Full-Time with Facial Hair - HELP PLEASE

[vicki_sixx]

Hi,

Please bear with me as I detail my situation, express my concerns, ask for your help and voice my suggestions.


Background
I started full-body laser hair removal last July. I thought I was so clever - getting a great deal and starting 6-12 months before I planned on going full-time. I knew I had white hair around my chin and knew I'd need elctrolysis. The shock I've had though is that as the laser is eating away at the dark hair I am now acutely aware of just how much white hair I actually have (either that or I've had a huge increase in white hair over the same time period).


Result
Only my moustache is white-free. My chin, underside of chin and neck are all white and it also stretches up my cheeks to my ear - though thankfully it's not in as great a number as my chin and neck. I've been having electrolysis twice a month for 3 months and was shocked to be told it will take circa 80 hours to do a once-over on my face (though I know I will need about three passes before the hair is no more). Not only was I aghast at the length of time it will take (I can only afford 2x a month) but also at the cost (70ph for (80x3)= £16800!).

This means being full-time whilst still shaving, something I thought I'd be avoiding. I can put off going full-time for a few months but not the years it will take for electrolysis to complete. My beard was never a fast grower anyway and, perversely, one of the benefits of laser - slowing hair growth - has now screwed me because it takes me twice as long to grow my beard. Which means it takes me 4 days to grow hair long enough for my elecrologist to do a decent job. 3 days and it's just a bit too short which she said slowed her down by at least 30% and thus is a false economy. So I'm now gonna have to have at least one part of my face growing hair for the majority of the week! The only good news is that for 2 of the 4 days, it's light stubble with no perceptible length so maybe there's some ultra-thick foundation that can help mask it?


Ideas
The best I can do is shave all hair except for a section for my electrologist and then apply some foundation to try and blend it in (it won't look convincing but its better than nothing) and should limit the risk of being identified as the Bearded Lady. Then:

Sideburns - wear a long wig to cover the unshaved section. As said, the foundation won't stand up to scrutiny but should help to disguise the stubble on the few occasions they get flashed from behind my wig.

Neck - I'm not too fussed about this area. I can wear turtle necks where possible or chokers to cover the unshav ed section of hair.

Underside of chin - Not much I can do here. I'll just have to not look up. At 5' 8" there's not going to be too many people who are so small as to see the underside of my chin.

Cheeks & chin - nothing I can do to hide these areas - no wig, necklace or clothing can be utilised - and as I said earlier, foundation may hide the hair for the first 2 days but not the final 2 days as it will be too long. All I can do is foundation the unshaved section and try my best to cover with my hand or turn away when people pass by. What else can I do other than time it to coincide with my days off and just hide at home?'

Any other suggestions are most welcome. Eg: when the hair starts to get length can I somehow flatten it out and stick it down to my face and then foundation over this newly-smoothed area?


Despairing Vicki

[Michelle_P]

Alas, I was thrown into full-time after only around 30 hours of electrolysis, basically first pass clearing done from the lower lip to chin, and that was about it.

I set up all my appointments on Mondays, and my last shave is Friday morning.  I have short stubble on Saturday, just enough to roughen the skin to the touch, and visible stubble on Sunday.  Monday, well, the only person who will see my is my electrologist. 

My hair styles generally cover the cheeks and the rear portion of the jawline. OK, not great.

I've also gotten familiar with Ben Nye concealer, the Cover All SK-1 four color wheel.  I actually use 3 of the 4 colors for my skin tones.  I brush this stuff lightly so it colors the hairs and makes them a little less obvious.  I apply my foundation (Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage) with a stippling brush and it adheres well to the hairs coated with the concealer.  This gives me skin-colored hair, which passes casual glances at a few feet.  I'll build my daily look on top of this.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,217010.msg1921004.html#msg1921004

I do pretty much anything on Saturday, on Sunday I'm with a pretty accepting crowd at a Unitarian Universalist church, or at home.  Monday morning I head out for electrolysis.

My electrologist has concentrated on clearing the dark hairs in the beard and mustache area that are visible with my hair in place.  That pretty quickly got me just gray hairs that were easier to hide.  She's been working on clearing the upper lip and keeping the lower lip to chin area cleared, and expanding the cleared area to the sides and below the chin.  After 51 hours, the mustache is gone except for some immature hairs jut waking up.  The lower lip to chin stays clear.  The beard is gone out to roughly an inch on each side of the mouth corners and almost an inch below the chin. The new longer straight hair wig almost completely hides the remaining hair.

I never did try just growing out a small area, preferring to give the electrologist carte blanc to go after whatever seemed to be most visible.  Sometimes she'd zap all the new dark hairs.  Sometimes she'd work on growing out the cleared areas and re-clearing new growth in those areas.  We've been hitting the upper lip pretty heavily recently.

So, wigs, makeup, and controlling where I'm seen when it gets obvious are how I handled this.  Not fun, but it is temporary.


