Facial hair getting me down

[Emmspenn]

I am really struggling with the excessive facial hair. I have always had issues with excessive hair since being diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager. I have to shave my chin and upper lip every single day which I find upsetting and it also makes my face sore. I've tried different balms and gels to try and calm it but it does flare up sometimes and can be so bumpy and angry and noticeable even with makeup. I just feel so conscious about it and unattractive.

I used to pluck my chin but the hair is so excessive it would take ages hence why I took to shaving. I tried an IPL machine which hasn't really made any noticeable difference. The hairs are really coarse and black so. My husband doesn't mind and he's supportive but I feel so uncomfortable if I decide to have a no shave day if my skin is sore because I won't want to be close with him as I feel unattractive and manly. If I ever stay out anywhere im always sneaking off to the bathroom to shave before I see anyone else.

I can't think what else to try. It wasn't as bad when I was pregnant and I'm guessing that's because my hormone levels changed but since having my daughter I would say it's worse then ever. I will shave in the morning and by the evening I can feel stubble. Any suggestions on things to try would be appreciated or even makeup suggestions to help cover up. I'm not in a position at present where I can afford to think about laser hair removal sessions.

[Chel91]

I'm sorry to hear you are having issues. Have you tried a prescription for spironolactone? You would need to be on it long term - ish. Over time it will lower the hormones and hopefully see improvements.

I would also suggest maybe try threading / waxing / sugaring as shaving is quite hard to keep in top of and irritating to skin as you as experiencing.

I know you said right now you can't afford laser, but just wanted to reassure you that if you ever go down that path that it does work. IPL does not work at all. Even 3 or 4 sessions of real laser I think you would see a huge difference (in my experience). And small areas are much cheaper also. So for your chin and 4 ish sessions (depending on where you live and what packages they have) it would not be that much like 100 to 250 in total. Definitely I would save for that and not waste money on anything else honestly. Best of luck xx

[Emmspenn in reply to Chel91]

Thank you so much for your reply. It's really encouraging to hear that laser hair removal is a successful option. I think I will get saving towards this after Xmas xx

[alohalu]

I did professional laser and just with 3 sessions did a massive difference, after that the odd one would come off with the IPL machine

[MiissBehave]

i just recently got prescribed spironolactone, although i haven’t been on it long enough to notice many changes, apparently it is good for hirsutism (hair growth). she also prescribed Vaniqa which is a gel/cream you put on after you shave. essentially it slows the growth. if you’re in the UK, i recommend getting a prescription for Vaniqa because it’s quite pricey if you buy it privately. she warned that it can be quite oily and if you are prone to breakouts, it might make it slightly higher but this isn’t always the case !

good luck xx

[JMSNutrition]

Hi, Sorry to hear that you are experiencing a difficult time at the moment. Each person is different and therefore without knowing you or working with you I can only provide the blanket recommendations that will help improve your PCOS symptoms.

This I have copied and pasted from some of my other posts on here but there are some options in here that you may want to try.

'i'd suggest myo-inositol too but 2x2g/day for 6 months. Omega 3 is a good option too, dose will depend on the individual and how much fatty fish they already get in their diet but supplementing with 1.2g/day of combined epa&dha has been shown to be effective in PCOS women (again jump on a call with me and i'll talk you through some of this stuff in more detail, just felt the need to respond to some of the above). Vitamin D, depends if you've taken it before. If you are vitamin D deficient I would 100% recommend (again doses need to be considered and discussed). There are other supplements like carnitine, research is there but not in quite as much depth so you'd have to do a little cost-benefit analysis. The ultimate goal is to lose weight, even if your BMI is in the 'normal' range moving to slightly lower end of normal is beneficial. The best way of doing this is working with a diet that works for you, often (not always) this includes higher fibre and higher protein foods as they have a bigger impact on satiety. Doing some exercise is also beneficial, both aerobic like walking, running, swimming, cycling etc... and some Resistance Training or HIIT (high intensity interval training). Apologies for a lot of probably overwhelming information, I just wanted to clear up a few things before you looked to non reliable sources of information. Any references needed or questions please don't hesitate to get in touch'

Hope some of this can help you, please let me know if I can do anything more to assist.

[Catstroke]

Firstly, I would recommend stopping shaving. It will always feel thick and bristly if you shave it. Personally I would recommend starting by letting it grow a bit longer so you can wax it or have it threaded (it’ll need to be grown a bit longer if you have IPL because they will also remove the hair in a similar way for treatment). It’ll be tough getting over the initial hump of growing it to be able to remove in a different way but once it’s done it’ll be much easier to manage/far less time consuming.

I bought a myself a starter wax set with a heater about 5 years ago and it was the best choice I’d made, as I can wax at home and it’s far better than the Veet strips you can buy. Make sure you exfoliate and cleanse as necessary before as it can make you prone to spots but I find that waxing needs doing every two weeks.

Threading is the other option, it’s kinder to your skin but personally I think it hurts more than waxing.

Laser is of course an option, but you will need top up treatments I believe so worth factoring this in to your budgeting.

[Carly93]

I found taking Myo and d chiro inositol 40:1 ratio twice daily with food made such a difference with many symptoms of pcos . One of those being i no longer have I growing hairs causing me pain. My excess hairs also seem to take longer to grow back Maybe taking this could have a positive impact on your pcos symptoms including your hirsutism. I’m really glad that your partner is supportive of you

[Stayingcalm]

Awful isn't it. It really does get you down. I find myself looking at other women with beautifully hair free skin with such envy.

I think im going to try going on to Marvelon as recommended by my endocrinologist to reduce hair growth. I'm currently on the implant which apparently may be contributing to issues.

I currently use Vaniqa- a cream. It's not hair removal cream so you need to continue remove hair whilst it kicks in and it can take a while. Im 13 weeks in to using it and find it's helped a lot. Lots of hair gone and those that persist are slower. I'd recommend asking your GP for a prescription. Very little side affects and simple to use. I've just finished my first tube so is costing the 1 prescription fee and lasting around 3 months. Hope this help. Keeping your chin up x

[wishful_thinker]

I’m so sorryyy to read this. I understand though. My chin is always red and bumpy and rashy from shaving - and I recently started using aloe Vera gel on it and it’s really helped. I’m not sure if it’ll work for you but it’s really helped my skin be less uncomfy and rashy.

[Findingwhatworks26]

I feel you! Hope you find a solution x