i've been officially diagnosed with PCOS for about 3 years, but ive known for many years before that. the one symptom that just kills me is the facial hair. ive been growing hairs on my neck since i was 13 (im 21 going on 22 now). In the 9th grade i started using nads but... yeah so since the 10th grade ive been shaving. for about the last 4 years i have to shave daily or i have a very noticeable beard.
all these years of shaving has taken a toll on my face and neck. im black, and im wondering if this has anything to do with how bad my neck and chest looks. my neck is very dark and bumpy and chest is just bumpy
has anyone else dealt with ruined skin? is there a way to restore my skin to its prepubescent glory? i find myself staring at other girls' necks all the time!
welcome to sc ive been shaving for years, too. I always put on loads of moisturiser . Do you have any meds?? i have spiro which helps with the hair.
eva
The darkness isn't from the shaving. My dermatologist explained that it's from (I think) collagen concentrated around the hair (or something like that). Some of the darkness is also hair trapped under the skin.
The Rx cream Tri-Luma will help clear up some of the darkness. Also, if laser is in your budget, it will do WONDERS for your skin and your spirits.
for about the last 4 years i have to shave daily or i have a very noticeable beard.
all these years of shaving has taken a toll on my face and neck. im black, and im wondering if this has anything to do with how bad my neck and chest looks. my neck is very dark and bumpy and chest is just bumpy
has anyone else dealt with ruined skin? is there a way to restore my skin to its prepubescent glory? i find myself staring at other girls' necks all the time!
Don't stare at other girls' necks -- with PCOS beard growth our skin is more like a guy's than like a girl's. Try shaving with a Philips Norelco electric razor from the men's range -- it's the least irritant way of removing hair.
I wouldn't say it has ruined it... but it hasn't done it much good either. I waxed and plucked for a long time before shaving, and had better results with the others. Like you, it makes my skin irritated and bumpy, and also gives a darker cast to it in areas where there is more hair. I can cover the darker areas with makeup, but I reallly don't like wearing that much concealor. I've tried both regular razors, and my hubby's electric. The bumps and discoloration are there either way.
I only started shaving so I could do laser, and I have got to give a huge thumbs up to laser removal. I've had 2 treatments so far and can already tell a huge difference in the amount of hair, and the texture of the hair. The hair that is growing in now is much finer.
I have to remove less often now, so the skin is improving from the shaving damage.
I'm not black, but I get a 'shadow' where I shave (with the Norelco shaver). I hate it and wish I could afford laser. I wonder if there is any kind of lightening cream for white skin?
I understand your statement as far as looking at other females LACK of hair. Its easy to say not to look at them - hard to do!! The fact is yes, we have male hormones, but of course we are FEMALES and want to look/feel like it.
I agree with all who said to look into laser. It cost me $1000 for 6 treatments, broken down over about 9 months. So if you can work it into your budget, I highly recommend it. It has done wonders for my self-esteem. I too suffered from those neck/chin/upper lip hairs and they were black and course!!
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NICKY(25)
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I wonder if there is any kind of lightening cream for white skin?
Yep. Just ask your dermatologist. My guess is that the products are the same. Here's what I use, and there are all races pictured at the site: http://www.triluma.com/index.cfm
My insurance didn't cover the cost of Tri-Luma ('cosmetic'), and it was EXPENSIVE. For that money, you could have TWO facial laser sessions (which would help a lot to slow the growth down, and thin out the other hairs.)
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OK I actually priced out Laser removal just now, and I can get 5 sessions of chin-only for $450! Lip and chin is more, but my lip is not very bad. I will have to talk to DH about this and see if we can fit it in. If I understand it right, you only need like one treatment per month, and they were something like $100 each.
OK I actually priced out Laser removal just now, and I can get 5 sessions of chin-only for $450! Lip and chin is more, but my lip is not very bad. I will have to talk to DH about this and see if we can fit it in. If I understand it right, you only need like one treatment per month, and they were something like $100 each.
Your sessions are typically once every 6 weeks. Everyone is different, and each area of the body is different, so you might not even need 5 sessions...
Even within a week or two after the 1st session you will be THRILLED with the reduction in hair. By the 2nd or 3rd session the results will be DRAMATIC.
Literally dramatic...
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Mine were 6 weeks apart. Just do your research, successful laser hair removal also has a lot to do with the laser and person doing it.
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i have been on only bcp yasmine and yaz as far as getting my hormones together.. i recently (two weeks ago) just took myself off of yaz because its expensive and its not the way i want to treat my pcos..
as far as the laser treatments.. i understand they are expensive, but how long does it last? will i need to keep doing it forever to keep the results up?
as far as the laser treatments.. i understand they are expensive, but how long does it last? will i need to keep doing it forever to keep the results up?
Laser is much less expensive than it used to be.
The result will vary from woman to woman, but after your full cycle of treatments, you might only need a touch up once every few years. During that time you should work to get your androgens under control.
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I dealt with "beard" growth for close to 6-7 years by plucking every.single.day & then shaving to make sure there was no sign of stubble. My skin was in really bad shape. Between dark patches that formed (looked like 5 o'clock shadow) and the texture of my face I was mortified. I wouldn't leave my house without full war paint even if it was a quick run to the market, I was just so self conscious. As a single dating woman I panicked that any new guy in my life would be repulsed by it.
So I digress...I finally had enough & looked into laser hair removal. It was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Not only did it take care of the hair growth, but my skin is so much healthier. The texture is smooth & the dark spots are gone.
I used to need to use lots of moisturizer & then spackle on the Dermablend (I highly recommend for cover up) every day, sometimes with a mid-day touch up. Now I only need to use Bare Escentuals.
I can relate to the staring- I do the same thing, and I stare at peoples' hairlines, too. It's so hard not to!
My skin is definitely roughed up from shaving and plucking. I have a little scarring around my chin and jaw from plucking daily. I'm white, and the scars and darkened patches are pretty noticeable, especially when I get ingrown hairs in that area.
My lower abdomen skin used to be really damaged from shaving and plucking, but now that I epilate it, it looks smooth and blemish-free. May that give you hope, if you find a good facial hair removal remedy!
__________________ 24 yrs old
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Has shaving ruined your skin? 
ive been shaving for years, too. I always put on loads of moisturiser . Do you have any meds?? i have spiro which helps with the hair.
