Facial hair

Dear Dr. Jen,

I have facial hair on my cheeks and chin.  I’ve been shaving it every day and I noticed it has grown thicker.  I also get ingrown hair sometimes. What is the best option for me?  I have tried waxing and it irritates my skin.

JR

Dear JR,

There are many options out there for you.  While shaving might seem to make the hair thicker, this is not the actual case.  The hair strand is simply cut off in the middle of the hair shaft which is thicker, as opposed to having a fully grown hair with a tapered, thinner tip.  Proper shaving should include putting a mild liquid cleanser or shaving cream on the area, using gently strokes, frequent changing of blades, and the most important of all medicated creams after, using mild anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial creams immediately after shaving (my favorites are hydrocortisone and mupirocin).

Avoiding use of strong toners after shaving is important so as not to irritate skin.  If you find bumps, rashes and cuts, go to your nearest PDS dermatologist for a consult.

Depilating creams can also be an option for you.  This will dissolve the hair at the point where it enters the skin. Of all the modalities, I am mostly against plucking and waxing.  I find that waxing can sometimes strip off the fine protective layer of the skin.  Removal of this top most part of the skin makes the skin vulnerable to bacteria and becoming easily irritated by daily products you use. Plucking also seems to create the chicken-skin effect.

If you haven’t yet considered, permanent hair removal is also a safe option.  This is probably your best solution so you don’t have to deal with side effect of shaving for the rest of your life.  Diode lasers are painless, safe and are done in eight sessions or less. Make sure the laser is an FDA-approved machine for laser hair removal.  Many fake machines are marketed for hair removal but it will take you 30 to a zillion sessions to actually get the hair out.  It’s easy to spot the fake machines because they are dirt cheap and will usually offer unlimited sessions. Best of luck!

Dear Dr. Jen,

I had shingles last year on my arm.  Though the blisters are long gone, I noticed that they have now developed into red and brown bumps. It is still itchy and very noticeable. I’ve been to several doctors and I can’t recall how many tubes of cream I have consumed. I feel hopeless about this.  Can you suggest anything that can make the itch go away?

Lisa

Dear Lisa,

After shingles, the initial infection may have already disappeared but the sensation of itchiness can remain. This can happen to any itchy rashes for that matter, even a simple insect bite.  The itch-scratch cycle persists.  The itchiness is still felt, you scratch it, the itchiness worsens, and the skin hardens. Most of the time, applying steroids can help.  But when the skin has become thickened and too much friction or rubbing is applied on it, there is poor response to creams.  Intake of anti-histamines can help control the itch.  If you leave skin alone, it will have a chance to recover.  For more resistant cases, I usually inject the area to bring the medicine directly to the deeper part of the skin and that solves the problem.

Dr. Tan is a diplomate of Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) and is affiliated with Perpetual Succour Hospital (PSH). For information on PDS, check http://www.pds.org.ph/. For questions or concerns, please text to: 0932 857 7070; or email to: [email protected]; or call The Freeman: (032) 2531276, or PSH: (032) 233 8620 and 232 5929. Your inquiries will be forwarded to Dr. Tan.