Facial hair - hormonal imbalance or something else?

Jessica Perez93...so what's actually the deal with waxing versus tweezing?
I always just figured the whole point was that you can basically rip out a huge area all at once with wax🙂

Believe it or not, plucking hair with tweezers can actually be a primary trigger for folliculitis.

Does anyone here actually bother to disinfect their hands, the tweezers, and the skin before they start plucking?

An open pore left behind after pulling a hair is basically an open invitation for bacteria to move in.

Jessica Perez93 said:I know some are going to disappear. I’m saying you shouldn't pluck them because it just makes more of them grow back.

Seriously, honey, who on earth told you that? 😁

Come on, please, I mean, you actually took biology in high school, right? A person is born with a set number of follicles, and hair grows from EVERY single one of them—it's just variations in color, thickness, and length.

Paul Clark said:Hair loss can happen for literally a billion different reasons.
Someone already hit the nail on the head when they said just go see a primary care doctor and let them handle the referrals.🙂

Honestly, thanks for enlightening me with all that wisdom; I'm just speechless.🙏

restlessmarlin6 said:Honestly, you've enlightened me with all that brilliance; I'm practically speechless. 🙏

😎 😎 😎

What the hell is folliculitis anyway?

That’s just that nasty bullshit where a hair gets trapped under the skin or bacteria invades the follicle.

restlessmarlin6 said:Who told you that, Grandma? 😁

Come on, I'm pretty sure you had biology class back in the day. Everyone is born with a set number of follicles, and hair grows from every single one—it’s just variations in color, thickness, and length.

I'm just telling you what I KNOW. If you want to laugh it off, that's on you.

At the end of the day, I don't really care. Do whatever you want.

Jessica Perez93 said:Look, I’m just telling you what I KNOW. If you want to laugh it off, fine, that’s on you.

At the end of the day, I don't really care. Do whatever you want.

I honestly wasn't trying to mock you, and I'm sorry if that's how it came across. 🙂

Believe me, I wouldn't be posting about things unless I've actually dealt with them firsthand.

Tweezers, wax, those Epilady gadgets... they're total lifesavers until I can finally afford laser treatment. 😁

Betty Rivera14 said:That’s just that annoying pimple crap you get when a hair gets trapped under the skin or some bacteria manages to sneak its way into the follicle.

I mean, I used to deal with those mild versions all the time regardless of how I shaved—it wasn't just from using tweezers—and honestly, it still pops up every now and then.
But hey, I guess I'd rather deal with a little breakout than a massive abscess. 🙂

Just some stupid pimple that ends up needing a full-on surgical procedure with needles and tweezers. At least now I actually know what it's called.

Look, that’s really not even the worst thing that could happen to you 😁

So, I’ve been doing a bit of deep diving on Google and listening to what everyone else is saying, and honestly? It looks like I most likely have PCOS. I’m checking off pretty much every single symptom on the list. I don't want to jump to conclusions or be dramatic, but it’s pretty obvious at this point. 😢
The thing is, every girl I talk to says they’ve been battling this stuff for years. Is it actually true that you can't ever really "fix" it?
And from what I gather, most doctors just throw Diane35 at you—which, by the way, I heard is actually banned in some places! Is there any truth to that? If it’s actually dangerous, why on earth are people still being prescribed it? 😕
Please, for the love of God, tell me everything you know about this and what the best way to manage it is. 😢
I’ve also heard that you basically have to overhaul your entire diet and lifestyle to get a handle on it. Ugh, I am totally spiraling right now. I finally managed to snag an appointment with my OBGYN for next week, so fingers crossed.
😢

So, did your gynecologist go over everything with you? 🙂

And seriously, JUST DON'T PANIC, okay? That’s really all I'm saying.

I mean, one in five women deals with this exact thing; it's honestly not even close to being something that ruins your life.
Don't go down a rabbit hole reading random stuff on the internet. If your doctor says you actually have this disorder, they'll just put you on some medication—maybe Diane or something similar—and then it's handled.

The human body (especially when you're young) is incredibly resilient, so all this dramatic worrying is just way over the top.

Don't sweat it, everything is going to be fine. 👋

restlessmarlin6 said:Your OBGYN already gave you the full rundown.🙂
Just... don't panic. That's really all.

One in five women deals with this—it’s nothing you can’t manage.
Stop doom-scrolling online. If there's an actual imbalance, they'll put you on some medication—maybe Diane or something similar—and that's that.

The body—especially when you're young—is resilient. All the drama is a bit much...

