plucking beard hair

[Jayne]

I had the majority of my dark hairs wiped out within four full face and neck treatments of Intense pulsed light (IPL) ($145 each time)

Does the IPL generate much heat? The reason I can't use laser treatment is because of the heat reacting with my skin but if IPL doesn't generate much heat then i'd consider getting a home kit, i've seen some for around £200 & it may save me money & pain in the long run

[Arch]

The first psyciatrist I saw said that as my excema is aggravated by emotions then getting my gender issues sorted may help.

This may be true, but I don't think any competent doctors see emotional problems as the CAUSE anymore. From what I understand, eczema starts because of a physiological response. So getting yourself sorted out might help without actually curing.

Jane, I used to get very bad eczema all over my body. I once wound up in the ER because of some kind of systemic infection related to my eczema. My whole body was one giant edema. Not fun. And eczema does terrible things to a person's self-esteem. I felt very self-conscious for years until I got the worst of it under some kind of marginal control. Some doctors told me that I was in a vicious circle--feeling self-conscious just made my skin worse and reinforced the condition. They might have been right, but the condition didn't start because I was upset.

Back when I was researching gluten intolerance, I stumbled across correlations between gluten intolerance/celiac disease and eczema. There may be connections to other food allergies as well. But this correlation may only hold for people with lifelong skin problems--I don't know. How long have you had the problem? Still, if you have any food sensitivities, you might play around with diet, if you haven't already. Once I found out that my gut was sensitive to wheat (and it got worse as I got older), I started cutting wheat out of my diet. I don't know if it helped my skin because by then my skin wasn't all that bad anymore. But my innards were happier, anyway, and I lost some weight.

My skin condition never completely went away until quite recently. I think that testosterone cured my eczema, but I also eat wheat only very rarely these days. Could be a combination effect. Anyway, someone suggested that estrogen might solve your problem. If T worked for me, maybe E will work for you?

I'm just throwing ideas out there...I plucked a stray beard hair last night because it was in a relatively naked part of my face, and BOY that hurt like mother. Next time, I'll just trim it close. But you don't have that option.

[TraciMC]

Prior to starting electrolysis, I plucked my entire face about 5 times.  It was a huge undertaking each time; the process took about 8-10 hours of nonstop plucking.  But it was the only way at the time I could have an entire hairfree face (and my facial fair was black and coarse) for about a week or so.  I wanted to test out living fulltime to figure out if I would pass (which I needed to know before deciding to transition), and it would have been impossible to shave and wear makeup as I knew by the end of the day, 5 o'clock shadow would ruin things.  But by plucking my entire face, I wouldn't have to wear much makeup, if any at all.  As you could imagine, it was an enormous undertaking to tweeze every hair from my face and neck.  On one trip, I only finished plucking half of my face by the time I had to go to the airport, and so I went through airport security with one half of my face covered in 3 days growth of black hair and the other half baby smooth (think of the black/white faced aliens in that Star Trek TOS episode).

Did it make things worse for electrolysis?  I think, quite likely it did.  I had my share of ingrowns and increased thickness; I recall seeing some follicles putting out two or more hairs simultaneously, which I never noticed having the first time I plucked my face.  And, I am still having electrolysis every two months -- almost 16 years after I started electro; I don't know how typical or normal that is.  Part of the problem is that having got rid of most of my facial hair, I went back to plucking for maintenance between 2001 and 2009. >.<  I guess I am resigned to the fact that I will need occasional electrolysis for the rest of my life.  But the amount of hair is not any different than any other woman my age who has "facial hair issues".

[Jayne]

Arch, I've been hospitalised 4 times in around 30 years, once my skin was so hard & thick I looked like i'd turned to stone & another time I had no skin on most of my body & had blood poisoning from it.
I've talked doctors into not taking me into hospital as when they release me my skin goes nuts from the shock of leaving such tightly controlled conditions, it's not possible to have 2 baths a day then cover yourself in creams, ointments & bandages whilst working as the whole shebang takes about 4 hours out of your day.

I've done food allergy tests a few times & the only food that definately effects my skin is tomatoes.

Beverly, thank you for that info, as soon as my dermatologist gets my face clear i'll book for a test patch to be done

TraciMC, thanks for the tale about going through security looking like an extra from Star Trek, it made me laugh for the first time in days 

[Gauge]

I am so sorry to hear about all the aggravation and torment you are going through.  I think you should take a step back and breath when you are this stressed.  Try to find a solution to your skin issues or at least get it to the point that you can do a hair removal therapy safely.  You want to get the maximum results with your transition. So maybe take the time to deal with one issue first you will thank yourself later for it.

I will gladly do some information gathering for you on my lunch break just let me know. Take care.

[Daphne Alice]

This is too bad to hear. I was hoping to pluck them away. I've already done my chest and stomach. Is plucking different than waxing?

[V M]

Yes, when plucking you go hair by hair plucking each one, I've never had a full beard so it only takes me 10-20 min.s a day as the hair grows back in

When waxing you're pulling several hairs at a time, this will often cause the skin to be a bit irritated for a short while

I only wax my armpits and neither region now and use to wax my legs as well, but the hair quit growing on my legs so I no longer have to bother

[Daphne Alice]

So you're in favor of tweezing, VM?

[Daphne Alice]

Actually, I just pulled on of my beard stubble and a good bit of skin came with it. Probably not the best idea? Hurts more than the ones on my chest, stomach, arms, & thighs.

[V M]

So you're in favor of tweezing, VM?

