, shave and pluck routine for now.... There's been no improvement with laser and I've been lasering now since October.

Eurgh, I feel your pain. I have a bit on my chin where 4 or 5 thick bastard black hairs grow out. They take it in turns to grow and always get a bit stuck at the surface so it always looks like I have a spot there. Which is a kick in the teeth after spending a year in misery on roaccutane getting rid of my actual acne!

My concern with electrolysis is having to let them grow in betweens sessions.

I think the best bet is always having tweezermans with you and only touching/plucking when they are ready to be harvested. No picking or poking any other time. Use sudocreme to clear up the scabs/cuts/flakiness.

Bastard hairs ChickenVindaloo.

Yeah, fuck em to hell!

Ditto! I have a million pairs of tweezers as I'll catch them in the light of a mirror or out and about and fixate!

My Philips Lumea is definitely helping with mine on my chin, cheeks, chest etc (PCOS). It's only the cheaper one, but so far so good in three months.

Vivienne are the hairs on your chin dark or white?? It's not working for me on my chin .

Very dark, and I'm very pale skinned. I'm plucking then using it, as I don't want to start shaving my face.

I also use Dermalogica Daily scrub which has a rice base - that seems to help keep down the thickness of the skin over the hairs.

I get the big raised ingrowing hair bumps on my cheeks, but again that's improved dramatically, and instead of daily plucking I'd say I'm down to weekly

I use Smooth Appeal Original Hair removal facial wax on my chin, upper lip and just the underside of my jaw- use about every 10-14 days. I have dark hair too, apparently no PCOS (had an ultrasound) just always been pale celtic skinned with dark brunette hair. Pollyanna I think it is worth seeing a beautician and asking whether a trial of electrolysis would help. I am thinking about buying a Philips Lumea laser myself so good to hear it does work on dark hairs (although I sympatheise with the white chin hairs dilemma).

Thanks DML, I've got the feeling it's electrolysis that I probably need.

Are you in London Polly? If so I can PM you a good salon for electrolysis

Electrolysis works for me. I went regularly about 10 times and now a few creep back every 6-12 months and a couple of visits gets rid of them. I empathise with failing eyesite/hairy chin comments. You know when you look at your chin in the sun when you're sitting in traffic and suddenly you see them in all their glory? Grrrr

You are my tribe. Plague of my life these hairs. Under my chin I have several long white ones that are almost transparent and will. not. budge.