Facial Hair Removal
The number one problem...
Facial hair is a recurring plague that is an ongoing struggle for anyone who wants to present as female or in any way feminine. It complicates makeup application, limits options and is a constant struggle.
My beard grows relatively fast, is dark and without the necessary coverage, it absolutely noticeable through any application of standard foundation. Being able to mask the dark shadow of a beard is important but what if you want to take steps to limit or eradicate hair growth altogether?
In this guide I will cover every step that I have taken to deal with beard growth as well as some of those I haven't... yet...
What type of results do you want?
As with the body hair section, deciding what kind of results you are looking for is the first step but the options are significantly more limited. You should never attempt to wax or epilate your beard.
Temporary - Shaving, shaving, shaving.... I assume I don't need to cover this in any specific detail but there is nothing more important than mastering a good shave technique. It's the thing you probably already know best.
Medium Term??? - Laser / IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) whether done at home or in a studio is a possibility and you will find no shortage of salons advertising IPL as a solution for beard growth... Having said that, my personal experiences are mixed to say the least.
Permanent - Electrolysis is the only permanent option for beard growth removal and prevention. Basically, a needle is inserted into the follicle and an electric current heats the follicle.
Shaving (Temporary)
If you don't have a razor, you need to get one, an electric shaver won't do the job here at all.
I stopped getting any new types of razor after the Mach3, in my opinion, the technology pretty much peaked there. However, as long as you can get a close and clean shave, that is what really matters
Razor not Shaver - I never use an electric shaver for any part of my routine. They are fine for guy-mode etc. but they simply don't do what I need for crossdressing.
A good foam - I bought a six pack of Gillette shaving gel from Costco a while back and I'm still using it. However, I have had very good results using hair conditioner when I am travelling and would recommend trying this. It softens the hairs better than gel in my opinion.
A fresh blade - A clean and close shave needs a newer blade. If you are using makeup irregularly then just use a new blade every time.
Shaving Routine
I am generally quite lazy about shaving my beard and I have to tell myself to slow down and take my time. If I want a close shave, my steps are:
Warm up the hair - I have an old flannel which I soak in very hot water and apply to my face. This feels like one of those steps that improves the shave by only a few %.
Gel / conditioning cream - Massage into the face, take a bit of time here, make sure you are working it into the beard and trying to get those hairs to soften up a bit
Shave - I shave with and against the grain, however I see fit. Shaving with the grain just doesn't get a close enough result so I tend to go with the grain first and then against the grain afterwards.
Clean up - cold water, as cold as you can get it, is good here. I know some people who will then shave again with cold water (something to do with it tightening the skin for an even closer shave) but I don't do this.
Aftercare - If I've got the time I will apply an aftershave balm (unscented) to my face, just to hydrate it a little.
IPL (Uncertain results)
IPL or Intense Pulsed Light is a treatment which concentrates light directly onto the follicle and stunts or stops growth for up to 8 weeks (according to Philips).
My experiences with using IPL on my face are mixed to say the least. My general view is that for your beard, you can't rely on IPL at all if you do it from home and I'm not convinced that it will work better in a salon. A couple of points...
Conditions - IPL works best on dark hair with fair skin. It's not going to do anything about grey hairs and even a tan is going to limit or stop it working.
Wildly inconsistent - Using IPL on my face has given me some patches where no hair grows and others where no matter how often I use it, I get no results at all. My moustache and goatee areas seem impervious to the IPL whereas my cheeks have responded very well. Either way, I now have a very patch appearance to my beard growth which looks weird.
I would only recommend IPL on your beard if you a) already have the machine, b) are shaving every day and you want to reduce the effort a little, c) don't mind a patchy 5 o'clock shadow
Electrolysis - Permanent
I know people who have had Electrolysis and with enough sessions, the results are permanent and the overall verdict is extremely positive.
As of April 2025, I am booked in for a trial session but I haven't yet had any treatments. I will update this page once I have the full experience...