How do you get rid of beard/mustache shadow?

[Guest chibi_usa]

How do you get rid of beard/mustache shadow? It's kinda annoying lol. Other then HRT Which lessens it I know. ;P

[Guest Misaka]

Shave till you bleed then cover that crap up with an inch of foundation. No one must know my terrible secret.

In all seriousness though, get a good razor, and a good shaving cream and get really good at shaving. It seems like repetition is key, rather than "pressing down hard". Invest in a good moisturiser too because you're goi ng to be shaving more than anyone else on the planet and it will wreck your skin. Try using hot water vs cold water, see which gives the best results too. I'm not sure myself, people keep saying different things. My instinct would be to go for cold water for a closer shave but hot water for not damaging your skin. Maybe someone can correct me though.

If your skin gets really damaged too, give it a day or so to heal. It's going to be horrible to leave it and you wont be able to hide the hair, but if you're like me and have sensitive skin on your face, you'll get a rash if you overdo it, and then you'll do it more and you'll shave the top layer of skin off and it will burn like the fire of a thousand suns, and when it heals it will still be raised and you will shave it the next day and take it off again and again and again and it will scar.

In other news, I've seen those hair reduction creams that you're meant to apply like every day for 6 months or something before you see results, does anyone have experience with these? Do they work on your face?

[Guest JoannaSydney]

laser hair removel

[Cyndee]

I use covergirl, and dermablend foundations, in addition to HRT and electrolysis, it's quite a battle actually, getting there....

C -

[KathrynJulia]

Also plan on starting as soon as possible having either electrolysis or laser hair removal. It takes time to kill facial hair as it grows in different cycles. Both can be somewhat painful. Alright it hurts. My electrolysis appt is in an hour and I just took some pain meds prescribed by my doctor. There are a ton of posts on electrolysis and laser hair removal. I have to leave work now, but I would encourage you to read them. There is no easy way to kill facial hair permanently. But permanent facial hair removal is needed to help you pass. Beard shadow is a dead giveaway. Kathryn

[Guest MsPerseveres]

Hot water for shaving, always with shaving cream on the parts that you're shaving, and shave after your shower if you can. The hot water softens the hair and opens the pores, allowing for a closer shave. Also, get a high quality razor, either the old style safety razor that your dad and grandpa used in "olden" days or one of the 3 or 5 blade razors. Shave once down, re-apply shaving cream and shave up (against the grain). Rinse with warm/hot water, then use cold water to seal the pores and close off any small nicks. Use a clean towel to PAT your face dry (don't rub, you'll irritate the skin and open up any small cuts that the cold water closed). Take at least one day off from shaving per week, more than that if you do the double shave often through the week.

Of course, the REAL answer to your original question is laser/electrolysis :-). Can't wait to start that, and to get on HRT to suppress the growth...

Hugs, Brenda

[JenniferB]

If you are appying makeup, especially foundation, learn to use primers. Yellow primer under your foundation should hide black, blue, or purple. Using green primer should help get rid of excessive red. Once you understand how to use primers correctly, your face becomes a canvas and you can do a lot of magical things. For example using bronze correctly darkens areas where they aren't noticed so much, allowing the more feminine features to show through. Appying makeup to do what you want is an art. It takes practice to get good at it, but mastering it can help make a difference on how you are perceived.

Of course laser treatment and electrolysis will solve the hair problem. If you have darker hair I would look at laser. Each treatment is expensive, but less expensive overall. Full laser treatment for my full face and beard will cost about $160/session, whereas electrolysis costs $45/hour for a small area. Using thermalysis I know my upper lip can be completed in one hour. But in about 15 minutes my entire face and beard will be completed with laser. You have to grow your hair for at least two days for electrolysis. The electrologist needs to tweeze the hair after she electrofies it, while you have to shave before laser. Although laser treatment does look ugly with all the dead hairs on your face before they fall out. After one laser treatment, I found regrowth to substantial diminish, and therefore far fewer dead hairs after the next treatment.

One more thing. I may not like to use male anything, but for some reason I found male razors sharer and cheaper. I use a men's Shick Hydro 5 razor which I find much sharlper and longer lasting than the woman's Gillette Venus Embrace razor. There might be a better razor, but I haven't found one I like better yet.

Good Luck!

Love,

Jenny