facial hair dramas
 

alright, hey everyone

i ran a few searches, but i couldn't find anything on this topic..

my problem is... well, i have an issue with my facial hair. I'm now 19 and i'm starting to grow facial hair up on my cheekbones, and small hairs are starting to even grow from my eyebrows(although they are kinda hard to see) down to around my cheekbones.... i am really reluctant to shave the hair there though, i don't want it to grow darker and thicker, higher on my cheekbones. I've been noticing other peoples beards etc. and most people don't have any indication at all that they have hair there.. i guess i just want some feedback on how many of you shave up on your cheekbones.. and if i do, will it grow darker and thicker? also, since i don't have any creams or wax around for hair removal.. i was wondering if plucking some of this hair was a good idea?? or would that make it thicker also?? i think it would because it seemed to do that for my eyebrows.... hmmm, but yeah, any facial hair tips would be muchly appreciated :)

hahaha, i've been so open... i love the tfp!

I think it's a myth that shaving makes the hair grow more. I believe it's a tertiary effect:
1) Between the ages of 15 and 18 you start shaving.
2) Between the ages of 15 and 18 the hair you are shaving naturally grows in thicker and darker.
3) We wrongly associate the change with shaving instead of aging.

I could be wrong. I suppose a good way to test would be to shave a spot on your arm for a while and see if, over time, that spot becomes more coarse or grows more. I don't think it would.

Anyway, if my facial hair was all the way up on my cheekbones, I'd probably shave it. If you don't want it to be there, shaving is the cheapest option. Although permanent hair removal might be a better solution if you're self-conscious about it.

Pulling the hair out using any method will make it grow in softer and often lighter.

If you have just a little bit and you are worried about encuraging further hair growth then you can always use bleech.

From my experience it seems that removing hair encourages it's growth. Yet also think there is a genetic limit. For example some people can never grow a full beard - no matter what they try. So removing the hair will just get it to grow up to what it eventually will be in 5-10 years. I could be wrong; perhaps CoachAlan is right.

I'm 24, and I also get a few hairs on my cheakbones and thin ones around the sides of my eyebrows. I've always just shaved them and never really noticed them growing in thicker.

I've always understood that it *appears* thicker if you shave it. When you pluck / wax hair, it has to start growing from scratch and is usually a little thinner when it first starts growing back in. When you shave, it starts at the base where it was already a little thicker.

The reality of the situation is that everyone grows their facial hair differently. Some people never get a full thick beard, (look at Johnny Depp) some people grow a beard that practically covers their entire face (a la Robin Williams). In all likelihood, if you're growing this hair now, its going to continue to come in and become more dense as you age. I am 28 and my facial hair is still becoming more dense at time goes on. I also grow hair up high on my cheeks, I just make sure to shave daily.

just a quick reply cos i have to catch a train..

just like to say thanks to everyone for your input! i do believe my hair will continue to get thicker and darker as i get older... thats what i'm worried about it i guess.. but yeah, i'll haveto learn to live with it...

gotta go!

I'm 31 and I've had the same problem. I shave up to right under my eyes because it grows there. However, it is not as dark or thick as the hair on the rest of my face so unless I let it go for a week without shaving it can't really be noticed. But, I have not noticed it getting any thicker or darker as a result of my shaving it for the last 16 years or so.

Ah..yes. I got the hair gene too. When I was 19 it was awkward, now it's just a part of who I am. Try shaving and plucking for now. After a while, if you can't deal with it this way, laser hair removal may be the answer.