Plucking Beard

[Adrian]

Michelle,

In general, plucking your beard is not advisable.

One reason is from the chance that it will damage your skin. When you pluck,
a certain percentage of hair will not get pulled out because it might snap
off below the surface of the skin. This leaves a jagged edge at the end of
the hair which may cause an ingrown hair. Considering how many hairs you
would have to pull on your face, you should expect lots of ingrowns.

If you do decide to pluck, it may take about a week or two before you see
the hair again. How long varies from person-to-person, but most people grow
about 0.3 – 0.4 mm of facial hair a day. You can guess how long it would
take for regrowth by plucking a few hairs to see how long they are under the
surface of the skin and then comparing the length to how much your beard
grows in a given day or two.

As far as how long it would take, that also varies between people. Some
people have a dense beard while others having thinner beards that do not
cover as much of the face. The average person has about 600 follicles per
square centimeter. Even if you are able to pull one hair per second, it
would take you 10 minutes per square centimeter. Considering how many square
centimeters of hair the average male has on thier neck and face, it would
take you many hours. Once you did, your face would be hamburger. You’d be
better off going to a salon and having your face waxed…

The best way to get rid of hair is electrolysis – but that is expensive,
time consuming, and permanent. You could go the laser route. Laser is not
“officially” permanent- but rather “hair reduction” – and unless you get
repeated treatments, the hair grows back after several weeks. One laser
treatment for your face and neck could cost you a few hundred dollars.

Hugs,

Jamie

Source: yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Passing

[Adrian]

Hi Michelle,

I’ve plucked my beard once. It’s very tedious, it took me about 12 hours divided
in two days. After the first hour I got used to the pain and was able to ignore
it (the upper lip is the most sensitive area).

The results were very good… while it lasted. I didn’t shave at all in two
weeks, but after the first week the roots started to grow hair again and gave me
a shadow that I just had to deal with. Because the hairs were not out yet I
couldn’t pluck them or shave, but the shadow was too evident, and the softness
was gone too.

Then, there were some ingrowns, but it was not a problem, because I was able to
detect them and correct the situation.

I would advise plucking if you are up and about for a photo session, with
close-ups of your face. That was the reason why I did it. Or if you’re going to
a very special event. Make sure you let all the hair grow for as long as you
can, several days if possible, so most of the hairs in your face are out. When
you pluck them out, do so using a gentle but firm pull, that way you get the
roots out.

I know I hadn’t feel my skin that soft and nice since I was a kid, so it was
very rewarding. The difference between plucking and shaving is like day and
night. It also helped me to psychologicaly deal with pain on my face, so when I
started electrolisis I was not in agony.

I don’t know if plucking would work as an everyday routine to keep your face
clear, I’ve read comments from people who have been doing it for years, but it
wouldn’t work for me. so it all depends if you just want to have your face clear
on ocassion, or if you are, or are planning on going full time.

One more thing: be aware of the clear, almost transparent hairs. They are hard
to see and there are more of those than what you may imagine.

Andrea.

Source: yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Passing

[Adrian]

Hello Michelle,

I have pulled out my beard for about 2 years and I have to continue to pull new
hair at least every other day. My beard grows fast, but it is at least “light”
and is not noticed quickly.

Source: yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Passing

[Alice]

Quote:

I was just wondering if anyone out there has ever plucked all their beard hair out… roots and all? How long did it take? How long did it last before the hair grew back? Any bad effects as a result of pulling out all that hair?

Pulling out a hair does not pull it out “roots and all”. That is (unfortunately) impossible.

Many years ago, I tweezed my face a few times. I subsequently bought an epilator and have used one on my face ever since. I’ve since bought another smaller one that I use for doing my eyebrows and a newer, more modern one that I now use for everywhere else: face, arms, underarms, belly, pubic hair and legs.

If you’re worried about the pain, start by getting it waxed a few times.

Alice

[Anonymous]

Just updating all on beard problems. I am currently getting my face lasered and after 4 treatments am very happy was slow at first. I was paying $220 a treatment and found a place that does it for $150. I am told that with my skin and dark hair could get about 90% permanent removal. I sadly have grey hairs starting and they may not be stopped but hey thats nothinh. It is expensive i know however as they say hair wont grow back you save in long run on cost of razors waxing etc.
Be warned it hurts a bit like beeing hit with the old elastic band however in my view is worth it in long run
cheers
JessicaDeanne

[Anonymous]

I plucked my beard out many times but have given up, its too much work, I get electrolosis now, I’m paying $70 for an hour in Sydney – does anyone know a cheaper place which is good? I have black and white hairs so laser will not get rid of them all…. electrolosis is very slow too so, it’s quite an ongoing problem for me…

[Anonymous]

Hi
Plucking sound like a lot of OUCH!! to me , perhaps a some of facial cleansing and moisturising might help has anyone tried or doing this to assist in the ouch factor and assist the removal of the roots?

Or perhaps preperation with a hot towel ? may help ??

I have also wondered has any one tried out the E-Pen as advertised on television ? approx $180 Or followed up witha har retardent. spray,as I have tried some cream hair removers that are said to have regrowth retartednt in them

[Anonymous]

Dear fellow TV’s and TS’s,

I have been getting laser hair removal the past 7 months for my

beard , so I have had a total of 4 treatments plus 3 touch ups. My

beard now only grows in very, very fine and also a couple shades lighter.

Occasionally there are a few (twenty hairs or so) that will grow in thick.

