Looking like a yeti

[Tara.S]

Hello,

As a hairy person (was hard to admit to myself at first), I face this daily disgust of myself for I take my hygiene seriously. Since i live in a society that sees hair suitable for males but not females, I’m obliged to keep my hair till I transition. 

Is wax my best option or laser? I also read about using makeup to hide the shadow of facial hair.

A big thank you for any help or advice ^~^

[JustineM]

I’m right there with you. I’m fairly hairy myself and have been using an electric razor to keep it somewhat under control. I have tried waxing and while the results weren’t bad it was quite painful. As far as the makeup I use primer, color corrector (a pink/orange) foundation and then set powder.  There are several good YouTube videos on covering beard shadow. Best of luck to you

[Jackie C.]

Electrolysis is the best option. It's permanent. However, it's slow and expensive.

 

With laser, the hair eventually grows back. Less expensive and faster than electrolysis.

 

With waxing it grows back faster. Less expensive than the laser though.

 

So it depends on your resources and your goals really.

 

Hugs!

[Tori M]

2 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

Electrolysis is the best option. It's permanent. However, it's slow and expensive.

 

With laser, the hair eventually grows back. Less expensive and faster than electrolysis.

 

With waxing it grows back faster. Less expensive than the laser though.

 

So it depends on your resources and your goals really.

 

Hugs!

 

And then there's plucking.  It's virtually free but a very very slow process.  I'm probably the only person who does this but I haven't shaved in about 18 years now and I have very little facial hair left.  I am fortunate in having little body hair and [had] soft, medium textured facial hair.  For coarse hair, this might be much harder.  When I decided to transition there was no budget for electrolysis.  Plucking was painful (and sometimes tearful) at first and took a few hours over 3-4 days to pull them all the first time.  I also used a prescription product called Vaniqa to slow regrowth (it works, btw).  In the first month there was a few times I wanted to quit, but I had the one thing needed to do this: time.  And I was liking the results.  The hair was finer and grew back slower and slower. There wasn't much pain anymore and I was getting really good at it.

After a couple of years (yea, yea, I can hear the moans, lol), I was no longer using the Vaniqa, I had a lot less hair and it took a week or two for any given hair to regrow.  Fast forward to today, most of my face and neck is now hair free except for the occasional stray.  I'm still working on the upper lip and the small area between the lip and chin.  My plucking routine takes about 2 hours a week.  Pores (follicles) have completely shrunken in the cleared areas.  My skin looks like the average woman's at my age.  At this point, electrolysis would be fairly pointless.  In total hours over the years, I've probably clocked several times what electrolysis would take, but if you have lots of time and no money, you do what you have to do.  Ironically, I still have to shave my arms.

So, there's an alternative solution for the face that no one will try, lol. 

[ToniTone]

I've plucked all my face/body hair my whole life up until this past year. It was my preferred method because I hate shaving, I hate the stubble from shaving, and the results last longer (like almost a week if doing it regularly). I still pluck on alternate to shaving and nair, to try to slow growth. It takes SO LONG though (like a whole night of nonstop plucking). And it chafe my fingers raw. There's also the risk of getting infected ingrown hairs. Keep your hands and tweezers clean and sanitized.

 

But then I tried chemical depilatory creams (Nair) last year for body hair (do NOT use on face or near nipples or on genitals), and it's my goto for body hair now. It has the advantages of epilating, but is so much quicker. Only thing is you need to time how long you leave it on just right. Too little time it won't work, too long and you'll chemical burn your skin BAD! It's a very narrow window of the ideal time (like 3-6 minutes, about ~4 1/2 minutes). Sequence the order you apply it and wipe it off, first on-first off. I start with my ankles and feet, then belly/outer pubic area, hands/forearms, lastly thighs and armpits (which I skip sometimes because if European women can have armpit hair, so can I, lol!). CAUTION: risk of burns, use it own discretion and follow directions if you do! 

 

For my face, I plucked my whole life up until last year. I started laser hair removal (which I had to discontinue because of covid), which requires you to shave before you go in to do. And once I started shaving for that first session, I was hooked on how much faster it is than plucking. I like electric shavers because it's quicker and it's very unlikely you'll cut yourself. But mine is broke so I use safety razors for now. Safety razors are nice because you can get a clean close shave that lasts a little longer through the day. It sucks because it feels like such a manly ritual, but one that's necessary for smoothness. Fem it up and own it-after a shower, in a cute outfit or robe and comfy slippers, play some relaxing music, light some candles. 

 

~Toni