Okay this prolly isn't too much of a big deal since I don't get '5-o clock shadows", and my beard isn't fully developed- I can't grow a proper mustache, make a gottee, or do other types of styles that men do- I just have sideburns, hair on chins and on upper lip- so the lower cheek and the bottom lip are left.

Anyway it wasn't too bad- I'm really red right now though-applied a analgensic to skin and not going to use any facial creams for 48hrs.

I bought a fancy epilator- around $50 bucks since I need something long-lasting.- I did my arms, legs, chest(not much there) before.

anyway before I epilated my face- I shaved BUT I used a shaving cream which contained capsilow which is a hair retardant AND I actaully started noticing small little bald spots!- I also applied a cream containing soy after shaving. Now I'm on HRT so the bald spots could possibly be caused by a combination of both.

Anyway I'm not relaying on this as permanent hair removal- I went to a electrolist and I asked her what I could possibly do to hault by beard growth and make it a little weak since I can't do electro right now.

She said to start shaving with a cream containing capsilow, she recommend HRT to stop T from further developing the beard, and recommended a soy cream after shaving. Well her advice proved well- I noticed little bald spots and then she said after your hair becomes a bit weaker from before take an epilator and use it on your face religously- then after epilating 3 days later- take the shaving cream with capsilow and shave anyway- then apply the soy cream.- she recommended lots of moisturization to prevent dryness.

So far her advice seems to be working- now I'm starting to epilate!

She said that this will also make electro much more quicker, will cost you less since your hairs will be weakened and thus will most likely be removed easily.


So how painful has facial hair been for you ladies?
I heard some T's pluck for hrs?
I feel sympathy for you folks who prolly can't pluck since it's so thick and coarse?

PS- my advice, if your facial isn't very thick and is "pluckable"- do it! buy an epilator and do it, as this will make it softer!

Ouch! I know people who have done this. I tried it once and didn't last long. i also tried plucking for nine hours. I then got laser, and it has worked for me.

So, where'd you find this lotion, what is it called? I've heard of that stuff before, and I've been looking all over for something here with that stuff, but I can never find it. I don't have much hair, and I find that the HRT has really made my leg hair fine and cut down the rate of growth, however, if I don't have to shave as often, yayness!

I heard that St. Ives has a lotion, but I can't find it here anywhere (used to see it before, but now I can't find it... it might not be made anymore).


--natalie

Natalie to answer your question on a specific product containing capislow is Noxcema shave minimizing shave gel. Aveeno also has a shave minimizing shave gel (unknown ingredients) Aveeno also has a shave minimizing lotion containing soy and a whole bunch of other things(chemicals) so also does Jergens have a shave minimizing lotion and some other brands have both the shave creams and lotions which is advertised as shave minimizing or similar.
Rashelle

Hey Natalie, that's exactly what I used. Aveeno Shave Minimizing Lotion and Noxcema Shaving cream just as Rashelle mentioned.

For some people I think plucking won't work since the hair is just too thick- mine isn't fully developed so I'm gonna keep epilating till electro.

Well the redness thankfully went away overnight.
I epilated my legs too and the hair is coming out thin.

Electro was one of the most painful things I ever did.  I hated it.  I endured it though.  I felt that I had no choice.  I spent about 2.5 years doing it.

Cindi

The Noxzema minimizing gel works well.  It's what I use.  You can get it at Target really cheap, too.  We had a topic about it not long ago.

Kristi

Be careful with new lotions especially when put on the face so as not to cause irritation. Electro and laser have both been painful to me. In fact I used to comment that I was paying them to torture me, and I'm not a subby grrr. I actually preferred the physical pain of sticking a 90 lbs jackhammer in my foot to the pain of laying there for a couple hours at a shot as I was electrocuted, lol.
Rashelle

Awww, c'mon and admit it, electrical play is fun.

I hated my beard with the same passion many people hate their genitals. I tried every lotion, every coverup makeup, every shaving technique... and got to the point where I was obsessively DIGGING the razor into my bleeding skin to somehow try and remove the shadow.

I later began ripping it out with an epilator weekly for about a year. I've never experienced pain quite like that before. I'd get done, and stand there shaking... the endorphins making me giddy.

But the ingrowns and irritation looked worse than the shadow, so I eventually gave up. And a few years later, I lasered it off at last.