I have tweezed all of these hairs, and had success. Note, my success

is time taking, using different magnification mirrors and lighting, and

I combine bathing and or a facial polishing with some sort or soap or lotion

before or after the tweezing. I have also experimented with applying

stop hair and hair minimizing products after tweezing and the results are

hard get a conclusion on due to all of the different hair minimizing techniques I use.

[Alice]

Quote:

Plucking sound like a lot of OUCH!! to me

After a few times, you get used to it. It’s a lot like waxing or epiling legs, arms, armpits, belly, etc.

Quote:

perhaps a some of facial cleansing and moisturising might help has anyone tried or doing this to assist in the ouch factor and assist the removal of the roots?

Or perhaps preperation with a hot towel ? may help ??

From my experience, doing the whole lot over with tweezers the first time or two, then using an epilator works best. I believe that a hot towel is supposed to help with brows, so might also help when manually tweezing.

When using an epilator, you don’t want to apply any cream, etc beforehand, as this makes the hairs slippery and they pull but don’t pull out. It would probably double the time taken and double the pain! Whatever you apply will also end up all over the epilator.

Quote:

I have also wondered has any one tried out the E-Pen as advertised on television ? approx $180

I bought a cheap one of those years ago. I think that, after several minutes of use on each hair, the hair finally let go and came out. I don’t think that it prevented regrowth at all!

Quote:

Or followed up witha har retardent. spray,as I have tried some cream hair removers that are said to have regrowth retartednt in them

I have one here that I keep forgetting to use. It’s called “Hair Free Gel”, and is from “Laura Marx”. I think that it helps a bit, but it’s hard to judge its effect when the epilation is reducing the regrowth rate so much.

I tried the “Skin Doctors Dermacuticals” stuff and the hair remover didn’t work at all. Leaving it on longer to try to get it to work burnt the skin and still didn’t remove the hair. The growth retarder that came with it did work, but not as well at the Hair Free Gel. Their “Ingrow Go” stuff also burnt the skin so much that I couldn’t use it long enough to see if it worked.

I find that the Johnson and Johnson “Hair Minimising Body Lotion” works well for retarding regrowth on legs, etc but haven’t used it on my face.

Savlon is actually the best thing I’ve found for ingrown hairs!

[Alice]

Quote:

Savlon is actually the best thing I’ve found for ingrown hairs!

Well, I’ve now found better. Nad’s Ingrow Solution seems to be more effective after about a week than Savlon ever was!

I’ll try to remember to post another update in a few months time.

[Anonymous]

About four months ago i got a facial wax (which was a bit uncomfortable, yah) which was great for a few days but when it started to grow back i bought a good epilator (with little tweezers that spin around) and been epilating my face ever since. It aint perfect, but i’m sure that the hair that grows back is finer and sparser (thank goodness, cause epilating stings a bit too). I also use the epilator for (nearly) everywhere else, and i think that all over regrowth has got less too. I gotta tweeze the few it wont grab, but have had no ingrowns (i sorta scratchy the ones that look like they might turn ingrown), so, not perfect, but good enough for me.

[Alice]

Quote:

Nad’s Ingrow Solution seems to be more effective after about a week than Savlon ever was!

I’ll try to remember to post another update in a few months time.

Well, about another month or so later and I’ve just bought my 2nd bottle of Nad’s Ingrow Solution.

Works great.

I even got an androgynous friend of mine using it. He bought the green bottle like I have, and was given a bottle of the blue “for men” version for leaving positive feedback on their web site. He found that far less effective on the face but about the same everywhere else.

I think that I’ll stick with the green stuff.

Alice

[Anonymous]

Quote:

Quote:

Nad’s Ingrow Solution seems to be more effective after about a week than Savlon ever was!

I’ll try to remember to post another update in a few months time.

Well, about another month or so later and I’ve just bought my 2nd bottle of Nad’s Ingrow Solution.

Works great.

I even got an androgynous friend of mine using it. He bought the green bottle like I have, and was given a bottle of the blue “for men” version for leaving positive feedback on their web site. He found that far less effective on the face but about the same everywhere else.

I think that I’ll stick with the green stuff.

Alice

I Suffer from ingrown hairs and will be trying out the Nad’s Ingrow solution. Thanks Alicie

[Anonymous]

I find that the Johnson and Johnson “Hair Minimising Body Lotion” works well for retarding regrowth on legs, etc but haven’t used it on my face.

In regards to the above mentioned product , I have used it on my legs arms chest belly everywhere , but I haven’t seen it on the selves at the shops for such a long time , i may have write them an email and see if they still make it or if anybody knows where to get it from , please let me know , it’s a great product and saved me shaving every day, I could just start to feel a little bit of stubble after 3 days afterwards

[Anonymous]

Hi,

This may or not be of much help as im a bit different, things have worked for myself quite well, well as far as it goes,

Being I S has helped plus being on hormones & my age, 64 .

My body hair is about 8 % & growth rate is a lot slower, & being finer & whiter, so most of my body i epilate not my female parts or under my arms as theres no need so im left with my face, & even that is not a problem a very light shaveing in the morning is really all i need with the elc shaver, now many women are much the same tho dont need to every day of cause, Jos does her face as well.

Now i did try the lazer & found it did not work & i was not prepared to carry on & knew it was a waste of time & money.

as to pulling

the growth rate is different between summer & winter, & even if you did pull all the hairs you see, the next batch is allready growing & will appear soon after, & the next as well so no matter you think you got them all on the first pull so the reason for doing it every 4 – 5 weeks & they dont all grow at the same time,

& different parts of your body grow at different rates as well. plus we are all different,
any way for what its worth,

…noeleena…