Don't sweat it, things will be fine.
👋

If everything is actually what you think it is, then you aren't dealing with a hormonal imbalance.
Look, being optimistic is good—staying positive helps—but let's not run from reality.
About seven years ago, I thought the same thing. It was no big deal, so I started taking Diane. I kept telling myself since I was young, everything would just work itself out.
Now I'm turning 25, and looking back at when I started treatment... honestly, it feels like I haven't made any progress. If anything, things got worse.
A hormonal imbalance is serious. Sure, you can live with it, but it isn't as simple as people make it sound.
Three years ago, I switched to a different prescription—way stronger, maybe the highest hormone concentration available—but it didn't help one bit.
Hormonal issues hit you everywhere: mood swings, irritability, crying for no reason, brain fog, night sweats, hair loss, hirsutism... not to mention fertility struggles.
For me, the hair loss was unbelievable—and unfortunately, it hasn't stopped. Some women stay perfectly fine through this, so we shouldn't kid ourselves thinking this is just a "phase." A phase doesn't last years.
And if I don't take the pills, my period doesn't show up. So, I have to take them, even if I'm not thrilled about it.
Living with a hormonal imbalance is hard because, frankly, I don't feel like a functioning human most days.
Kudos to anyone who handles this better than I do.
I really hope the girl who posted this doesn't actually have an imbalance, though everything points to it. Maybe her testosterone levels aren't high enough to be "that" bad, which would be a relief. Regardless, go see an OBGYN, get the bloodwork done, and be persistent. Wishing everyone fighting this the best.👋

I’ve still got my period and I’m definitely not on the pill, which is honestly the one little thing keeping me sane right now—even if my cycle is a total mess. It runs about 40 days long, and sometimes it decides to just show up a whole week late for no reason at all.😢

Plus, I’ve been dealing with some spotting this month, and I am absolutely refusing to spiral into a depressive funk over it! I’m just trying to stay positive, though I have this sinking feeling in my gut about what my OB-GYN is going to tell me. Ugh, seriously...🙂

Lisa Barrett22 said:I’ve still got my period and I’m not on the pill—so there's some comfort in that (even if my cycle is pretty long, like 40 days, and sometimes runs a week late) 😢

And since I'm dealing with breakouts this month, I really can't afford to spiral into a depression right now! Hopefully, it won't be too bad when I finally hear what the gynecologist has to say. Fingers crossed... 🙂

It sounds like things aren't actually that dire for you. I haven't had a period in months.
Honestly, I don't think your situation compares to mine, so try not to worry too much. Besides, your doctor will give you the full rundown. It's just a shame how many OB-GYNs here don't take PCOS seriously—they just throw Diane at you without even bothering to run a full hormonal panel first.
Get the testing done first, then let them figure out the right treatment plan for you. Good luck!🙂

Can someone please explain what actually happens during those hormone panels? Is it just a standard blood draw? If you don't want to get into it here, feel free to just shoot me a DM.
I really want to see my actual hormone levels and get the full picture before I even think about starting any kind of therapy. Can I just ask my doctor to run those tests first? 😢

Laura Jackson said:It’s exactly like you think. Clearly, you don't have any issues with hormonal imbalances.

I’ve been on Dianama for seven years now.
And honestly, I feel amazing.
I’ll keep taking them until I decide to get pregnant. So what? Am I supposed to just sit here and complain about it?

At the end of the day, all that matters is how you feel, and that's really it. 🙂

Laura Jackson said:I'm turning 25 soon, and looking back at when I first started treatment, it feels like I haven't moved an inch toward getting better—if anything, things have just gone downhill.
Hormonal imbalances are a massive deal. Sure, you can live with them, but it’s definitely not as easy as people make it out to be.
For instance, about three years ago, I was put on a new prescription—way stronger pills, probably the highest hormone concentration they offer—but nothing actually helps.
A hormonal imbalance hits your mental state hard; you get irritable, you're constantly tearing up, you can't focus, you deal with night sweats, hair loss, excess body hair or hirsutism... and don't even get me started on fertility issues.
Personally, I've lost so much hair it's honestly unbelievable, and the worst part is, I'm still losing it. A lot of women stay completely fine, so we shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking this is just some "phase." No phase lasts for several years.
If I don't take my pills, I don't even get my period, so I have to keep taking them, even though I'm not exactly thrilled about it.
I mean, living with a hormonal disorder is incredibly difficult because, frankly, I'm just not functioning normally.

Wait, you're dealing with hair loss (like, bald spots style) AND hirsutism even while on medication??? 😲
I don't even get my period if I'm off the pills either.
But since I started my treatment, I haven't had any unwanted hair growth, and my hair is thick as a mane (it never used to fall out before).

I don't know, I honestly didn't realize anyone struggled this much with it.
Have you tried tackling the mental side of things? Maybe alternative medicine?
It might help if the pills aren't doing the trick.