Plucking, Epilating and Facial Hair

[Guest Amber90]

So I'm starting to consider taking this whole girl thing a little further than the present part time business which I presently dabble in. For years I thought I was simply part time, but as of recent, I've really started to consider going full time. Dressing once a week just doesn't feel like enough for me anymore and I really am starting to wish that I was a girl 24/7.

Naturally, I'm going to start seeing a gender therapist again, just to make sure that this really is the case, however in the mean time I'm quite keen to try and tame this horrific body hair of mine.

In the past I've been quite content with simply shaving it all off. A good hour in front of the mirror, followed by another hour of slapping half a bottle of make-up over my face and chest has usually done the trick for a fun night out on the town. But now I'm starting to really get uncomfortable with it's persistant presence in my life. In less than twelve hours, the hair is already poking visibibly through my foundation, plus the bleeding stubble is still visible on my legs and torso at all times; meaning that I always have to wear tights and sleeved dresses in order to get by without looking like a shaven chimp.

So anyhow, to begin my journey toward making more of an effort when it comes to having a smoother body, I've decided to start plucking and epilating.

Now, I've epilated once in the past, but what a nightmare that was. It took me about 5 hours, it was absolutely agonizing and there were countless hairs which the damn refused to capture. No matter how many times I went over my body, it would still miss those little blighters. So I gave up and went back to good old fashion shaving.

The epilator I used back then, however, was incredibly cheap and did receive some pretty naff reviews on Amazon. The bad reviews pretty much listed all the problems which I have just mentioned above. So to try and combat this, yesterday I purchased a £100 epilator off of Amazon instead. It arrives on Thursday afternoon, so I've yet to see whether it actually does the trick or not. The reviews on amazon have been all round positive; listing it as effective and surprisingly painless in comparison the other epilators (though I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not; considering how bad the first one was), fantastic at reaching all those sneaky little hairs, and incredibly easy going on the skin (bumps do supposedly appear at first, but subside considerably with each session). Sounds great, but is plucking/epilating really the right way to go about this?

You see, I've just spent the past three evenings plucking my facial hair. It has been one of the longest, most uncomfortable and frustrating experiences of recent times for me. I have only just finally managed to complete this process, and even now the results are not exactly fantastic. My skin is sore and spotty (though I imagine that my skin will adapt with time), it was highly painful in certain parts of my face (again, I believe this sensation will whither with time) and there are still many remaining hairs dotted about which managed to survive the incredibly lengthy procedure.

Have I set myself up for disappointment by purchasing this expensive product? Am I wasting my time by attempting to rip every hair out of my body and face? Are laser and electrolysis really the only ways that will give me good results? Or is this decision to purchase a pricey plucking machine really not a bad idea at all?

I'd love your thoughts on this. My body/facial hair is by far my least favourite part of my body. It's dark, thick and grows at a lightning pace. Even if I do decide not to go on hormones and go full time, the hair is something I want gone! I know epilators won't permantently remove the hair for good, but if it can give me wonderful results, weaking the hair growth and make the overall hair removal process easier, then I will be far more happier than the present situation (where I have to shave my entire body every single day if I want to go out dressed continuously).

(PS: I looked into laser hair removal the other day. It's just way too expensive for me. As for electrolysis, same goes there too. Both really are quite impractical and pricey to be honest, which is a damn shame).

[Guest Robin Winter]

I started epilating a little over 2 years ago, and I never looked back. It does get easier and less painful with time. My first epilator was a cheap one too, but it worked pretty well all things considered. I've since gotten a more expensive one, and it works better and is more comfortable to use. When it's time to retire this one, I'm splurging on a Braun Silk Epil, it's supposed to be the best and I've discovered that with epilators, you absolutely get what you pay for.

In my opinion, it's completely worth it. Even after more than 2 years of epilating and being on hormones, if I shave I still have all the same old problems with ingrown hairs and horrible itching and pain, so epilating is definitely the way to go.

[JenniferB]

Hi Amber,

Dark and thick isn't a bad thing. Laser treatment should work well on that. Laser works great on dark hair, but it is expensive.

Also if you decide you are going to take hormones, you would like find that your hair isn't as course, will become lighter, and won't grow as fast.

{{{Hugs}}}

Jenny

[Guest Amber90]

The brain silker epilation is the one that's on it's way to me right now. This makes me very happy now that you have also heard good reviews. Woohoo =D

Wish I could afford laser treatment, but it is just too expensive sadly. Hormones are something which I won't go on for some time. I want lots of therapy and plenty of time out dressed before making such a huge choice. As long as I can keep hair visibility down for less than 12 hours a time, then that will keep me happy in the mean time

xxxx

[Guest Robin Winter]

Epilating should keep you mostly clear for several days, and what grows back quickly shouldn't be that noticeable. Just keep in mind that when you first start epilating, the roots are still strong and you might break hairs off rather than pull them out. Use the slow setting on the epilator for the first few times until those roots weaken.

Also, if you get a cordless version, I still recommend keeping it plugged in, going cordless really effects the speed of it after a very short time, and full removal can take up to a few hours, even after you've had practice.

[Guest nomnomnom]

I pay $150 for 10 minute sessions with laser every 5-6 weeks, they go over my face, chest and belly button...and the place I go to is expensive, however I know their machine actually works.

So for $30 a week, I think it's good value, especially since I don't have to go much at all any more. $30 is the same as buying coffee each day for work. Shouldn't be hard to skimp on little things?