It's worked for me so far, it's the best I can do until I can afford laser and/or electro

Actually, I just pulled on of my beard stubble and a good bit of skin came with it. Probably not the best idea? Hurts more than the ones on my chest, stomach, arms, & thighs.

Ouch!!! Wow, I've had some nasty ingrown hairs now and then but have never had anything like that happen

[Alycya]

I can't afford to start elecrolysis at the moment & want to wait until i've started HRT to make it more effective/efficiant.
Because of ecxma I can't use too much make-up, partly because I get too hot & my skin fares up & partly because when my skin is flaky foundation makes it look worse than it really is.

I decided a few days ago to let my hair grow a bit & try plucking it out, I didn't care how long it would take as it would be worth it in the long run not to have to shave for a couple of weeks.

I found the hairs around my jaw & cheeks was almost painless as long as I pulled the skin tight, chin hairs hurt like hell to pluck but I came unstuck as soon as I tried to pluck the hairs from my top lip. . . . AAARGH!!!!!! doesn't even come close to describing it, after half a dozen hair were plucked I couldn't see a thing due to my eyes watering too much.
I'm just really glad that I did a test of each area before I spent my whole weekend with tweezers in hand.

If anyone has managed to tweezer their facial hair off then they deserve a medal of epic proportions.
If anyone is considering doing this then try your top lip first, if you can handle the pain & watering eyes then the rest of your face will be plain sailing, as a famous space smuggler once said "good luck, you'll need it"

I did it! I want the medal!

I tweezed all my facial hairs around lips. Yes, upper lip is the most painful (tears and chuggins) but my hate for those hairs overcame the pain - so, i did it. To help the operation i used warm water, hoping that in keeping the area wet it would be of some help to open pores.

Anyway i managed to get rid of them, BTW, i do not suggest to do this to anyone - if you try, you will do at your own risk .

< i'm waiting for my medal lol

Hugs,
Aly

[V M]

I did it! I want the medal!

I tweezed all my facial hairs around lips. Yes, upper lip is the most painful (tears and chuggins) but my hate for those hairs overcame the pain - so, i did it. To help the operation i used warm water, hoping that in keeping the area wet it would be of some help to open pores.

Anyway i managed to get rid of them, BTW, i do not suggest to do this to anyone - if you try, you will do at your own risk .

< i'm waiting for my medal lol

Hugs,
Aly

Same here, those upper lip hairs particularly just under the nose are the worst but they had to go away

I'll have to try that warm water idea, I sometimes fill the sink with hot water to steam the pores open

Sometimes I wonder if plucking could be considered a form of masochism lol

Hugs

[Alycya]

Sometimes I wonder if plucking could be considered a form of masochism lol

Nah, we are just hairs serial killers

Hugs
Aly

[SofiN]

I actually do this a little bit on the neck area only, as it seems to be hard to properly get a clean shave there - hopefully only for the rest of this year as I'm hoping to begin laser. (expensive stuff)

Read through this topic entirely and I can agree, plucking for the long term might not be so good. I epilate my legs and occasionally get ingrown hairs and while the hairs there are thinner and easier to remove, it is still a bit of a pain to deal with. Luckily the epilation itself doesn't really hurt in those areas.

[Jayne]

The chocolate medals are in the post for those who've plucked 😂

I can't believe its been 4 years since I started this topic, I've now been approved for laser on the NHS & had two sessions 😀
It took a 3 year battle to get laser due to clerical errors but I got there in the end.
The laser technician said she'd never tried it on eczema prone skin so we started on the lowest setting, its painful but easily bearable. For a week after the session my skin goes nuts, infections/weeping/flaking but it's pretty much clear within a week or two.
I've gone from shaving 3 times a day to once every 2nd or third day

Best wishes to you all

[DawnOday]

Try icing the area before plucking. It works on eyebrows and piercing your ears. Should deaden the pain pretty good.

[Ms Grace]

All I'll add is that my electrolysist told me not to pluck any facial hair because it apparently distorts the follicle shaft and makes electrolysis much more difficult and increases the likelihood of ingrown hairs.

That said, before I started electrolysis I did have my beard waxed a few times. Yes, it was painful!

[sparrow]

When I was starting to suffer a lot of dysphoria, I spent a few hours plucking my moustache out once, with tweezers.  Boy oh boy did the tears flow when I got up near my nostrils.  But then I found out about spring epilators.  I happened to be away on a trip and staying in a dorm room which had a spring-articulated lamp... I took a spring and went to town on the rest of my face (which is thankfully sparse) and in two days I cleared it all.  Much better than tweezers!  You can yank a couple dozen hairs out all at once, and it hurts a lot less (by which I mean, the pain of tearing multiples out isn't significantly worse than singles, so fewer pulls is a win).

I stopped epilating because I thought I'd be starting electrolysis soon.  I still think I'll start electrolysis soon.  But now I've got a job, so soon might actually be soon.

[Jayne]

All I'll add is that my electrolysist told me not to pluck any facial hair because it apparently distorts the follicle shaft and makes electrolysis much more difficult and increases the likelihood of ingrown hairs.

In the years since I started this topic I've been told that several times, plucking risks making things tricky in the future

[FrancisAnn]

If you must there is a hair removal system called "NuFree". it's like wax but so much better...., warm, apply, it opens the pores, hair comes out so easy.....You can buy a complete system direct. That's want professional salons use. For me I'll never do it again but if you must pull out hairs. It's also used to wax legs. I had that done a lot, it was great to have smooth legs during the simmer time.