Facial hair

[Moonlight57]

Since august last year I started getting blonde hair all over my face, it’s growing everywhere all over my face and blonde at the moment. It grows about a cm long! I tried dermaplanning myself but it lefts digs in my face, tried electric razor and still get dips in my skin or marks. I just don’t know what to do. I have to Shave it because there’s loads and it grows longer. But my face just gets dips in from the shaving and my skins gotten so thin and rough. I don’t know if it’s down to peri menopause? I’m 40. I was terribly ill with stress last year, my hair thinned and broke off. Just feel like everything’s changing and I feel so low in my appearance

Have you tried one of those peach fuzz gadgets from Amazon, good for fine hair, but not for coarse.

I bought one of those electric razors that go in your handbag, like mascara size. Just seems to leave dents in my skin

Are you on any new medication since August? I take prednisolone for a health condition and at certain doses the facial hair went bonkers, and was very noticeable as I am by nature smooth-skinned.

I’m very hairy, and use the dermaplane razors a couple of times a week. I’m not sure what you mean by it leaving dents, are you pressing very hard? The idea is that you are kind of scraping off the hair/very top layer of skin, so your face looks very smooth afterwards. I’ve ended up with nicks a couple of times (once when the cat unexpectedly jumped up midway through!) but never dents.

Can you post a picture of the dents? I can't quite see how they're happening.

I was on mirtazapine for anxiety but stopped in about June. Then back onto citalopram, which I had previously been on for 15 years and no facial hair with that. I’ve had severe anxiety and panic attacks and lost lists of weight, don’t know if that’s caused any problems with hormones or maybe could I be perimenopause? I just don’t know why all of a sudden I developed so much hair on my face all over, side burns, chin, even on ears and nose.

I used the dermaplanning razors but it lefts little digs in my face like someone has dug a pen tip in my face, little scrapes of skin must have come off and it’s left scrapes of indents. Also using electric razor after I noticed scrape in my skin like a chicken pox scar look, which wasn’t there before. Can electric razors slice skin? The portable round handbag ones that look like mascara? My skin looks all rough and used to look clear

Hi. Will take a pic in daylight as it should be easier to see on camera then. It’s like bits of skin have been scraped off and left indent marks.

I have a few of these dents

I think the dents and pits are more likely due to perimenopause, my face has gone a bit pock marked/cobble stone like and I usually have good skin. Definitely seeing an increase in facial hair too, but to afraid/cba to do anything about it.

You need to see your doc about this instead of just dealing with the result.

Sounds like a possible hormone imbalance. Worth getting it checked out by the GP. How about going to a beautician for dermaplaning?

An increase in that soft vellus hair can be caused by hormonal changes (eg it happens in anorexia). And thinning and drier skin happens a lot in peri/menopause.

I'm sorry you've had such a hard time. As well as the suggestion to check with your GP, as much as you can do to comfort your skin will hopefully help its resilience to however you remove the hair. How are you taking care of it atm?

Thank you. I lost a lot of weight due to my anxiety and not eating properly. I don’t know if that’s caused a lot of problems to my body or if I’m in perimenopause. I’ve had lots of vellus hair growing all over my face, my skins so thin and my hairs greasy in two days. I’m using gentle creams on my face, like Aveeno calm and I have to use a gentle spot cream. I’ve always been ok using those as they are gentle. I shaved my face with a dermaplanning razor but it just left slices in my face. I used the portable electric razors on my face a few days ago but I seem to get dips in my skin from it. The vellus hair is so bad and long that I can’t leave it? I’m having my hormones tested next month pill free to see what they say.

Yeah it’s horrible how the body changes. I really think it’s perimenopause with me. My skins so thin and rougher, I had clear smooth skin before. Now it’s all dents and bumpy. My hairs all thinner now, my ponytail is non existent, I feel so low in myself and no confidence. It’s like everything is horrible in such a short time. I don’t feel like I’m the same person anymore.

I’ve seen a doctor to check my hormones, they were very low, so they said to stop my pill for a few months to test the hormones without being on the pill for a correct reading. I’m seeing the doctor next months to have hormones retested. I might have to try getting a professional to do the dermaplanning, I try to do it gentle but dips in my skin and slices appear on my face

I mentioned the facial hair appearing suddenly and covering my face but they said it’s not dark hair so they aren’t worried ans said to get creams or shave it off. All of a sudden it’s all over my face and growing long and really noticeable which is knocking any confidence.

Good that you've got some tests planned. Given that diet was restricted hopefully they'll agree to test your ferritin, B12 and vitamin D as well.

I'm not remotely qualified in this area, so these suggestions are just from my own experience (although I've never had the dents). I've previously lost huge amounts of weight fast due to severe anxiety, and gone through an endless perimenopause.

I'd take a fish oil supplement. Quality really matters, this is a very good brand:

igennus.com/products/vegepa-high-strength-epa-fish-oil-with-gla-omega-3-omega-6-60-softgels

That one has evening primrose as well, which can be beneficial.

Also, vitamin D plus K, and vitamin C.

If you could go to a really good professional dermaplanner and explain how your skin responds to hair removal, that could be a way forward, but I'd want someone who specialises in it and is recommended.

I don't know the Avene cream you're using, but I've been using this on my face:

www.boots.com/la-roche-posay-cicaplast-hands-50ml-10237661

Seems odd as it's sold as a hand cream, but it's so soothing, bland and not sticky after the first couple of minutes.

Rosehip oil is another really nourishing product to try:

www.boots.com/the-ordinary-100-organic-cold-pressed-rose-hip-seed-oil-10267770

(Don't know how much you can spend.)

I wax mine OP, I started growing a ton of facial hair never seen before when I had to take testosterone for a couple of years and it never stopped. I bought a salon waxing kit for my legs in Covid and just use that on my face on a low/medium heat for the wax. It works really well. I use this wax.

Just tagging you @Moonlight57 to make sure you know there are replies for you.

I see. Your medications and time of life differ so much from mine.

All the best @Moonlight57

Thank you, I’ve recently purchased the Cicaplast La roche posay which I’m trying out. My ferritin was very low but I’m on high dose ferritin tablets now and it’s gotten much higher now.