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[vicki_sixx]

Thanks for your input. Unfortunately, apart from the Ben Nye that I can check out, most of what you describe won't apply to me. Lucky for you your beard grows faster than mine so you only have to suffer one day of noticeable growth. I can't let not shave. I may leave a larger section to give her some degree of freedom but I'm definitely be shaving most of the hair. The downside is that I get shaving rashes if I shave too often

Is there a product to flatten out an stick down my stubble so I can foundation over it?
Is there extra-thick foundation that will help with the longer growth?

[Brooke]

In regards to makeup and going full time while getting electrolysis I would suggest using an airbrush makeup system.

The pressure of the air along with the airbrush makeup (2-3 drops of primer, 3-4 of foundation) mattes the hair down, covers the hair and face well and doesn't give you a caked on/heavy makeup look.

It does take practice but it's been a game changer for me. I was in the same boat, and I still go 2x/month. Those last 4 days would have been impossible without the airbrush.

Also very easy to color correct dark hair area.

Use primer, let dry (45 sec) add some red in, blush, eye shadow etc) put foundation on top.

Also very breathable!


Hugs,
~Brooke~

[PrincessCrystal]

What I find to be the biggest problem is the darkened area under the skin when shaving.  I can live with the light hairs, because if you shave close, they go away.  They may turn dark later, but hey, laser works on darkening hair, and it's quicker and cheaper than electrolysis.

I suggest you see how much you can live with for now...

[flytrap]

TONS of women have beards. It's why they developed electrolysis in the first place. You've got a big advantage over the rest of us since yours is gray/white and it grows slow so you won't get a 5 o'clock shadow. There's a good chance estrogen will make alot of your body hair fall out, but I'm thinking this is a good thing not bad?!?

[DawnOday]

Hi,

Please bear with me as I detail my situation, express my concerns, ask for your help and voice my suggestions.


Background
The best I can do is shave all hair except for a section for my electrologist and then apply some foundation to try and blend it in (it won't look convincing but its better than nothing) and should limit the risk of being identified as the Bearded Lady. Then:

Sideburns - wear a long wig to cover the unshaved section. As said, the foundation won't stand up to scrutiny but should help to disguise the stubble on the few occasions they get flashed from behind my wig.

Neck - I'm not too fussed about this area. I can wear turtle necks where possible or chokers to cover the unshav ed section of hair.

Underside of chin - Not much I can do here. I'll just have to not look up. At 5' 8" there's not going to be too many people who are so small as to see the underside of my chin.

Cheeks & chin - nothing I can do to hide these areas - no wig, necklace or clothing can be utilised - and as I said earlier, foundation may hide the hair for the first 2 days but not the final 2 days as it will be too long. All I can do is foundation the unshaved section and try my best to cover with my hand or turn away when people pass by. What else can I do other than time it to coincide with my days off and just hide at home?'

Any other suggestions are most welcome. Eg: when the hair starts to get length can I somehow flatten it out and stick it down to my face and then foundation over this newly-smoothed area?


Despairing Vicki

The #1 secret to concealing a beard shadow is to use a color corrector. By neutralizing the bluish tint of the beard shadow, you can achieve a natural look with less makeup.

Choose your color corrector based on your skin tone:

Use a pink color corrector if you have a light skin tone.
Use a red color corrector if you have a darker skin tone.
While your best bet is to use a color corrector specifically formulated for the face, another option is to use a matte pink or red lipstick.

[vicki_sixx]

TONS of women have beards. It's why they developed electrolysis in the first place.

Tons? That's like saying tons of women suffer from hair loss. Just because enough do doesn't make it the norm. It's not feminine and they're in the minority. Also there's a difference between the facial hair women get, or wanting an end to leg waxing, and sporting the thousands of thick hairs men have on their boat race.

My male friend is insecure about his height - he's 5' 4" - telling him there's loads of short guys in the world doesn't alter the fact he's been short-changed (no pun intended) or make him feel better.

You've got a big advantage over the rest of us since yours is gray/white and it grows slow so you won't get a 5 o'clock shadow.

Granted, I don't get shadow and once clean shaven I'll stay baby smooth for the rest of the day but I also suffer from shaing rash - which is the main reason why I used to shave just once a week. Believe me, I don't see it as an advantage. I'd rather it grew fast which means I'd only have to be unshaven for a day as opposed to four.

There's a good chance estrogen will make alot of your body hair fall out, but I'm thinking this is a good thing not bad?!?

But oestrogen doesn't make facial hair fall out

[vicki_sixx]

The #1 secret to concealing a beard shadow is to use a color corrector.

Thanks but this isn't a solution. It's great to neutralises the colour of shadow but is useless for hair that's visibly growing out of and away from the face - hair which needs to be long enough for an easy and firm grip with tweezers. I'll still look like a bearded lady. Or a werewolf.

In regards to makeup and going full time while getting electrolysis I would suggest using an airbrush makeup system.

