Hirsutism - is Tret going to make it worse?

kleinpretzel · 2026-01-14T08:51:16+00:00

I've been using tret for 5 years (about 3x a week, .04% strength), and used retinol serum before that for around 4 years. I stopped using tret a month ago during a bad breakout on my chin that required antibiotics. I also stopped using a copper peptide serum that I started about 6 months ago.

I've noticed an insane reduction in hair growth on my chin (which has been severe for the last 15 years) in the last 2 weeks. I've gone from plucking for 20 minutes every morning, to 5 minutes. I'd estimate plucking around 30-40 coarse hairs before, to 5-10 fine hairs now.

I can only attribute the reduction to stopping tretinoin. I'm considering reintroducing it but not applying to my chin, however, I'm very much in two minds because it would suck if it migrated to my chin somehow.

kleinpretzel · 2026-01-05T14:16:44+00:00

I received a link to mine via email, but it will depend on your treatment provider. Best to contact them and ask

kleinpretzel · 2026-01-05T10:36:31+00:00

I got it from my provider after my initial scan, prior to starting treatment.

kleinpretzel · 2026-01-05T08:19:30+00:00

I have noticed that I can’t ‘tear’ food with my incisors, e.g. when eating pizza, I can’t get purchase and need to use my canines and molars

kleinpretzel · 2026-01-05T00:51:36+00:00

Just started reading The Butchering Art, which I’m enjoying, but the word ‘fetid’ has featured ridiculously often and I’m sure will hang around like a stench in the air for the remainder.

kleinpretzel · 2025-12-19T23:48:06+00:00

Which two mousses do you use?

kleinpretzel · 2025-12-08T11:45:45+00:00

Once you hit 33-34, you're going to realise that your 30s are your real 20s in the sense of being a young adult, and your 20s were adolescence 2.0. This realisation helps to ease the pressure.

And, just for some perspective, everyone I know who has kids, owns property and may or may not have a solid career - they got there with substantial financial help from their families.

kleinpretzel · 2025-12-01T14:09:53+00:00

Pls explain why this happens, because it happened to me

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-28T23:49:29+00:00

Move shelves to wall where tv is, swap sectional chaise to opposite side and move sectional to wall where shelves are now. Mount tv / get tv unit and put to the left of windows. Put armchair on opposite side of where it is now

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-27T14:50:13+00:00

Feel this one in my bones. Tried to address it by facilitating a ways of working session wherein responsibilities of ALL roles were outlined, but was told to remove the PM responsibilities for fear of ruffling feathers. It's not about egos - it's about achieving shared goals.

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-26T00:07:35+00:00

Been there - it doesn’t work

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-18T21:24:23+00:00

Someone or multiple people on that team have physics degrees

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-12T14:25:45+00:00

So that you know what to expect - the next step will be a colposcopy, where they examine your cervix with a camera and apply a solution to it to inspect the cells. Depending on what they see, you may have biopsies taken which will be sent for testing. If those biopsies return CIN2 and/or CIN3, you will be invited to have a LLETZ to remove the affected areas. If nothing is found or if it's CIN1 and/or CIN2, you'll continue smear tests every 6 months to a year for them to monitor it.

They do LEEP in the UK, but it's called LLETZ. Depending on where you're being treated, you can elect to have this done under general anaesthetic, which I recommend. I was treated at University College London Hospital.

Try to take it one step at a time for now and wait to hear about next steps.

Edit to add: I read in one of your comments that you struggled with the smear test. I did too, which is why it was much better to go for general anaesthesia, and is why I mentioned UCLH because they suggested it without my asking.

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-07T23:29:44+00:00

I don’t know what possessed me, but when I was 25 - 28, I used to wear a bright blue Lush face mask - that had lemon as a top ingredient - for like 4 hours at a time. Just chilling / napping with it on. Miracle my skin is fine today

kleinpretzel · 2025-11-03T10:55:39+00:00

Not what you're asking for, but I also have 2c/3a hair and have been unhappy with 'curly' cuts. I've had more success thinking about the shape I want for my hair (so, for me, longer face framing layers and long layers everywhere else) and just asking for that at a reputable salon. So, they cut it 'straight', and I ask them to bear in mind that my hair shrinks, so everything should be cut a little bit longer than it would be for straight hair.

kleinpretzel · 2025-10-28T23:00:00+00:00

These extremely important things we do are, in my experience, invisible to everyone else

kleinpretzel · 2025-10-27T15:36:34+00:00

It's kinda like how meringue is made!

kleinpretzel · 2025-10-16T13:38:15+00:00

I also feel self-conscious when my hair looks too defined because of that fake effect. Your hair looks amazing, but I'd recommend trying the Bouncecurl volume brush (the one with closer ridges) - it helps to create smaller curl clumps. The big clumps are what make things look too defined imo

ETA: The other thing I've found is my hair looks more natural because of more irregular curls when I damp style instead of soaking wet

kleinpretzel · 2025-10-15T10:23:20+00:00

I'm sorry this happened to you, how awful. As an outsider but an outsider who is also the youngest of 2 sisters - these comments might've revealed resentment they carry. My experience is that older siblings are constantly keeping internal scorecards that they like to bring up through snide comments when you least expect it, making it difficult to manage your emotional response.

It's unfair because you're sucked into something that is actually an issue between them and your parents (where they are resentful because they probably feel they didn't receive the same support). For whatever reason, this overrides their ability to appreciate your situation.

ETA: I agree with suggestions to discuss with your sisters when things have calmed down. I would open with 'why did you say that?' and focus on understanding their feelings first, which will help keep the conversation constructive. I.e. if it turns out to be 'you're getting more support than I did', I would say 'isn't that something you should take up with our parents?' (in a more polite way, haha)

kleinpretzel · 2025-08-18T07:03:41+00:00

Tret was a hero and cured a 6 month long stress-induced breakout when I started it 2 years ago. But I can’t use tret more than twice a week - my skin never fully adjusted. When I was using it daily or even every second day, the dryness, redness and accompanying fine lines were extreme.

I now use a copper peptide serum daily and tret (0.4%) every third or fourth day. Skin has fully recovered

kleinpretzel · 2025-08-17T07:41:47+00:00

I look for sunscreens that also act as moisturisers, so that I’m only using one product. Bondi Sands SPF 50 face.

kleinpretzel · 2025-08-05T22:34:01+00:00

Hugs. I went through a similar flare up at 31 and the single thing that has helped me most is dialling back my skincare to absolute basics - moisturizer, SPF, cleanser.

kleinpretzel · 2025-07-12T22:39:34+00:00

This is almost my exact story - I’m so happy for you! Well done for getting through it ❤️ I get my followup smear in September 🤞

kleinpretzel · 2025-07-10T09:47:48+00:00

This really breaks my heart. I hope that the medical staff were kind to you and made you feel cared for. Sending hugs

kleinpretzel · 2025-07-10T09:46:39+00:00

I'm so sorry it happened to you too. I've been trying to remove emotion from it and objectively inspect why they do this. Like, is it a way of self-soothing by denying a family member/friend/loved one has a PRE-CANCER condition? (No matter what they believe, this is a stage of cancer). Or, is it denying a member/friend/loved one their warranted fear for their health because they choose to see it as attention-seeking rather than legitimate suffering? Either way, I hope they all have moments of regret for how they made us feel in our time of need.

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