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I spent almost a year avoiding family photos because of the hair on my chin and neck Every single time someone pulled out a camera, I'd turn away or cover my face — and I was convinced it was just something I had to live with. We went from me being the one always grabbing the camera to hiding at the back of every group shot. ☝☝☝ This was taking over my life 10 months ago. And it turned out I'd been dealing with it completely the wrong way the whole time… So for almost a year, every single morning, I'd stand at the bathroom mirror tilting my chin toward the light. Not just a quick check. A full inspection. And I'd do everything right — razor, then a second pass against the grain, then moisturiser to try to calm the redness down. But by mid-morning the stubble was already coming back. So I started Googling at night asking why it was getting worse as I got older. And everyone online said yes, it's hormonal, it's menopause, your body just changes and there's not much you can do. So I felt like my body was working against me. And I started trying everything I could find. I tried waxing strips from the chemist that left my skin red and raw for three days. Threading, which made my eyes water so badly my mascara was everywhere. Hair removal creams that burned. Bleaching kits that just made the hair lighter but still very much there. Like I was spending $80, $100 a month and still checking my reflection every time I walked past a window. But nothing lasted more than a few days. So then I went to my GP. And she said it was completely normal — hormonal changes after menopause often cause increased facial hair, and short of laser treatment there wasn't a lot to be done. Like she's telling me this thing that's making me hide from cameras at my own granddaughter's birthday is just... normal? So she gave me a referral for laser anyway. And I went for a consultation and they said it would take 8 to 12 sessions, it wasn't guaranteed to work on my hair colour, and it would cost over $2,000. So I didn't go back. I tried a home IPL device. Used it for four months. Barely any difference. Like between the waxing, the threading, the creams, the IPL — I'd probably spent close to $600 trying to fix this. And my daughter kept saying she couldn't even notice it. But I could tell she was just being kind because she'd started angling the camera away from my chin in photos. Like at Christmas, I saw her zoom in on the grandkids and quietly tilt the frame so I was cut off at the nose. She thought I didn't see. So I started saying no to photos entirely. And I started dreading family gatherings. Not because of the people — I love those people — but because someone always pulls out a phone. So last Mother's Day, my daughter had organised a professional family photo session. And two days before, I told her I wasn't feeling well and maybe we should reschedule. Like I made up something about a sore throat. But she just went quiet on the phone in that way she does when she knows the real reason. And that night I sat on the edge of the bed thinking this is just going to keep getting worse. So after that I decided I wasn't going to spend another year like this. And I started looking properly — not just for hair removal, but for something actually designed for women like me. Like not a men's razor. Not a salon treatment that costs a fortune. Not something designed for legs. But something made for older women's facial skin. Fine enough to be gentle. Precise enough to actually work. So I found this epilator that kept coming up in forums for women going through menopause. And I ordered it thinking, okay, I've tried everything else. So the first time I used it I was completely braced for pain — I'd tried epilators on my legs years ago and they were brutal. But it was... nothing. Like I barely felt it. And I kept waiting for the redness. The rawness. The irritation I always got from waxing. It just didn't come. So a week later I checked the regrowth. And it was fine. Soft. Nothing like the stubble that came back after shaving. Like I ran my hand along my chin and it just felt like normal skin. But I kept waiting for it to come back thick and dark the way it always had before. Week two came. Still fine. Week three, my daughter came over for lunch and took a photo of us at the kitchen table — just spontaneously, without warning — and I didn't move away. Like I just... sat there and smiled. And when she showed me the photo, I looked at my chin first, the way I always do. And it was fine. So last month we did the family photo session we'd postponed from Mother's Day. Like the actual professional one, with the grandkids, outside in full afternoon light. And I'm in every single shot. So my daughter sent me the proofs and I cried a little looking at them. Not because anything was wrong. Just because I'm actually there. Present. Not hiding at the back or cutting myself out at the nose. Like I'm just in the photos the way I'm supposed to be. So if you've been avoiding cameras, or planning your mornings around a razor, or spending money on things that stop working after three days... And your GP says it's normal but you know it's taking something from you. There's no miracle here. But there is something that was actually designed for skin like ours. So I hope my story helps someone who's been standing at that mirror every morning like I was. 📢EDIT: My bad I didn't even mention the brand, so my DMs are full of questions. Here's their link: https://pluxe.co/products/pluxe-pro-epilator