This could be viable if it really does matt the hair down and makes it smooth and invisible. The fact it doesn't apply a thick finish makes me wary. Is it hard to get to grips with?

[Selenakyle]

What about covering the hairs with spirit gum or a glue stick the way you would eyebrows?  I'm not sure if it will work on beards, but if you google "eyebrow cover tutorial" you'll get a number of options on how to cover brows, which may work for beard hair.

[Michelle_P]

I'll still look like a bearded lady. Or a werewolf.

Which is why I moved to 4 hours of electrolysis on my future appointments.  I'll do 2 hours, a lunch break, and another 2 hours.  I WANT IT GONE!

I don't know of a magic potion to make all my stiff old bristles lie flat and disappear.  Flesh-tinted Brillo pad is about the best I can do.  My Sunday going-to-church look. /P

Spirit gum or gluestick on eyebrows?  Ow!  Get some makeup wax, please!  That works OK for little areas like the eyebrows, maybe 1 square inch, but 30 square inches of cheek and sideburn space? And then unclogging all those follicles a day later for electrolysis?  Ow.

(Makeup wax is really neat stuff, though.  Bam!  Vulcan eyebrows, or traditional Trek bumpy foreheads are easy...)

[Randi]

There are some electrologists who use two operators and anesthetic to do a full face clearing in a single day.  You would need about four visits in the next year to get the hairs that arrive at different times.

Electrology 3000 in the Dallas area is one.  There must be at least several more.  I think there is an electrologist associated with Christine McGinn.

[vicki_sixx]

Which is why I moved to 4 hours of electrolysis on my future appointments.  I'll do 2 hours, a lunch break, and another 2 hours.  I WANT IT GONE!

If I had the money. Which is a helluva lot of money, by the way.

Flesh-tinted Brillo pad is about the best I can do

LOL yeah.

That works OK for little areas like the eyebrows, maybe 1 square inch, but 30 square inches of cheek and sideburn space?

That could work, maybe, as I'll only have a small section of hair to cover (that's the plan, anyway).

There are some electrologists who use two operators and anesthetic to do a full face clearing in a single day.  You would need about four visits in the next year to get the hairs that arrive at different times.

Thanks but if I need 80 hours then not even two operators can do that in a day.

Is anyone suffering the same as me - electrolysis on an almost whole beard from the bottom lip down and a fair bit in the sides?

[vicki_sixx]

There are some electrologists who use two operators and anesthetic to do a full face clearing in a single day.  You would need about four visits in the next year to get the hairs that arrive at different times.

Thanks but if I need 80 hours then not even two operators can clear my face in a day.
I bet there's nothing like these guys in the UK, bloody typical!

[Randi]

Facial hair grows in cycles, so if your face is totally cleared, there will be another group of hairs that start a growth cycle a few months later.  That's why at least four visits are required at Electrology 3000.

If you are only doing a few hours a week, then the 80 hours will encompass all the growth cycles. 

Thanks but if I need 80 hours then not even two operators can clear my face in a day.
I bet there's nothing like these guys in the UK, bloody typical!

[vicki_sixx]

Are you saying that 80 hours treatment is to be hair-free for good? That it includes the repeated treatment of the same hair follicles? If so then that is wonderful news but I won't get too excited untill you confirm it. I did stress, when I asked my electrologist, how many hours would be needed to blitz my entire face just once - hence I took her answer of 80 hours to be just one session per follicle and that I'm be looking at 240+ sessions. Which of course is the GDP of your average South American country.

[flytrap]

I am thinking my post offended you, vicki_sixx. If so, I apologize.

Please try to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Some people have nothing at all.

[vicki_sixx]

I am thinking my post offended you, vicki_sixx. If so, I apologize.

No you didn't. Worry not.

Please try to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Some people have nothing at all.

I'll try.

[Michelle_P]

Alas, yes, electrolysis takes many hours.  I've got 53 in, upper lip has been cleared except for the inevitable bumper crop that is waking up, lower lip to chin and an inch past the corners of the mouth is pretty much clear.  I expect another 100 hours or so, as I have a relatively light and 'easy to work on' beard.  So, yeah, 150 hours at $70 US an hour (cheap!), or $10,500.  It is my biggest monthly expense after rent.


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[Randi]

Just Google "electrology 3000" and read their web page.  I've never been there. I know people who have it completed after four visits.  The first visit could be pretty intense, lasting all day even with two operators.

You should never have to repeat the treatment on the same follicle.

Are you saying that 80 hours treatment is to be hair-free for good? That it includes the repeated treatment of the same hair follicles? If so then that is wonderful news but I won't get too excited untill you confirm it. I did stress, when I asked my electrologist, how many hours would be needed to blitz my entire face just once - hence I took her answer of 80 hours to be just one session per follicle and that I'm be looking at 240+ sessions. Which of course is the GDP of your average South American country.