Hello Mamas! Happy New Year! My sister, mother of 4 boys, is 44 and is suffering from Lupus. She has been taking Prednisone for more than 6 months as well as Methotrexate (sp?). I know there are a lot of side effects from prednisone, including facial hair so I am asking advice if anyone has dealt with faicial hair and has had any success in getting rid of it.
She has grown a mustache and has taken it off with Nair type products as well as the 'emory board' type where you literally rub it off. It has grown thicker and the rubbing hurts now so we are wondering if there is a better way. Also she has now grown sideburns down to her chin, this hair is soft but almost an inch long now and darker than the rest so it is starting to really show.
We talked about waxing, neither of us has done this before, my guess is you wax it off, then you have to wait for it to grow back before you do it again. Does anyone know how long it has to grow before next waxing, is it very noticeable in between waxings? Does it get any less thick with waxing or other treatmenets?
She does not have a lot of money so I don't think laser is an option, but we really bon't know how much it costs..
I've seen a commercial on TV for a product called 'No No Hair Removal'. I just googled it. Its around $200. It is supposed to be painless.
M.
I'm a stylist and my friend works in a laser hair therapy place so I know a little about this.
For one, the lasers are wonderful (though expensive and usually require more than one session), but it doesn't work as well on the lighter colored, downy-like soft hair. For that, like the hair on her side, or even the thicker upper lip and chain hair, I would use the simple hair removers, the kind that use to be 'as seen on tv' and now you can buy them at wal-mart, cvs, walgreens... they work really well and don't irritate the skin. They break a-lot, but are easy to replace, I can't remember what brand mine is, but this is basically what I'm talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/Finishing-Touch-Lumina-Lighted-Pivo...
As for waxing, you have to let it grow about 1/4 of an inch to be most effective, though you can go in before that. I personally can't handle to grow it out which is why I don't wax! But, it is true, the more you wax, the less your hair comes back as it actually damages the hair shaft (root of the hair follicle) which produces finer hair, and eventually none, but it does take a while, (as in months of doing it very regularly or even a few years).
I just got this before Christmas and WISH I had found it YEARS ago !!! Its well worth the $10 to $15 bucks. I got it at Walgreen's for $9.99. REALLY worth it. Took off my 'side burns', chin hair ....Every where you need it. It has a light on it and the tip moves at an angle. It's like a little 'buzzer' Not a Razor !!! I couldn't be more pleased (besides not finding it 10 years ago). I don't have the funds for anything else right now SO this is my new Hero! LOL
Good luck to your sister
Waxing HURTS... especially over the lip, many nerve centers are there.
I don't really have an answer about facial hair removal, it's to do with the actual diagnosis of Lupus. I have a friend who's daughter was diagnosed with Lupus when she was a teenager, she didn't want to use traditional (medical) treatments and opted for alternative/natural methods. She visited a kinesiologist by the name of Gene Fitzpatrick in Nashua, NH and received tremendous relief. I myself visited him for a minor medical issue and was dubious, believing he would tell me I needed to buy lots of expensive herbal/vitamin treatments. He actually told me how to solve my problem without having to buy anything!
Here's a link to a page that talks a bit more about him.
http://www.goodhealthinfo.net/herbalists/gene_fitzpatrick...
Maybe he can recommend someone in your area that could help your sister find relief without the nasty side effects.
Good luck!
I wax mine - and I dont have to wait for it to grow very long before I can do it again - I have tried bleaching, but you can still see the hairs - I am going down the laser hair removal road next as I am sick of it.
it does not get any less thick with waxing, it grows back the exact same!
I have seen home electrolysis products online for pretty cheap - you could try ebay?
I joke that having my son turned me into a man.
Waxing hurts less than taking off a bandaid, a LOT less than tweezing, and (after all the hairs are growing at the same time, which can take 2 or 3 sessions if you've been shaving/nairing/etc) leaves skin smooth, typically only needs to be done every 6-12 weeks (depending on how fast your hair grows) and the hairs come back in soft (as opposed to prickly).
In our area just a lip wax costs $15. Have her get it done by a professional for at LEAST 6mo, and then she can do her own waxing. Unless she has SUPER fine / easy hair avoid Nads or at home wax strips. TRUST me, have a salon do it for at least 6mo. The difference between someone who doe waxing 8 hours a day 5 days a week for YEARS (aka is really good at her job) and someone at a nail salon, or doing it at home is like the difference in that phenom school teacher versus the evil sub.
Personally I get my lip, chin, jawline, and brows done every 2 mo which costs $50 (my waxer cuts me a deal though after being with her 8 years). Even getting a "full face" only takes us 20 minutes. Lip alone takes about 2 minutes. Best money ever spent. It only needs to be about 1/8th an inch long for the wax to grab it UNLESS it's rough stubble, which needs to be about 1/4 of an inch long.
electrolisis is cheaper (it was like 12-25 each time i went in) it wasn't too bad but takes some time... make sure they are licensed
I got laser hair removal done on my chin about a month ago and it was $200. It was not in my budget but more self confidence is priceless! I have been so self conscious for many years and it got worse after I had my son. The process is quick (about 10-15 minutes for my chin). The dermatologist applys a topical anesthetic an hour before the procedure to help with the pain. She applied gel to my skin and rubbed a laser beam across my skin (similar to getting a sonogram done). The laser picks up the dark pigment of the hair and zaps the hair follicle; it kills the root so hair will NEVER grow back there again! Hairs have different life cycles so the doc is not able to get every hair in a single session so I plan to go back when I can afford it. As of now, my chin is smooth and hairless (although I see a few hairs now that hadn't grown in when I went for the appointment, but NOTHING like before)!!
