Leg hair + hot water effects on vulva

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

This isn't quite vagina related, so feel free to delete if too off topic :)

Does anyone have any tips on how to keep your legs smooth longer? You see, I have a freakishly low body temperature (I get run through a menagerie of tests every time I have to see a new doctor cuz they don't believe I could be healthy at my usual temp. I always am, but it does baffle), and as such am almost constantly cold. Cold usually leads to goose bumps, which always leads to leg hair growth. It's so bad that by the time I get out of the shower (when I JUST shaved), it feels prickly again. And even on those rare days when I somehow DON'T get goose bumps, I'm usually hairy by the end of the day.

I've tried everything, including shaving while there are goose bumps up thinking that that will help me get the hairs that are protruding. The only thing I haven't tried is professional waxing or laser hair removal, both of which are a wee bit too expensive for my bank right now (I did try home waxing, but was terrible at it and ended up giving myself a giant wax hickey while the hairs stayed defiantly in place).

If it would just last long enough for me to be smooth by the time I get to the bedroom with my boy, I could be content. I just want to be sexy smooooth! ;_;

So any tips? Or do you think I'm doomed?

Edit: Also? I have eczema, which might make things trickier :) I'll try anything, though, but if anyone knows of something that is a definite noooo on that account, please do speak up :) <3

Edit 2: I thought of another question, which is related to this AND puts it more on topic for this comm! :D

So because of the whole low body temp thing, I pretty much can't tell when things are too hot. For instance, the shower. I use absolutely no cold water when I shower, so it's just straight hot (which is likely a big no-no for the aforementioned eczema, but so waaarm), because that's the only time I ever feel warm and not like an icicle.

But! It just occurred to me...could that be bad for my vulva? I mean, I do take off the shower head and aim it at that area in order to clean it. As far as I can tell it hasn't had any adverse effects, but I dunno...having now thought of it, I have to wonder. Could I be damaging my poor vulva with hot water of doom?

Comments

[old-xmas-lights.livejournal.com]

nair or veet... something of that type

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

Do you know if those might irritate eczema? My skin's sorta sensitive because of it (forgot to mention that ^^;). I'm willing to try, but was wondering if you might know :)

[lenosaurus.livejournal.com]

If your skin is sensitive then I really do not suggest using either of those. My skin is SUPER sensitve (unscented lubriderm makes me react), and it gave me chemical burns when I left it on for less time than it says. Waxing, however.. didn't bother me at all.

Also. Woot for low body temperature. 94-96F woo woo.

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

That's my range, too! 96 is on the more rare side of things for me, though, usually I only get there when I'm sick and on the verge of a fever (it's fun explaining to people that you really DO have a fever when your temp's at 98.6. XD). Once I got down to 93.1 and that started to worry me (I was freezing worse than usual, so I had to whip out the ole thermometer). I mean, I'm already so low that getting lower should, like, kill me or something. I just put on a few extra sweaters and got out my electric blankee and was fine again :D

Not to babble at you. I just haven't actually found someone with low temps like me before :D (being cold all the time suuuuucks).

[lenosaurus.livejournal.com]

Oh I hear you. When I was in high school (before I knew about my temperature) and I'd feel like hell, I'd go to the nurse, but my temp would be 98 or something, and she'd go "you're fine!" Liar!
Then I found a great doctor and my temp was 100, and I felt like I was dying, but she said it wasn't too bad a fever.. and I had to explain. It's just an odd problem, I guess.

I'm srsly always cold, and I cold-sweat. Gross. People have shaken my hand and said "woah, you feel like death." Awesome.

[old-xmas-lights.livejournal.com]

i think you can get a special kind for sensitive skin

[lenosaurus.livejournal.com]

That's what I used. My skin is just hypersensitive.

[bubblytoes28.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way and it sucks a big one.
I've done laser hair removal. I'm the "perfect candidate" (dark hair and fair skin) and I wasted so much money. I had it done on my face and I still have to pluck like crazy to not look like I have a beard.
The only thing that I've found that works (besides waxing, which works, but for only a few days. So not worth the cost)...is an epilator. It hurts like hell, I only use it on my arms....so I'm not sure if you'd be willing to use it on your legs. But it rips the hair out by the roots.

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

Are those those vibratey things? I didn't even know they still made those (haven't heard of them in a looooong time, but thought they were interesting as a kid). How much would you say they cost, and where could I find one? I'm pretty much willing to try anything at this point (plus, I took a tweaser to my legs a year ago, so it can't be worse than that, can it?)

[jenninhtown.livejournal.com]

Epilators are pretty inexpensive. I think I got one for like $40 a few years back. I prefer waxing (mine lasts for weeks), but it's nice to have on hand for strays between waxes.