I still have a few greys left, so I actually still take that trusty old epilator to them now and then. But I literally mean just a couple hairs, so it's nothing, no pain. Some day soon they'll feel the jolt of an electrolysist's needle

~Kate~

Electrical play can be fun as long as I'm not on the receiving end of it, lol.

As far as hair removal goes I'm still working on it over a year after SRS. I'll get back to it as soon as I can afford to do so again.

Rashelle

I've been considering this until I am able to afford something permanent, but I'm afraid of the damage it might do.  I'm a wuss when it comes to pain, but it can't possibly be worse than the facial hair.

For me, shaving with a bladed razor leaves my face incredibly irritated so the red bumps end up worse than little hairs.  I've been using an electric razor that causes less irritation but between the bumps and the tiny hairs, it just doesn't do a good enough job   The worst part is that I end up plucking the most sensitive parts of my face so it's easier to shave around them, but when hairs do start to grow in around those areas it looks like I have tiny blotches of no hair...I'm a mess.  I have very seriously considered slowly plucking my whole face, but I live with my parents for the next several months until I can find a place, and they would wonder why I was spending the entire weekend in the bathroom...maybe more motivation to get out sooner.

What epilator are you using if you don't mind me asking?  Does anything make it hurt less?  I'm worried an epilator might make my face even worse than it gets with shaving because my skin is so sensitive, but I NEED to do something.  I'm not even trying to present myself as female yet, but my facial hair discourages me so much, I'll do anything to get rid of it.

Quote from: LostInTime on December 05, 2007, 11:22:38 AM
Awww, c'mon and admit it, electrical play is fun.

Ha, ha, I bet.  I might have guessed you would enjoy it

Steph

i've heard there are a number of really potent creams that can inhibit hair growth, but i was afraid i might get clumsy and accidentally get it on my scalp. i'm not putting any creams near my head. my facial hair is very distressing to me and sometimes i just wanna cry when i see it. but i won't use creams.

Arg! I work at a drug store (here in Canada) and I can't find this stuff anywhere. Although I found the Aveeno shaving stuff, but no lotion. I wonder if that ingredient isn't available in Canada?

Would never use one on my face but have used one every day for about 5 years.

I think the trick is to wax the very first time, then a 2 minute go-over each night before bed. I haven't had any pain since doing it, I've done my belly, legs & arms (stopping them last year) for no hair ever, my friends all comment on how I never have any hair ever.

My cousin is a waxer and she seems to think that waxing the face wouldn't hurt as much as people think. She says that she does a few guys and they seem fine.
I started Lazer years ago, about 2 years before HRT.

I tried it for a while, but in the end switched back to a razor. For me the problem wasn't the pain -- yes, there was some, but at least for me it was well within the manageable range. Ultimately, the result was not as satisfactory from my point of view. An epilator needs at least a millimetre or two of hair, so there was a sparse but constant stubble. Sparse enough to not look bad, but stubble enough to feel bad. Plucking worked better in that respect, but half an hour or more of tweezer-work per day gets tedious, and besides some spots are hard to see properly.

Pretty soon I switched to a routine where I'd epilate around Sunday night, shave a couple of times during the week, and let it grow for the next weekend. It worked, but eventually I decided that plain old shaving was still a better option for me.

  Nfr

Hi All,
  I have been using the 'Shave Minimizing lotions' for the past 5 yrs.  Jergen's no longer makes theirs!!  At least not here in the midwest USA.
  The Aveeno brand works just as well.  They a very expensive small bottle designed just for faces.  There is also a much larger, less expensive lotion for legs and arms.  I use the less expensive one on my face and beard.  It took about 4 weeks but at least now I don't have '5'O'Clock Shadow' 2 minutes after shaving!!
  I am one of those people that has a very dark heavy beard!  It goes along with literally wearing a 'hair suit' all the time.  (2 cans of VEET to remove it all for a 'Girl's Night Out!!) 
  Anyway....  I know it will lighten the beard shadow if you use it every day.  I tried skipping a weekend and it took 2 weeks to lighten my beard back up again.  So it is a temporary thing that needs to done EVERY day.
  Skin care is very important.  Growing up male we were never taught how important it is.  From personal experience it makes you look younger (Important after age 50...) keeps your skin softer and helps protect it from sun, wind and cold! 
  A dermatologist once told me  'Take care of your skin, it's the only one you will ever have!!
   Huggs,
  Lisa Elizabeth

I found the jergens one a few months ago but I don't remember what store I bought it in and preferred aveeno anyways.
Rashelle