Re: scared out of my mind.

OK, it's nothing to be scared about.

In spite of what some people would like you to believe, it's not only men who have moustache and beard growth. Most American women will develop some moustache and beard growth over the course of their adult lives and though on average men have more moustache and beard growth and develop it earlier in their lives, nonetheless many women have as much beard growth as the average man and a great many have enough beard growth to require shaving every day. Ask any family doctor and he or she will tell you that they have quite a number of female patients who shave every day.

Your beard is coming in -- and, typically for teenage girls, it's a little slower than on most males.

If you do decide you have to do something to remove it, then there isn't a simple answer and there's a lot of misleading "information" around.

Facial (and also body) hair on women comes about in the same way as on men because of

1) your body being sensitized, before you were even born, to testosterone -- doesn't happen to all girls, but does to many

2) your body producing high levels of testosterone

The growth rate and coarseness of the hair depends on just how much testosterone is circulating in your bloodstream.

Steer clear of bleaching -- when someone sees you against the light you'll look as if you have a glowing moustache. Believe me, it shows up far, far worse.

As far as removing it is concerned it's worth remembering that

* Waxing, plucking, threading, epilating all pull the hair out by the roots and where the growth is hormonally-driven can actually stimulate a dormant follicle into producing more hair quicker. They also distort the root if done repeatedly, leading to hair growing at strange angles. And you've got to let the hair grow to quite a length before you can repeat the exercise. It can also damage the skin and discolor it. Long-term use of waxing also causes bad wrinkles.

* Chemical depilatories strong enough to remove the hair are very likely to burn the skin, cause swelling and cause long-term discoloration of the skin.

* Laser is also liable to cause burning and discoloration and in any case only works effectively on a dark hair/light skin combinantion.

* Electrolysis is very liable to cause scarring and discoloration of the skin.

Which, like it or not, leaves shaving which does not damage the skin and does not cause the hair to grow more or coarser or faster. Best done with a men's-style electric razor, the best of which, for women, are possibly those from the men's range of Philips/Norelco razors (Philishave outside the US). Tweet