[assilembob.livejournal.com]

this is the one I have and where i got it from http://www.amazon.com/s?keywords=braun+silk&rs=3760901&page=1&rh=n%3A3760901%2Ck%3Abraun+silk&sort=salesrank
I totally just posted for tips on removing my pubic hair with it too :-) then I saw this post and was about to suggest an epilator.
For me, there is little pain, it's pretty fast (faster than home wax) and it's a one time expense, whereas razors are expensive and so it professional stuff. This one was recommended by some people from here actually.

[bubblytoes28.livejournal.com]

I shopped around for mine on amazon to get an idea of how much I wanted to spend and what size I wanted. I wound up getting one at Target for $60.

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

i found using shave-minimizing moisturizers actually helped. you gotta use them daily--not just after you shave, and it may take a few weeks for you to notice a difference, but it was worked for me.

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

Do you know how that might react with eczema (forgot to mention that bit. Sorry ^^;)? I'm more than willing to try, but am curious to know if it's going to turn my legs to itchy fire :)

[drownophelia.livejournal.com]

i have semi-sensitive skin (but not eczema), and never had a problem with any of the products (i've used a few different brands)--never a tingle or anything. i think they work by using soy proteins, which somehow seep into the hair follicles, and soften the hair/block the follicles. i'm not sure about the science of it. aveeno has a version, and they tend to have very sensitive-skin-sensitive products.

[ibringtherage.livejournal.com]

there is a great community on here called beauty101 that is fantastic for answering these kinds of questions :) good luck!

[elettaria.livejournal.com]

Try an epilator. The one-off cost is about the same as that of getting your legs waxed. It's as effective as waxing, the main difference being that you have to do it yourself, and that you are pulling out smaller areas of hair at a time instead of large ones, plus it gets the hairs that are too short for waxing to reach. Many brands will have a 90 day returns policy for if you can't get on with it (it hurts less the second time), so it's worth a try.

[archangelbeth]

Okay, it's my pet hobby horse, but one of the myriad things that hypothyroidism can do is cause you to "run cold" -- it slows the metabolism. Have you ever had your thyroid tested? And if so, was your TSH 4 or below? (Can't rely on a lab's "normal" -- there are too many labs which use outdated numbers as high as 6. Which is why I'm asking, even though you've had the tests.) Wilson's Syndrome is another one, which can, if I'm reading Google right, be treated by temporary cycles of thyroid hormone to teach the body to run at a normal temperature. (So even if you've already been checked for those in specific, I have learned something new. Cool!)

On the skin front: My spouse has allergies and has been told to use water as cool as he possibly can bear when washing, to avoid aggravating his over-histamine-producing skin. Hot water could possibly be aggravating your skin. (Though I doubt it's a permanent thing -- it'd calm down after you stopped doing it. ...I don't think I could bear not to take warm showers!)

[odetta-to-detta.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I was waiting for you to show up with that :)

I know I've been tested for both hypo AND hyperthyroidism (they figured, "Well, she's skinny, too. So maybe hyperthyroidism?" ). I don't remember the exact numbers (the doc at my school finally just got used to my temp, so it's been awhile. But oh, the poor new nurses that take my temp. They freak XD), but I know the last time I had been tested I had JUST read one of your comments, and it fell in the normal range (I'm a pre-vet student, so I ask for everything info wise when I ge tested. It fascinates me :P). I've just always been this way. The first time my mom took my temp as a baby she took me to the hospital cuz she thought I was dying XD I imagine that's when the first tests began...poor little baby me.

I'm...not positive about the Wilson's Syndrome. So many tests get run I can't remember them all XD But I'll ask.

It very likely does aggravate it (I have to put lotion on immediately after my shower or oh god the itching. Sometimes I even have to break out the medicated stuff, which smells bad an' I dun like it ;P). But I feel so nice and toasty warm when I'm showering. Ah, to be warm *dreams*

[archangelbeth]

*laugh* You know me, you know me! (And yay pre-vet! I was pre-vet for a while; changed to English after the Worst Pre-Calc Book kicked my butt, and I was changing schools anyway. I still like medical stuff.)

It is definitely odd that you feel cold, despite having a low body temperature. If that's "normal," why would you not feel other temperatures as hot-hot-hot-augh? (I tend to feel cold when I'm fevered, at least, so I may be guilty of generalizing on the topic.)

*does more research on Wilson's Syndrome* Oh, bah, I got suckered by some of my first hits. O:p
http://www.thyroid.org/professionals/publications/statements/99_11_16_wilsons.html

Perhaps wash with cool water and get a space heater in the bathroom area, so you can make the whole area warm and the water will be a nice cool contrast? Or maybe just not blast the area with hot water? I suppose it's something of a trade-off, though. Hrmhrmhrm. Ze spouse, he got a bit better after taking claritin-d (and now the generic form) -- you've had the allergy testing yet? O:>

Luck! *runs off to get kid to school*