by purpleskingdom » Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:01 am
Hi all,
I'm 27 now, was diagnosed with PCOS around age 16. I have managed my facial hair (in order):
Tweezers: cheap and easy if you only have a few stray whiskers but I abandoned this once I started edging towards a full beard!
Sugar wax with cloth strips: bought "Nads" brand from QVC as a teenager. It helps to do large areas quickly but needs the hair to be grown out long enough or it won't work (embarrassing at any age but especially during teenage years!) Also messy and requires adequate amounts of clean, dry cloth strips.
Epilator: I think I bought a Philips brand corded one (cordless gadgets can be a real nuisance due to the batteries eventually failing - corded versions always seems a better investment) less messy than sugar waxing and hair doesn't need to be as long/obvious before using this method. Although, these gadgets are rather noisy and painful (especially around the upper lip/nostril opening area - I keep tissue nearby in case of eye-watering and sneezing) as the pain is prolonged - I learned to take painkillers 30min beforehand as it makes for a less horrible experience.
IPL laser hair removal/reduction: As it is too expensive for me to have IPL full price, I found a good deal on Groupon (6 sessions for £120) at 'My Body Boutique' at Sussex Medical Chambers in Hove 4 or 5 years ago. The customer service was great but I have to say it was much more painful than I expected. Having heard the experience described as 'like having an elastic band snapped on your face' I was shocked to find it was VERY PAINFUL! And the horrid smell of burnt hair! And the days of redness afterwards! But I kept going back because - I DON'T WANT TO BE A BEARDED LADY! It HURT, but it was worth it - take paracetamol 20 to 30min beforehand! It didn't get rid of all the hair (perhaps if I could've afforded ten sessions rather than 6) but it greatly reduced the beard down to some whiskers : ) nowadays laser clinics are more affordable and accessible so I'd definitely say it's worth a go if you find a good deal - get it done during winter (to reduce chances of sunburn) and get some Aloe Vera gel for aftercare.
Shaving: I usually shaved between sugar waxing/epilating to give the hairs a week to catch up (as some hairs always appear before others due to different growing times) and, since having the IPL treatment, this is my favourite method for facial hair removal. I'm hoping to try electrolysis soon so removing the hair root from the follicle is not an option for the moment.
Next... I'm going to try electrolysis. I've found that beauty schools are the best places to get salon treatments on a budget - most charging just a few pounds per half hour of electrolysis! I had a full leg wax at Sussex Down's College in Lewes for only £10 and a really lovely haircut for less than that - beauty school salons are a great option for economical pampering!
What helped me most was taking the contraceptive pill for most of the last 7 years (Dianette/co-cyprindiol acetate and Yasmin/Lucette). However, I'm taking a break from the pill as it was making my depression symptoms worse - I don't want to scare anyone off of trying the pill as we all react to medication differently - it's worth a try.
Bye for now x